Chapter 8
Eight
Cooper
G lancing over at Nina as I drive us home, I smile at how relaxed she looks. I let her take out the butt plug after I fucked her face at my desk and then pulled her into my lap to sink my cock in her tight pussy. I feel almost at peace, the clawing need for control and power is quiet for now.
“Did Ethan decide to take the car to the mechanic?” Nina asks, sitting up as she looks at the space where her car had been parked.
“No, and I put the permit on it so they shouldn’t have towed it,” I grunt, sliding into the spot beside it. “Let’s go inside, I’ll call the city, Nina. If it was towed, I’ll pay to get it out.”
Blowing out a breath, she nods, grabbing her bag as I turn off the car. Brow furrowed, I get out of the vehicle, looking around the quiet street. It’s about six at night now, and people are either home or on their way back.
Shutting the door slowly, I see that Ethan is home, and start walking toward the townhouse with Nina.
“Something feels off,” she says softly as I unlock the door. I have to agree with her, but I can’t put my finger on what it could be.
“We’re home,” I call out, my hand firmly on her back to move her inside.
“Hey, can you come here for a second, Dad?” Ethan sounds weird, making me frown.
“Should I go upstairs so he can talk to you?” Nina asks softly, looking up at me.
“Absolutely not,” I tell her, shutting the door behind me. “You live here too. Whatever my son has to say, he can tell you at the same time.”
Dropping my things on the front table, I grab her hand, pulling her after me as I walk to the living room.
“What’s going on?” I ask, heart sinking as I see Ethan scowling at Vivian Sterling. She ignores him as she brushes her hair over her shoulders from where she’s perched on the sofa.
“I should be asking you the same question,” she says coolly.
Nina’s hand squeezes mine tightly as she gazes at her mother in horror. I’ve been wanting to find out what exactly happened between them, and now I think I will. I didn’t want to push too hard, because she’d get this same terrified look in her eyes.
“Mother,” she whispers.
“That’s all you have to say? I left to meet the nice doctors from the psychiatric facility and you disappeared,” Vivian sighs. “You’re not well, darling. It’s not normal for a girl like you to fight what her mother wants so hard. I need you to learn how to be a good girl.”
The same words that I’ve been saying to her feel sour because they are meant to control in an entirely different way.
“Nina doesn’t have to be unwell in order to defy you, Vivian,” I growl. “You’ve been on this girl’s ass to change for her entire life. Why can’t you just enjoy who she is?”
“I want more for her!” she explodes. “I’ve been looking for her everywhere since Nina stole my car and left. I took her phone thinking it would deter her from leaving, but the little bitch walked out anyway.”
“I don’t think you should talk about her like that,” Ethan grunts, turning to face her. Now I know why he sounded so odd. He likes Nina and the way Vivian speaks about her is terrible.
“I agree,” I mutter. “Nina is enrolled at this school, she has a scholarship, and she has exceptional grades. Leave her here with us. I’ll make sure to take care of her. I didn’t realize you were trying to get her committed when she left Georgia.”
Vivian’s eyes move to our linked hands, and her lips curl. “You decided to move to a younger model, Coop. My little whore of a daughter, who I thought was so innocent and perfect!” she yells.
Nina tugs her hand out from mine and I let her, only because it’s not going to help either one of us right now.
“I’m an adult, Mom. I’m not sick, I can make decisions for myself, and I’m not letting you hide me away at an upscale institution until I’ll be who you want me to be,” she chokes out, wrapping her arms around her waist.
“What the hell has been happening the last four years?” I rasp. “I thought she’d be safe with you, and you’re trying to brainwash her into being the perfect Stepford girl just like you are. I should have found a way to take Nina with me.”
“She’s mine,” Vivian snarls, standing and grabbing Nina’s arms to pull her to her side roughly.
“It’s not natural to live in your car. I’ve been tracking the vehicle, but she keeps moving the damn thing too often for me to find her.
Then when I found the car and Ethan, I put it all together.
I don’t know how long she’s been living here, but it’s clear that Nina can’t make proper decisions.
I’m contacting the school to unenroll her today. ”
“You can’t do that, Mom,” Nina cries, tears starting to slide down her face.
“She’s right, she’s an adult. You can’t do that. I’m her step-father, and nothing inappropriate is happening,” I lie. “It’s perfectly normal for me to offer her a place to live. It’s too damn cold for her to be sleeping in her car. She could have frozen to death.”
“The admissions department will pull her scholarship for it, though,” Vivian insists, her voice shrill and harsh.
“They would if she was still living in the vehicle, but this is her new address now,” I tell her. I haven’t had it changed anywhere, but she doesn’t need to know that.
A knock on the door makes me glare suspiciously at my ex-wife, who has a smug glint in her eyes.
“Nothing you have to say matters, because I have a huge file that talks about her history of self harm,” she says with a smile.
“What history of self-harm?” I ask, horrified at her lies. I’ve seen Nina naked, and I haven’t seen any evidence of that on her skin. Again, this is something else I can’t say as I stomp to the front door to answer it.
“You caught her once when she jumped from the tree, or don’t you remember?” Vivian asks sweetly as Nina sputters.
Vivian Sterling is a gaslighter. Fuck me. Nina fell out of the tree at nine, she never jumped. The whole thing was her mother’s damn fault as well.
“Be a dear, and answer the door, would you? The doctor should be here with two of his associates,” Vivian says with a smirk.
Nina’s sobbing and begging her mom to stop and I hear a ringing in my ears at the thought that I’m going to lose this beautiful girl yet again.
Fuck.
“Come on, Vivian. Do you really want Nina or do you want a perfect little doll, because she’s never going to be that for you,” I try again. “You need to remember that she’s a person with her own wants and desires. You can’t mold her into something she’s not.”
“Anything is possible with a money back guarantee, enough money, and behavior modification techniques. Plus, she’s an omega.
I can smell her from here. Nina will be brought to heel,” she chuckles.
Lifting a chunk of Nina’s pink and blonde hair, my ex-wife snarls as if it offends her. “Open the damn door or I will.”
Growling under my breath, I open the door. There are three men in white uniform, a man in his sixties looking past me at my now-hysterical step-daughter.
“I can see I’m coming just in time,” he murmurs. “I’m Dr. Kind, and these are my associates. I left the other primary psychiatrist at the institution to hold down the fort so I could be here tonight. It sounds like she’s having a psychotic break from the stress of school. I see it all of the time.”
Ethan leans against the wall, fuming as he watches the men push past me. One of the men shows me a notice for a seventy-two hour hold for Nina in a psychiatric facility.
My lips curl at how contrived this piece of paper is. Nina hasn’t been seen by anyone, she’s not psychotic, and she’s freaking out because her mother is an asshole.
“When did you evaluate Nina,” I ask, raising my voice. “This can’t be written up based on what someone says, and Nina has been at school all day. So how is this piece of paper legal?”
“You don’t need to go through legal channels when you have money, silly,” Vivian laughs lightly as the men take Nina from her. She struggles and kicks, but they’re a lot bigger than her.
I want to beat the shit out of them all, but I can’t. I need to prove this is fake.
“Stop, wait, no!” Nina screams as the doctor pushes an injection into her neck, nodding as she slumps in his arms.
“What did you give her?” Ethan asks, alarmed. His gaze and mine move over her to make sure she’s still breathing. His chest heaves as he straightens. I don’t think he thought they’d actually be moving so quickly.
To be honest, I’m surprised as well.
“A sedative,” Dr. Kind grunts as one of the goons next to him lifts her into his arms. Nina’s head lolls back, her hair loose.
“We’ll be leaving now. You’re welcome to call the police, but there’s really nothing they’ll be able to do.
This is a seventy-two hour hold, and they’ll tell you just to ride it out. ”
“What are the odds that they’ll release her afterwards?” Ethan asks. I let him ask all of the questions I want to, because I’m spiraling and angry. I’m trying to figure out what the best way to navigate this is without going to jail.
If I’m in jail, I can’t help Nina. And make no mistake, she’s ours. My skin crawls with the injustice of this, and I wish I was the kind of alpha who could kill without qualms.
Unfortunately, I’m a barely restrained academic professor.
“I can’t answer that,” Dr. Kind chuckles, glancing at Vivian who shrugs with a smile.
“What facility is she going to?” I rumble, ripping my eyes from the beautiful girl who in a day has made me feel more alive than I have in years.
“Here’s my card,” Dr. Kind says, handing me an embossed white and gold business card.
Weeping Willow Institute
Frowning, I stare at the card. It doesn’t look like any mental health institution that I’ve ever seen. Thankfully, there is an address as well, so I decide to let Nina go for now.
Not for long, though.
“Thank you,” I tell him, looking over at my son who appears ready to tear Nina away from Dr. Kind’s orderly. Shaking my head at him, I ignore the glare he gives me as I turn to Vivian. “I’m sorry, I guess you do know best. I hope Nina is better soon.”
Grinning triumphantly, they walk out of my home together, but I’m already pulling my phone out to call my lawyer. It may be after hours, but Kendra Marks is a very well paid pitbull.
“I’m on it, Ethan, I promise,” I tell him, shutting the door behind Vivian and her goons. Swallowing hard, I watch from the window as I hit the call button.
My son crowds next to me, watching as a black SUV pulls to a stop in front of our house .
“This feels wrong,” he mutters. “I know we don’t have a legal leg to stand on, but I don’t like this.”
“Me either. So I’m going to find our legal leg. We’re going to get her the hell out of there. I promise,” I tell him as the phone picks up.
“Hello, Kendra? I believe my ex-step-daughter was just kidnapped by her mother,” I say in greeting.
I always get what I want, even if I have to take a step back to get it.
Princess, I’m coming for you. I promise.