“Wait. You already know?”
“Calvin told me.”
“Right.” I scoff. “Since when did you two keep your line of intel open?”
“That’s not important right now.”
“Of course, you’re important. Your career. Your fucking elections. Your party. Is that why you didn’t face her? Because you’re scared to tell her that your political career comes before everyone else, her included?”
“I didn’t tell her for the exact reason you need to stop drinking. Her mental state doesn’t need any more pressure right now.”
“Sure, I believe you.”
“Xander,” he says my name with that impatient tone like I’m the last thing he wants to deal with. “You think it was easy for me to give up my daughter? My own flesh and blood? It was th
e hardest decision I’ve made in my life, but at least I get to see her, talk to her, and make sure she’s fine. Calvin said she’s still fragile. I won’t allow you to make it worse.”
“Did your pen pal Calvin perhaps mention that I knew, too? For fucking seven years, if I may add.”
“Language.”
“Fuck that, Dad. Oh, wait, you never were. And the worst part is, I didn’t need a DNA test to figure that out.” I stride towards him and point a finger at his chest. “You stopped being my father the day Mum left because of you.”
Then I storm out of the house. Dad calls after me, but I consider it as if he doesn’t exist.
I take deep breaths before I go to pick up Kim and Kir. They don’t need to see me on the verge of combusting.
The Mazda comes into view and then I see the fucking bastard who used to call himself my friend.
He’s pinching Kim’s cheek and grinning down at her like in some cliché film.
My first thought is to break his arm.
Forget it. That’s not only my first thought, it’s all the thoughts running rampant in my head.
No one touches her now, not him and not anyone else.
Although I’ve often had those thoughts before, this is the first time I get to act on them.
Except for kicking Ronan’s arse the other time, or the one before that. If he keeps doing this, he’ll get himself fucking killed by me.
I march towards them as they chat happily about something. What, I have no idea. All I know is that I hate whatever they’re talking about.
Instead of punching him in the face like a part of me wants to, I just shove him away, grab Kim by the arm, and hug her to my side. My hand grabs the curve of her waist in a possessive hold.
A slight shiver goes through her and reaches me through our clothes. I avoid looking at her because that’ll soften me up and I need all my harshness to deal with this fucker.
“Bonjour, Knight.” He grins, then narrows his eyes. “Now let go of my Kimmy. I was inviting her to a date.”
“She’s not your Kimmy.” I pull her even closer to me until there’s no line that separates her tiny body from mine.
“Of course, she is. It’s not like you –”
“She’s mine.” I cut him off.
A huge weight lifts off my chest as I say those words. I can’t even recall how long I’ve bottled them inside. All I know is that it’s been so long that the inability to say them became painful at some point.
I chance a look at Kim, but she’s not watching Ronan or the scene. Her entire attention is zeroed on me, lips parted and that spark shining in her deep green eyes.