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“Is he really that bad?”
He glances up. “Who? Your father?”
I nod and he scoffs.
“You haven’t googled him yet?”
I shake my head, glancing at the computer screen. “I’ve been too chicken.”
“Wait here,” he growls, tossing the note down as he storms out of the safe room and disappears into the living room. Glancing up at the camera feed, I watch him walk over to his bag and rip a folder out of the side pocket before turning back to the bedroom. He barges into the safe room again and slaps the folder down in front of me.
“That is your father.”
I grab it and flip it open, my mouth dropping at the first newspaper article’s headline: Family of Four Killed in House Fire.
“Are you saying he did this?” I ask, whipping my head in his direction and he nods with a grim expression on his face.
“No,” I whisper, turning back to the folder and flipping through more articles, each one worse than the last.
Man Skinned Alive
Woman Killed in Acid Attack
Missing Child Suspected Dead
“How could someone do all this?” I whisper, tears burning my eyes and Lincoln grabs the arms of the chair and spins it to face him.
“Dominic King will do anything to the people who betray him and even their families aren’t safe from his wrath.”
I shake my head as a tear streaks down my cheek. “Just like me.”
“No, baby,” he says, kneeling in front of me. “You are nothing like this man.”
“I… I shot you in the leg because you hurt me. I tased you over a misunderstanding and again just to cause you the same pain I was feeling. I’m a monster.”
“No,” he growls, fisting my hair. “I don’t ever want to hear you talk like that again. Before me, had you ever hurt anyone?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Okay, then. I deserved this,” he says, pointing to his leg. “And I don’t care. Do it to me again. Hit me, tase me, shoot me; as long as you’re mine, I’ll take it all.”
“That’s sick. We’re sick,” I whisper and he smiles, leaning forward and pressing his forehead to mine.
“So be it, baby. If loving you makes me a little sick, I don’t give a shit because I also think loving you makes me a better man and I’ll take that trade any day of the week.”
