“Shit,” I mumble as I head through to the open plan kitchen/diner.
He hasn’t left for work yet.
My father lives by a strict schedule. He’s left for work at the same time every single day without fail for as long as I can remember. So for him to still be at home at almost ten o’clock on a work day, it means there’s something wrong and the fact I’ve been summoned tells me I’ve got something to do with it.
“Morning, sweetheart,” my mother chirps as I enter the room, her eyes finding mine over her shoulder briefly before continuing busying herself in the kitchen.
“Morning,” I reply before I turn my attention to my father, sat at the dining table, typing away on his open laptop.
“The funniest thing happened to me this morning,” he begins, reaching for his coffee and taking a swig.
Here we go…
Nogood morninggreeting, just straight to the point, but I guess it’s best. Sooner this is over, the sooner I can get out of here.
“David Locker from down the street called me this morning and he told me darndest thing. Says he saw you getting out of a truck last night outside his house with none other than Killian Hunt behind the wheel.”
My heart is a drumbeat in my ears. This guy has eyes and ears everywhere. Is there nowhere to escape him?
“Of course, I told him he must’ve been mistaken because there’s absolutelyno waymy daughter would ever be associated with those animals, least of all Killian Hunt, am I correct?” His eyes find me over the top of his laptop as he awaits my response, despite already knowing what I’m going to say, it’s just his way of fucking with me.
I lift my chin. “What he saw was right. I went shopping out of town yesterday afternoon and my car broke down in the middle of nowhere. Killian was passing by and he gave me a ride back,” I explain, skipping over everything that happened in between.
“Hm. I wasn’t aware you knew him.”
“It’s a small town, everybody knows everyone,” I joke.
He doesn’t find it funny.
“Don’t get smart with me, Kaia. I don’t want you anywhere near those criminals, especially not Killian Hunt. I’ve worked too hard to help ensure the safety of this town. My entire career has been to oversee that civilians are safe to walk the streets, not just as Mayor but as the warden of Red Hook Penitentiary, as you well know. I know the types of men they are, what impression does it give to have my daughter seen associating with the likes of them, hm?”
It’ll be kind of hard given I work for one of thosecriminals, I want to say, but I don’t.
“Kaia, I’m waiting for an answer.”
“Okay,” I lie.
“Glad to hear it.” There are no feelings behind his words. “The winter ball is coming up in a few weeks and I expect you to attend. I also expect you to wear a dress with a little more modesty than the one you wore the other night. Buy a new one if you have to, all I ask is you do not humiliate me on one of the most important nights of the year.”
My eyes find my mother as she busies herself in the kitchen, doing her best to pretend she hasn’t been listening.
“Of course. Well, I’ll be going now.” I spin on my heel and head to the door.
“Kaia.” My father’s voice has me slowing to a stop. I turn to find his eyes on me, study my face. “What’s all that shit on your face?”
“Makeup.” I woke up this morning with a faint bruise on my cheek where that asshole hit me yesterday and there’s no way I would ever get away with explaining it happened by walking into a door or something as equally unbelievable, but I had hoped he hadn’t noticed the layer of makeup on my face to hide it.
“I suggest you take it off. Too much makeup is unbecoming. You don’t want people thinking you’re trash now, do you?”
My fingernails bite into my palms to stop the wave of tears I can feel burning in the backs of my eyes.
I don’t know why my eyes drift over to my mother, hoping for her support, because as always, it never comes.
“No,” I force out, desperately trying to keep my composure in check.
First I’m a whore, and now I’m trashy? Safe to say my father won’t be winning aFather of the Yearaward any time soon.
I leave the kitchen without another word and hurry out of the house before my father makes it best of three and finds something else to call me.
