Mom smiled brightly and clapped her hands together, drawing my gaze to the large fucking rock that sat pretty on her ring finger.Oh, fuck my ever-lasting life.
“You didn’t,” I said as I stared at the man who decided that my mom would be his person.
“I did. Savannah is a very beautiful and wondrous woman.”
Aka she’s stupid and the perfect trophy wife.
“This has nothing to do with me.” I wanted nothing to do with them. I’d be eighteen in a few months, and next year, I’d graduate high school. It would have been this year, but someone, I glanced at my mother, had dropped the ball, and I missed seventh grade. It was the last and final time I trusted anything to her.
“Actually, Richard got you into a prestigious school in Aridole.” Mom was practically screaming in excitement as if she wasn’t uprooting me to the rich and boujee area.
There was no way in hell I would fit with people who suckled on gold spoons from birth. Not to mention she was yanking me away from the few friends I bothered to make.
“I’m not going. He can whisk you away but leave me out of your shit.”
Richard tisked as if what I was saying was preposterous.
I pointed at him. “Look, I don’t give a damn what you’ve done. I’m not your daughter, and she’s left me here long enough that I’m only hers by blood. I’m almost eighteen. I can take care of the rest.”
“There is no need. You’re already registered in the school, and if you make this difficult, I’m sure you can wait your time in the juvenile detention center,” Richard said.
I laughed. “For what? I haven’t done anything.” I doubted that Richard knew about my extracurricular activities. I was too fucking badass with it. I’d yet to be caught, and no new boyfrie—sorry, dickwad of a husband would catch me either.
Richard moved so fast I was left in shock as his hand collided with mom’s face. She fell, holding her cheek as tears broke free, leaving streaks of makeup. If I hadn’t seen it, I would have ignored my mother. A pinkish hue was already blossoming on her face.
“What the hell was that for?” I moved toward mom only to stop in my tracks. Three more men entered the room with guns aimed at us or, more importantly, me. Actual fucking guns.Shit, mom, what did you get us into?
“Assaulting your mother, a governor’s wife, when she’s only trying to help you.” Richard sighed and helped mom up as if he hadn’t been the one to knock her down. “Are you okay, my sweet?” He checked her over, and his voice truly made him sound concerned.
“You have got to be shitting me.”
Mom’s watery eyes fluttered over to me. “Please, Kee, don’t make this hard.”
My throat tightened as my stomach flipped. I didn’t want to say yes, but I didn’t want my mom to get hurt any further.Fuck, still taking care of her.I blew out a breath. “Okay, where is my stuff, at least?” I had some sentimental things hidden in my room.
Richard smiled. It almost felt genuine. If it weren’t for the little display moments ago, I’d be fooled into thinking he wasn’t a snake.
“Good, all of your things, what was deemed appropriate, has already been moved into your room. Now, ladies, let’s go. I have dinner plans later tonight.” Richard held out his arm, and mom took it.
She was done crying, and I couldn’t help but feel as if I’d been duped, except for the fact that mom’s cheek was still red.
I followed them out of the only home I’d ever known. The one I’d stolen for and worked odd jobs to keep. “What will happen to the house?” I finally voiced.
“It’s already been sold. Had a buyer sign the papers this morning,” Richard said.
He sounded so nonchalant as the nail in the coffin of my life was nailed down. The three goons stayed behind me as we made our way out to the black sedan parked on the street.
“Keegan, you can go home for now. I don’t need you at the dinner party. You are welcome to anything there. As my daughter, life for you will only get better,” Richard said.
“Not your daughter,” I muttered, but it didn’t matter. They were already getting in another car and driving off.
Run?The goons were still standing by. I might have taken jiu-jitsu and Judo, but even I knew I couldn’t handle fully grown men who were easily twice my body weight and had guns on them.
“In the car,” one of them said.
“I’m going, macho man.”
The sedan’s back door was held open, and I climbed in. The door closed, and my life changed just like that. I still had a plan. I’d graduate, get a scholarship of some kind and get the hell away from my toxic mother and evil step-father. I had originally wanted to take my mom with me but now doubted it was possible.