Page 40 of Ruthless Deliverance

“Make me happy? You’re eighteen years old. You’re associated with the case I’m working on, and I was instructed to stay away from you.”

“Still not hearing a good reason.”

“That’s because we live in two different realities. This isn’t mine.” Her voice cracks at the end, and she jerks out of my grip, pulls the door open, and hurries away. She’s running. And I let her go. She needs to realize what I already know.

“It could be,” I mutter to the empty room. I sure as fuck can’t tell her, not that it’d be well received. But I have no intention of letting her go even after this bullshit investigation is over. There will be plenty of barriers to get past. But we can.

Moving to the bed, I put on my clothes and grab my phone. Seconds later, there’s movement near the entryway. And I’m not surprised in the least as Dani’s fake dad stands in the doorway.

“What the hell are you doing in my house?”

“I’m sure you can figure it out on your own.” I glance around Dani’s room and back to Philip. “Kinda nice digs for a cop, or a covert government-funded operation, wouldn’t you say?”

His shock is plain on his face for a few seconds before morphing into anger. “It’s not just my life you’re screwing with, kid.”

“And whose ass are you really protecting? Because I bet you waited until you saw her leave before coming inside. I bet you didn’t want to chance running into me with her here, because then you’d have even more lies to cover.”

“What’s your play, kid? I won’t let her take the fall for anything you’re hatching up.”

He’s protective over her. For the first time, I actually like him. “Good. But she won’t.”

“Then why the fuck are you here?”

“Because I didn’t know who she was, at first, not until she revealed a detail from the accident that she shouldn’t have.”

He curses under his breath; I’m guessing he realizes he’s the one who ultimately revealed her identity. Walking over to me, he stops a foot away, his eyes level with mine, his shoulders square. “I will not allow you or him to drag her down.”

“Wasn’t planning on it, Daddy Graham. But I’m not the one you should be worried about.”

As I step past him, he says, “I’m going to tell her the truth when all this is done.”

“I hope so.” She deserves that much. Especially since I didn’t extend her the same courtesy, give her the same honesty that I’ve accused her of withholding. That’s what I’m still doing. I knew it’d have consequences, but maybe I hoped she’d realize why I did it by the time she figures out the truth. She’s already found the person she’s looking for. Me.

* * *

“Shouldn’t you be at school?” Dad says as I step into the foyer, interrupting a deep conversation he’s having with Mom.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” Yes, on both. And neither of us are where we should be for the same reason.

“Creed, do not walk away from this.” Yep. He knows. But he doesn’t want to admit it yet. “Where were you?”

Glancing over to Mom, I see the concern on her face pointed at me, then at my father. “JR, what’s going on?”

“Care to answer that one, Dad?”

“Creed.” Mom huffs, looking between us. “One of you will tell me right now what is going on.”

“I was with Ava.” I watch as my father’s expression tightens.

Confused, my mother asks, “Ava? Who’s Ava? What about Dani? You just introduced us to her. What happened?”

“Ava is Dani. Dani’s real name is Ava Danica Saunders.” With each word, Mom looks more shocked, but when I reach the last name, her hand covers her mouth, suppressing a gasp. When she looks to my father, I say, “And Dad knew. He hired her.”

“Hired her? For what?” Mom asks between strangled breaths.

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

“That’s why you brought her here. It was a ploy to provoke me.” Dad takes a step forward, his hand rising as his finger points to me. “Everything I did was for you. I’m trying to clean up your mess with the least amount of collateral damage as possible.”