“Why in the world would he want me to meet him?”
“Because, he thinks—” Shades blew out a breath. “He may be your father.”
“What?”
“Just listen to me a minute before you freak out. That photo strip you have of your mother. When Slick saw it, he recognized the man in the photo. It was Undertaker.”
Skylar started to try to pull free of his grasp, feeling completely betrayed, but he held on tight. “Let me go. Why would you do this to me?”
“Listen to me, Skylar. This wasn’t my idea. I didn’t want to bring you here. I had no choice.”
“I want to go home. I don’t want any part of this. Let me go.”
“I can’t, baby. He wants to meet you.”
“Well, I don’t want to meet him!” She was suddenly filled with an uncontrollable rage. She didn’t know this man they claimed may be her father. He was a complete stranger to her. And where had he been all this time? How could he have left her to be put in foster care? All those years she’d felt alone and abandoned. He’d done that to her. He’d put her through all that. Why?
Shades’ grip on her held tight. “It’s happening, Skylar. You have to accept it.”
“Because you’ve given me no choice!” she shrieked, panicked. She felt like she’d been backed into a corner, which never failed to make her want to come out swinging. She began to really fight him, twisting and kicking and trying to run. He spun her and got her in a tight hold from behind, his arms wrapped like steel bands around her upper arms and chest.
“Settle down and behave yourself!” When she finally settled, he growled, “Goddamn it, woman, you’re always so fuckin’ quick to run.”
“I don’t want to see him,” she whispered brokenly. He turned her in his arms to face him.
“Swear to God, Sky, no lie, you meet him and we’re out of here. I promise.” He paused to study her face, and she knew he could read how unconvinced she was. “Don’t you want to know? Isn’t there some part of you that’s longed for this day? Don’t you have anything you want to say to the man?”
His words sifted through her brain and suddenly her mind did an about face, and she did want to see him, if only just to tell him off, if only just to tell him what a lowlife she thought he was for abandoning her. Her and her mother, too.
She heard boots stomping down the stairs at the back of the room and looked over Shades shoulder to see the two men returning. They stopped between Ghost at the bar and Shades by the pool table, but their eyes were on her and Shades.
“He’s waiting. Top of the stairs, door at the end of the hall.” The man nodded toward the stairs.
Shades nodded, and with one hand locked firm around hers, he moved out from behind the table pulling her behind him.
As they passed Ghost, he reached an arm out and grabbed her other arm, stopping them. Shades looked back at him questioningly, but Ghost’s eyes were locked with Skylar’s.
“Remember what we talked about yesterday. Show me that backbone, girl.”
She nodded and straightened, her chin coming up.
He winked at her and released her arm. His eyes moved to Shades’ for a moment, and he nodded.
Shades continued on, leading her toward the stairs. She glanced back to see Ghost watching them. When they got to the top, the hallway was a long one with numerous doors off it on both sides. And one door at the end.
Skylar stared at it and felt like she was being led to slaughter. Ghost’s words returned to her, and it strengthened her resolve to get through this farce as Shades led her down the long hall. They passed a set of double doors on the left and Skylar could hear a jumble of voices coming from behind it like there was some kind of meeting going on. They continued on past it.
Ten feet from the door at the end of the hall, Shades suddenly stopped, pulled her to him and grabbed her face in his hands. “I promise you, it’s all gonna be all right, Skylar.”
“You don’t know that.” Her voice came out in barely a whisper.
“Baby, you gotta have some faith in me.”
She looked up into his eyes a long moment and then nodded. “I do, Shades. I do. I’m just so angry.”
“With me?”
“No, with him. So angry and…so scared.”