Chapter 19
The long steps I took toward my daddy were forceful. The way Dima cornered me at my own dinner table not only scared me, but it showed me just how little I knew about him. I didn’t know if he could kill me in my own home or if he was bold enough to try to take me with him.
I had let Dima into my life so easily. Not only was he in my life, but he had also completely taken over my thoughts and built a permanent residence in my heart.
I couldn’t even think about how long it would take me to get over him, because my father was in a much worse situation.
The case Dima built on him could put him behind bars for God knows how long.
I couldn’t believe I had let this man touch me. I had let him get to know me in the most intimate ways. Yet I knew nothing about him. I didn’t even know his real name.
“Is Dima even your real name?”
I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at Dima. I, at the very least, needed to know his real name before I erased him from my life and memory. That was the least he could give me.
“Dmitri. My mother used to call me Dima for short. She’s the only person that calls me that.”
I turned back around and continued my journey to snitch on his ass.
I had no idea how my father would take this, and I didn’t want Dima hurt.
Even after he lied to me, I still cared about him.
However, keeping my father out of prison and home with me was more important than loving a man who used me for his own gain.
I found my father in his study on the phone. He held up one finger to hold us off until the call was over, then motioned for us to come in. I didn’t wait for him to give us his full attention. I went right into what I came to tell him.
“Daddy, I need to tell you something.”
“What is it, baby girl? Have a seat, you and Dima.”
We both stood instead of sitting, but my father remained in his chair.
“I need to talk to you, Daddy.”
“Can you wait until after dinner?”
It was crazy to think we were moments away from sitting down for dinner with a man who was threatening my father’s freedom. Dima stood near the door with his hands cupped in front of him. I knew he was standing for his safety, but I was too pissed to sit.
“No, I don’t think so. I think you need to hear about this, and when you do, you won’t want Dima sitting at your table right now.”
My father’s brows raised as he leaned forward in his chair. Both of his elbows rested on top of his desk. He looked calm but still curious about what I would say next.
“What is it, baby girl? Go ahead and tell me.”
“He’s a cop, Daddy. He’s been setting you up this whole time. He’s undercover.”
My father sat there with a weird, composed look on his face. He didn’t even seem fazed by what I had just said. I’d just told him the man who he’d invited into our home was a Fed, and he didn’t even flinch.
“Did you hear what I said?”
Dima didn’t flinch either. He stood tall, towering over me as he looked from me to my father. He didn’t offer an excuse. He didn’t even mutter a sound. I could see the guilt all over his face, and I prayed my father could too.
“He knows it’s true, Daddy. He doesn’t even have anything to say for himself. What do you have to say for yourself?”
I was asking more for myself than I was for my father. Having my doubts about him didn’t make finding out the truth any easier. Besides, I had feelings for Dima, and to find out he betrayed not only my father but me also, it hurt.
He still didn’t answer. He just looked at me like he wanted me to calm down, but I wouldn’t. How could I be calm when I was wounded?
“Daddy, say something.”
If Dima wouldn’t talk, he had to. Someone needed to say something to quiet the storm that was brewing in my mind.
“Sit down, princess. You’re upsetting yourself.”
“Of course, I am upset. Why aren’t you upset, Daddy?”
My daddy let out a loud sigh and laughed. I couldn’t control my anger anymore. What was this? How come he wasn’t just as upset as I was? None of this made any sense to me, and I was about to crash out.
“You think I didn’t know?”
My father finally spoke, and I could see Dima’s eyes widen. I was just as surprised because if he knew Dima was a cop, then why didn’t he at least tell me?
“You knew?”
“Of course, I knew. Guard thoroughly investigates anybody who comes near this family. I knew Dima was an undercover agent before I met him. That’s why I brought him deeper into the fold. That’s why I wanted him to protect you.”
“You wanted me protected by a Fed?”
“Yes, because I also know Dima is a good man, and from what I could tell, he loves you. He’s sitting here knowing that you were about to tell me what you just said, and he didn’t even try to stop you. He could have killed you before you even made it to me. Did that even occur to you?”
“Yes.”
It’d crossed my mind briefly, but I didn’t fully allow myself to think of Dima harming me. I swallowed when I realized it truly was a possibility. Dima could have killed me.
“Exactly. You feel safe with him. Even when you’re putting his life in jeopardy. If he wanted you dead and me to not know, he could have killed you, walked right out of the front door, and probably made it a couple of miles before my men caught him.”
“Why would you let a man like this into our lives, Daddy?”
“Because now is the time that Dima shows us what kind of man he is. Is he the type of man that obeys authority, even when that authority is wrong, or does he stand up for what’s right?”
My father looked at Dima before he continued, and Dima finally looked at him. They were having a private conversation with their eyes before he spoke again.
“Dima, I’m sure you’re at least suspicious about your people.
You’re a smart man, so I know you can feel that there are plays being made behind the scenes.
I need to know what those moves are and who’s responsible.
That’s why I invited you in. Now that you have this information, what are you going to do with it? ”
“I can admit, there is a lot I don’t understand, but I still have a job to do. I couldn’t keep lying to Maeve. I care about her too much. You have shown me nothing but love since I met you, and I got mad respect for you, but when I came into this thing, Bishop, I was a man doing his job.”
“I respect a man doing his job. We all have to put food on the table for the people we love. But can you answer me this: Are you doing your job or someone else’s?”
My father got up from his seat and walked around the desk. He walked over to me first, kissed me on the forehead, then led me toward the door of his office. Dima still hadn’t moved, but he let his hands fall as we got closer to him. My father stopped right in front of where Dima stood.
“You don’t have to answer right now. Right now, I want us all to go back into the dining room and eat some good food. You can decide who you want to be tomorrow.”
My father stuck his hand out, and Dima shook it. They may have called a truce for the night, but I hadn’t. I wasn’t skipping any meals, but I would definitely eat in silence.