I nod knowing I need to take his word for it.
“After you took off when you were eighteen, your dad sort of lost his shit. Began destroying the place. Saying it was all his fault, even took a few swings at me. Within a month he started building a new clubhouse, a place for the clubgirls and parties. This place is kept as a place for business, family gatherings, a safe house, shit like that. Clubgirls aren’t allowed here.”
I look at him in shock. “Wow. When you said there were changes in the club, I never would have thought that.”
He shrugs. “It wasn’t just that either though, the girls were scared to come back here after you killed Lin, they were worried you’d take them all out.”
I smirk. If I had stayed, I probably would have considered it.
We undress each other and get into bed. I snuggle into his chest and he wraps an arm around me. I can’t believe I am back here after all this time and in the arms of this man.
**
“Princess. Come on, time to wake up.”
I swat Carter away. “No, just a little more sleep.” I snuggle down deeper in the cover and try to get comfortable again.
“Sorry, baby, but we have been summoned.” Carter pulls me up and kisses my forehead. It’s sweet, and unexpected, so it wakes me up instantly. He’s being so sweet.
“Fine,” I grumble.
I throw the blankets off as Carter tosses me some clothes. Quickly dressing, I stand, just staring at him.
“You okay?” he asks.
I shrug. “Let’s just get this over with.” I grab his hand and we go out of the room, down the hall, passed the main room and down another hall. There it is, my father’s office, the place that destroyed everything for me. All those old bad feelings come creeping back in and I try to shake them off. I think about my mom and my heart breaks all over again for her. She loved him so much and he betrayed her over and over again.
“Harlee, if you don’t want to, I can ask your father to speak to us somewhere else.”
“No, it’s…whatever.” I know I need to do this. It’s time to confront my dad and put the past to rest if I want to move forward with Carter.
Carter knocks for me, since I can’t bring myself to do it, and I hear my father shout to come in.
There he is, sitting behind his desk, smoking a cigarette, shuffling papers around on his desk.
“Princess.” He breathes out, quickly stubbing out his smoke and stands up coming towards me.
I take a step back, not wanting him near me and he flinches.
Turning his head away from me he tells us to sit.
“What I’m going to say is going to probably make you hate me more than you already do.”
Why is he dragging this out? “Just fucking tell me, God. I don’t want to be here, just tell me what the fuck you did to cause someone to come after me, so I can get the hell away from you,” I snap at him.
“There was never a threat.” I pull in a breath, and Carter’s hand squeezes mine tight. “Now before you yell at me, hear me out. I’ve fucking missed you, Princess. Between me and Wrecker here, you had every reason to stay away and never come back. I don’t blame you for it. I blame myself. I needed to find a way to get you home. No matter how it happened.”
I feel dizzy.
“What about the sick shit of the dead rat in her dresser? Or The Stable bitch that got stabbed?” Carter demands from him.
“It was all to scare her, to make her come home. Especially once I found out what she was doing for work, and no daughter of mine, no matter how much she hates me, is going to be a damn stripper. That was it. She was never in any real danger. Those men were people that owed our club money. I offered them a chance to be debt free if they did this for me.”
“So, I’m good to go home then?” I really need to go if I’m safe now, I have important shit waiting for me.
“Not so fast,” Carter says, pulling me back down to my seat. “I told you, baby, me and you, I won’t let you go again. I promised to remain faithful to you, to be the man you want me to be. I can’t let you go home.”
I shake my head. “And I will still be with you, but I really need to go home. Please, Wrecker, I’ll come back, I promise.” I need to take care of something fast. If Carter finds out any other way he will be the one who won’t forgive me. I’ve wanted to tell him so many times these past few days but there hasn’t been the right moment. I can’t bring myself to say the words.