“There will never be a chance in hell I’ll come back to you.I’d rather be dead.Even if the marriage doesn’t work out, I know I have the strength to move on and make a life for myself.”
Frank scowled at her.“You need to shut your stupid mouth, little girl.”
She leaned forward and placed both arms on the table.“No, I’ve had enough.I don’t know what happened to make me think I matter, but I know I deserve better.You need to leave, and I never want to see you again.If need be, I will get a restraining order against you to protect myself.”Sky curled her lip in disgust.“You will never get another penny from someone because of me for the rest of my life.”
Frank sat forward, ready to grab onto her arm, when a large hand reached out abruptly and twisted the other man’s arm away from his wife.
“Damn it, you’re gonna break my arm, you son of a bitch,” Frank cried out.
“You will never lay another hand on Sky again, or I’ll break you into little pieces.”
Frank yanked his arm from Jared’s grip.“You can’t threaten me!”
Jared laughed, leaned closer, and whispered so only the three of them heard the words.“You wanna bet?I’ve lived here my whole life.I can tell you at least a hundred places where I can hide a body.But that’s not a threat, you bastard.I’m just telling you there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect my family.Now tell me, do you want to take a chance I’m lying, or can you see the truth in my eyes?”
Frank swore before he looked at Sky.“Are you going to let him talk to your dad like that?”
Sky tried to smile, but it fell short.The nausea was back, but this time with a cramp twisting her insides, making it hard to breathe.
“As far as I’m concerned, you are no longer my father.”
Frank’s face turned a darker shade of red.She could tell he was trying and just barely succeeding to bite back the hateful words he wanted to spew from his mouth because he was rightly afraid of Jared.He stood abruptly but never took his eyes from Sky.
“I hope he finally gets sick of you and pushes you away, because I know it will happen eventually.I just don’t know when.Don’t come crawling back to me.I want you to hurt.”
Jared tore his gaze from Sky.He stood and towered over the other man.
“It’s time for you to go.”
Frank turned from them angrily, but no sound came from him again.Sky released the breath that had stuck in her throat since her father first sat down.
Jared watched until the door closed after the man before sitting back down.He immediately turned in the booth and faced Sky, one of his arms on top of the booth seat, his other on the table in front of her, deliberately caging her in.Her body stiffened as she stared out the window, ignoring him.
“Look at me, Baby.”
A shiver raced down her spine at the honey tone of his voice.One she hadn’t heard in such a long, long time, not since her first few days on the ranch.She turned to look at him.
“Can you let me up?I want to get back ho ...to your ranch,” she stuttered.
Jared’s eyes stared into hers, trying to find anything that would be better than the emptiness that shone back at him.Dammit, he did this to her.Why hadn’t he seen the sadness that veiled this woman when she lived under the same roof?He hated himself right then for the pain he had caused her.She’d had enough of that in her life.
“In a bit, Baby.I want to talk to you.”
Sky stayed frozen and waited for his criticism and disapproval, trying to solidify the wall she had erected around herself for protection against the damage this man caused her.
“What did you want to talk about?”
Sky gasped, and a visible shiver wracked her body when his hand wrapped around her neck.She tried to pull away from him.
“Easy, Sweetheart,” he said as he massaged the tightness he could feel in her neck and upper shoulders.“Why did you come to town?”
“I came to town to get a few things for Abby and myself.Why?It’s not nighttime.I’m not running around the ranch.Was I forbidden to come to town, too?”
Jared rubbed his thumb up and down her neck.
“Actually, I don’t like you coming to town without me.I think this has been discussed before.”
Sky swallowed back the tears that choked her.
