Kelly had read every word she could get her hands on about this, including the book by Ava Wright and Kaylee Mitchell. She knew all the nasty, awful details, including what had happened to Brianna Wright, being taken hostage as bait to kill her father.
If that poor girl wasn’t messed up in the head after all of that….
"I'm aware of their history," Kelly said, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "What's your point, Dad?"
Her father leaned closer, his voice dropping.
"Trouble seems to follow that family. You could get hurt."
The irony of her father suddenly caring about her safety after dismissing her concerns about Lori's case for years was not lost on Kelly.
"So what are you suggesting? That I stop seeing him because his father did his job and caught dangerous criminals?"
"I'm saying you should be careful. These connections have consequences."
Kelly's patience, already thin after an evening of family scrutiny, snapped completely.
"Are you saying I'm going to get murdered if I stay with Ben?"
Her father didn't flinch at her blunt question. His reply was equally direct.
"You might."
The coldness in his tone shocked her more than the words themselves. This wasn't paternal concern; this was David Bateman trying a last-ditch effort to wrest control back regarding her life. He was hoping to scare her enough that she’d run to him for protection.
But he’d never laid that groundwork her entire life. He’d never been the one she’d run to when she thought there were monsters under the bed or when kids at school had teased her for wearing glasses and reading books. If her life was truly in danger, he’d be the last person she’d go to for help.
He’d simply never been there for her. Ever.
Then she thought of Ben's warm hand at the small of her back, his patient listening, the way he'd stood calm and collected in the face of Rob's condescension. His assertion that he’d take all the slings and arrows from her family so they’d leave her alone. He’d shown her more care in less than a month than her father had in thirty years.
This is so sad.
"Well, hopefully his family will find my killer, unlike Lori's," she retorted, the words cutting through the air between them. “They won’t give up or blow it off as her own fault.”
Her father's face hardened, the blow landing exactly where she'd aimed it. The Batemans, like most of Bergen, had moved on from Lori Powell's murder with indecent haste, urging Kelly to do the same.
"This isn't about your friend," he said, his voice tight with anger. "This is about you rushing into a relationship with a man whose family has dangerous enemies. A man who, despite your protests to the contrary, I bet hasn't been honest with you about his background."
That last part stung because it might be true. Kelly's mind raced with questions. Why hadn't Ben mentioned any of this? Was he hiding other things from her? She hated the fact that her dad could still get under her skin this way.
"I appreciate your concern," she said, not meaning it at all. "But my relationship with Ben is my business, not yours."
"Kelly," her father began, but she cut him off with a raised hand.
Surprisingly, he did stop talking.
"I need to get back to the table. Celia will be upset if I miss her toast."
She turned to leave, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin in a show of defiance she didn't entirely feel. Her hands, she noticed with distant annoyance, were trembling slightly. She curled them into fists, willing them to steady.
"Kelly," her father called after her. "We're not done discussing this."
She didn't turn around, didn't acknowledge his words. The old David Bateman tactic, acting as if a conversation wasn't over until he decided it was. But she wasn't seventeen anymore, unable to leave until dismissed.
Kelly walked away, her steps measured and deliberate despite the storm brewing inside her. She would deal with her father later.
And Ben... she would deal with him too.
