“Dad, don’t.”
“Alyx, is he the man who kidnapped you?” My dad didn’t look at me, keeping his eyes on Granite. “Are the American Street Kings responsible for your disappearance in the first place?”
I chewed my lip, feeling the way his grip tightened on my hand, urging me to speak up. Granite’s dark eyes pinned me to the spot, something thick and powerful passing between us. He knew as well as I did that this was the moment it had all come down to. The moment where I would have to choose—where I wasfreeto choose. All this time I was held captive by Granite, by Tanit, and God knew, by my mom as well, it all brought me here to this moment. Right here, right now, I was able to choose for myself.
So much had happened in such a short while. The Granite who took me was cruel, selfish…obsessed. But the Granite who stood before me now was different. So different. He was loyal. Brave. Protective. And most of all…he was mine.
I faced my dad, the realization of what I really wanted making me feel like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. “No,” I answered simply. “It was Tanit, all along. She’s the one who kidnapped me.”
“Alyx—”
“That’s what happened, Dad. That’s the real story.”
He glanced from Granite to me, and back at Granite. The scowl on his face and creases on his forehead were clear indicators he didn’t believe a single word I just said.
“Dad, it’s okay. Granite saved me.” I moved my face in front of him, forcing him to look at me rather than at Granite. “He saved me, Dad. He really…saved me.”
“Alyxandria?”
I stiffened at her voice.
“Alyxandria, my baby.”
“Mother,” I whispered without turning to her.
Hands grabbed my shoulders and spun me around, pulling me against her. The familiar smell of her sweet perfume made my stomach turn, and the first thought that popped into my head was the pancake. The damn pancake I ate before all this happened.
Stretching her arms out, pushing me away so she could study me, her eyes raked over my body. “Thank God, you’re okay. You look perfect. No broken bones, no fractures, no weight. Oh, thank the Lord. I was so worried about you.”
She tried to pull me back in for a hug, but I balked, keeping her from hugging me.
“Alyxandria?” The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes moved as she frowned.
“No broken bones? No fractures?” I clenched my jaw. “Noweight? Really, Mother?”
“Alyxandria, I was merely saying how glad I am to see you’re not harmed.”
“You mean, how glad you are to see that I’m still able to dance.”
“That is not—”
“Shut up, Meryl,” my father snapped. “Just shut the hell up before you make it worse.”
Abruptly, she let go of my arms and glared at my father. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
For the first time in my life, I saw my father square his shoulders while confronting my mother, shaking his head and looking her in the eye. “You’ve done enough damage, don’t you think, Meryl?”
“Timothy,” she objected, her eyes wide and confused, “I’m merely saying—”
“We all know what you weremerelysaying, Meryl. Do us all a favor and shut up.”
I stepped back and moved in next to Granite. My mom’s eyes grew even wider when she saw the way he draped an arm around my shoulder, making it clear he had staked his claim.
Granite glanced down, placing a finger below my chin, lifting my face toward him. “This is the part where you choose.”
“What do you mean?”
His thumb circled the side of my mouth, a tender touch of affection. “This is where you choose. Your old life, or me.”