CHAPTER24
I let out a gasp.Am I shocked Rob has a gun? No, not at all. After all, this is Texas, but for him to be pointing it at my father…
God, that’s hot, his sticking up to me, but he has no idea who he is dealing with, and my father is going to see this as an insult, and I can picture my father drawing ou his own gun and shooting first in some kind of stupid cowboy western showdown.
"You have balls. I'll give you that," my father says. "Not that I wanted to see them."
“Then you shouldn’t have walked in,” Rob says coolly. “You need to fucking leave.”
“I do what I want, and I always get what I want. This isn’t over, Kathleen Margaret.” My father wags a finger at me. “I’ve come up with a way for this all to be over.”
“You aren’t getting my mom,” I say, finally finding my voice.
“Maybe I don’t need her anymore. Maybe you can solve all of my problems.”
“You aren’t having either of them,” Rob says firmly. “Now go.”
My father chuckles. “You wouldn’t shoot a father in front of his daughter. I’m unarmed. You would go to jail for a very long time. Her too. What the police will find at my place… they’ll think you two planned this for a long time. You two will get the death penalty.”
“You’re bluffing,” Rob says.
“Ask her if she thinks I’m bluffing. Go on, boy. Ask her.”
Rob glances at me.
I run my tongue along my teeth. “He’s not bluffing. He likes to force people to do this or that. Like we’re puppets. He’ll have found a way to keep himself safe.”
“My daughter might not be the most cooperative girl, but she’s not stupid. She knows me well but not well enough, clearly, because I’m not going to stop. This foolishness will end once she agrees to do what needs to be done.”
“Mom or I, we shouldn’t have to come in and fix whatever problems you have,” I hiss. “Leave us out of it.”
“That’s just it. I can’t. Don’t you think I would have bothered if I didn’t have to? Of course not. Your mom is nothing but a fucking—”
“Don’t insult her momma to her face,” Rob says firmly. “Don’t say one more word. Just turn around and go.”
My father opens his mouth.
Rob lifts the gun, so he's no longer aiming at my father's chest but at his head. "I'm an excellent shot. So what if we go to jail? If we get the death penalty? At least then her mom will be safe from whatever plan you've concocted."
Fuck. I never saw this side of Rob before, all protective, and shit, is that hot as hell.
“I’ll go,” my father says, “but, Katie, you can save your mom. Think about someone else for a change.”
And he leaves.
Rob rushes out of the room, and when he comes back, he puts the gun away. “He left. I locked the door. We almost always leave it unlocked, but I’ll tell the guys it has to be locked at all times.”
“I…” I shake my head repeatedly and run a hand down my face. “I’m sure you have questions, and you deserve answers, but… I don’t want to get into it right now.”
“The not being safe thing… that’s related to him, isn’t it?”
“What was your first clue?” I ask weakly.
“Shit, Katie.”
"Yeah. Welcome to my screwed-up life." I sit on the edge of his bed.
Rob clears his throat. “Now might not be the best time to say this…”