Caelyn shook her head, letting out a frustrated growl. “I’ve never seen him before. Who is he?”

“He rolled with your dad’s old crew. He’s been popped for possession countless times, but nothing violent.”

Caelyn’s hands formed fists at her sides. “I don’t even know him. Was he caught up in the bust seven years ago?”

“No,” Parker answered. “That’s what doesn’t quite add up. He’s never done hard time. There’s only one thing I can think of.”

“What’s that?” I growled.

“Rumor has it he was your dad’s right hand. Ran a lot of drugs for him.”

Caelyn paled. “You think it’s my dad pulling the strings.”

Parker’s jaw worked. “I think it’s looking that way.”

“Hasn’t he done enough? He’s already traumatized his children. Left them to almost get killed. And now this? What did we ever do to him other than ask him to love us?”

Parker looked from Caelyn to me and back again, unease filling his expression. “Because of you and your siblings, his face is in every police database. Because of you, he lost his entire network. I’m guessing that dealing made him feel like a big man even though he was the smallest of the small. You destroyed what he viewed as his kingdom. And that’s enough for a twisted man to seek revenge.”

46

Caelyn

As soon as Parker and the rest of the officers left, I was moving, before I could even consider where I was going. I just needed to get away. From Parker’s revelations about my father. From the worried, probing glances. Even from my friends. I rounded the house, heading for the woods. For the quiet peace of the pond.

I wasn’t running exactly, it was more of a furious power walk. As the wind picked up, it stung my cheeks. That was the only way I even realized that I was crying. Tracks of silent tears ran down my face. Tears because the man who was supposed to love me simply because I was his daughter wanted to cause me the most pain imaginable.

As I reached the edge of the forest, I sank to the ground, leaning against the thick trunk of one of the trees and wrapping my arms around my legs as if somehow it could protect me from the knowledge that my father hated me down to his marrow.

Footsteps sounded, muted by the forest floor. I kept my gaze focused on the pond. The slight rippling of the water. A bird that swooped down hoping to spot a small fish.

Griffin lowered himself next to me. Without a word, he lifted me as if I weighed nothing and settled me in his lap. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered the words against my temple, his lips brushing across the tender skin there.