The room is silent for several minutes as we all wait for Ty.
“I have conditions,” Ty finally announces, pushing his chair back and standing up. “You can borrow Evan and his skills, but I’m having two men on him at all times. I’m not taking a risk without eyes on him.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” West says, looking at Seb and waiting for his slight nod.
“Good.” He scrapes his hands down his face and turns his attention to Dean and me. Don’t you fuckin' say— “Luke, Dean? You’re on Evan watch.”
“Fuck, no,” I growl at the same time Dean asks, “Yeah?”
“You want in on the team for a while?” Ty asks Dean. “Consider this your in.” My nostrils flare at his words, my eyes wide. He’s letting this fucker even further in and not batting an eyelash about it. Why the hell is it only me who can see he’s a slimy fuck?
“Fuck, yeah!” He holds his hand up to Kitty and she high-fives him, a big grin on her face.
“I ain’t working with him,” I thunder, scraping back my chair and standing up.
“You don’t have a goddamn choice. I’m the boss, not you.”
I stare at Ty, fire shooting from my eyes. Both he and I know he controls what happens to this team, but I’ve had just about enough of this shit. He’s become soft lately, letting things slip that he shouldn’t. We both know it.
“This is bullshit. We don’t know who the fuck he is, and you’re letting him on the motherfuckin’ team!”
“Think of it this way,” Ty grinds out, stepping toward me and lowering his voice. “You get to keep an eye on him.” He raises a brow, and I see his underlying meaning. Does this mean he sees what I do?
My thoughts scramble in my head, and I try to sort through them at lightning speed. Kitty wouldn’t be any good at the job because she loves the dick, and there’s no way he’d let Kay do it. I’m the only person who makes sense.
I incline my head, acknowledging his silent thoughts. I’ll be having a conversation about it with him soon, but for now, I’ll let it slide and keep my eyes wide open with all three of these guys.
LILY
I sit in the front row; my hands clutched in my lap, my gaze focused on the small stage and podium my dad stands behind, giving his welcome speech.
Every Sunday is the same; he starts with welcoming everyone back, a smile on his face that conceals sins the people of this congregation would be shocked to know.
They don’t see what I see or feel what I feel, but they all keep their attention on him in the same way I do.
My gaze trails down to his hand where he holds his cane, the thin piece of wood tapping against the side of the panel, taunting me.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” I look back up at him, seeing his focus on me, not moving or swaying as he brings his cane to settle on top of the podium. “Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
I swallow against the dryness in my throat, knowing what he’s saying doesn’t have its true meaning coming from him.
He steps away from the podium and walks across the stage. He commands the room, much like everything else in his life. How can they not see him? How can they not see the mask he wears?
“Because he’s perfected it,” a small voice in the back of my mind says.
“This week I have been tested,” he announces, letting out a tired breath. “God tested me… my daughter.” My back straightens when he points at me. A bead of sweat forms on my forehead, knowing what’s coming. “Come, Liliana.” I want to scream and shout, sneer that he never talks to me this way at home, but I don’t. I do what I always do—as I’m told—standing up and smoothing out the maxi skirt I’m wearing before pulling the sleeves of my white sweater over my hands.
“Most of you will know that I’ve been raising my daughter alone for the last five years.” Murmurs of agreement sound around us as I walk up the couple of steps and join him on the stage. “There are many things a father can be tested with while raising a daughter.” His dark-blue-eyed gaze flicks to mine as he reaches out and wraps his hand around my bicep. He covers his grip well, but the bite of pain that sears through my arm has me wincing. “This week,” his calm voice continues. “I was called into Liliana’s school.” He pulls me so I’m standing in front of him, able to see every set of eyes watching me. “It seems that God did not only test me but also my daughter. Only she failed his test, not able to abide by his gracious rules.”
I lower my head, willing the tears to stay at bay as his front collides with my back before his knee pushes between my legs. I hate it. I want to scream, “Get off me!” and I do in my head, but it’s as far as it goes. My lips are sealed, knowing I won’t be listened to by a single person in this church.
How can they all sit here and watch him do this? Is this what they do to their children too? Am I blind to the fact this may be normal?
No, it can’t be. I never had to go through this when Mom was alive, but maybe that’s because she took the brunt of it?
“My son never tested me in this way by not abiding the rules put in place.” His hand squeezes my arm once more before he lets go so suddenly I sway forward. “My son is on course to be an upstanding member of the community.” I close my eyes, picturing Aiden’s face. I wish he were here because when he is, I’m left alone. No pain, no terror. I’m allowed to be me—to an extent. “But my daughter has been derailed off the path set out in front of her by God.” He walks along the edge of the stage. “So today, my friends, I ask that you look out for my daughter in the same way you would look out for your own. I ask that you watch over her to make sure she stays on her path.”
There are several murmurs of agreement again before he announces, “You may sit down, Liliana.”