Chapter Twenty-Three
SHE’D HAD THIS dream before. Countless times since leaving her home. This dream where she returned to her childhood home despite wanting to be anywhere else on Earth. But she couldn’t leave again. She could never leave.
But here she was, awake and alert in the throes of her recurrent nightmare. The difference this time?
Ty.
She stepped outside into the humid Alabama sunshine and turned to find her father shutting the door. The decades of age he wore on his skin hadn’t surprised her. She’d seen countless pictures of him over the years online and in the mainstream media. What had surprised her was the feeling that no time had passed. He’d spoken to her as though she was still a teenage girl under his thumb, not a woman in her mid-twenties who’d been on her own for years. His commanding way of speaking sent her straight back in time to when she’d lived under his control. She’d nearly fallen into old habits and called him ‘sir,’ but Ty’s warm, strong hand in hers kept her grounded in the present.
No one controlled her anymore, especially not the man who’d exploited her for her entire life, and she refused to pretend he did, even for the sake of this mission. They’d find a way to access her father’s computer without her falling back on old patterns of blind obedience.
She had a direct view of Ty through the window. If she kept her father talking and outside long enough, Ty should be able to upload the virus without a problem.
Shit.
The door opened, and one of her father’s security goons strode in. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, blocking Ty’s exit and killing his chance to access the computer. Her stomach sank.
What the hell were they supposed to do now?
Ty typed something into his phone, then leaned back against the couch. He propped an ankle on his knee, looking for all the world like a relaxed man with nothing on his mind. Was he freaking out? Did he have a plan? Being separated from him was killing her.
“My dear, there is much to discuss.”
Kelsie blew out a breath. Panicking wouldn’t help anyone, especially Ty. She’d do what she came to do and keep her father occupied for as long as possible to give Ty a fighting chance.
“If you’re going to threaten me or Ty, you’re wasting your breath,” she said as her father turned from the door. “Ty’s business is tied to the Hell’s Handlers MC, and there is no way in hell they’ll tolerate blackmail.”
“I should have kept closer tabs on you throughout the years.”
“Excuse me?” The balcony had no protection from the sun. It beat down on her without mercy, making her T-shirt stick to her back.
“Had I known what you’d turn into, I’d have brought you back years ago.”
“I’m not back. I’m only here to refuse your offer in person. I won’t marry Andrew Tinsley. Not for anything in the world.”
It was a lie. If there were a legitimate threat to Ty or his livelihood, she’d do it or anything to protect him, but she wouldn’t go quietly, and the club had convinced her it wasn’t necessary.
Her father sighed the same way he’d done when she was fourteen, and he found out she’d failed a geometry exam—the weighted sigh of paternal disappointment. It’s good to know he cared enough to be disappointed. “Kelsie, I’m going to destroy them… the entire club.” He said the word ‘club’ in the most mocking tone imaginable. “We’ll start with Mr. Daxon’s business and move on from there. I’ve done my research and know a number of businesses are linked to their gang.”
She shook her head while keeping Ty in her peripheral vision. He hadn’t moved from his casual posture. Holding up a hand, she said, “Didn’t I just tell you not to bother with threats?”
“You did.” He tilted his head, studying her. “And it’s not a threat. This is what will happen if you do not get on board. I promise you.”
His words grated against her instinct to protect those she loved.
Loved?
Do I love him?
Her breath caught in her lungs.
Oh my God.
She loved him.
“It’s over, Kelsie. Stop wasting everyone’s time. You can save Mr. Daxon and his gang a whole lot of pain if you see reason and come home.”
She scoffed. “So, I can marry a man who’s a known abuser? Who has somehow skirted charges of sexual misconduct from multiple women?”
“Sexual misconduct,” her father said, shaking his head as he chuckled. “Women who were mad they couldn’t get their hands on his fortune trying to make trouble for him.”
“Oh, my God.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “You did not just say that.”
She moved her hand, and movement in her peripheral vision distracted her from blasting her father for his dangerous statement. The security guard keeping tabs on Ty held a hand to his ear, spoke rapidly, and then ran from the room.
Her heart pounded.
Ty was alone in the office.
He wasted no time springing up from the couch and darting to the computer. If her father turned around now, it’d be game over. The security guard could return at any time.
Game over.
A bead of sweat rolled down the center of her back, making her want to squirm, but her head remained still, and she was not even breathing.
“Kelsie!” her father barked. “Are you listening to me?”
“Wha… I, um…” She forced her attention off Ty and back onto her father. What had he said? Oh, right. He’d been excusing Andrew Tinsley’s predatory behavior.
“It seems as though you made your decision.” Shaking his head, he began to turn toward the French doors.
“Wait!” She had to keep him talking and looking at her for a few more minutes. “Do…” Shit, she hadn’t wanted to go here, but it was the only thing she could think of to prolong the conversation. “Do you know what happened to me a few months ago?”
Relief hit so hard when he fully faced her that she nearly doubled over.
“I do,” he said in a bored tone.
“And you think, after what I survived, after what the Hell’s Handlers rescued me from, it’s a wise idea to force me to marry a man with a history of violence against women.”
His face transformed into a mask of fury, but not on her behalf. He stormed over, finger-pointing in her face. “Alleged violence, my dear,” he said, waving away her concern as though she’d said he didn’t prefer the man’s cologne. “Alleged. And you’re acting like a child. One thing has nothing to do with the other. The marriage is a business arrangement. You’re afraid he’ll get a little rough. Fine, we’ll write it into the goddamned contract. Hundred thousand dollars every time he crosses the line. There’s always a way around a problem.”
Blinking, Kelsie took a step back. Being this close to him made her skin crawl. “You’re a monster,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “I’m a businessman… a very good one. After the next election, I will be the governor of Alabama, thanks to you and your marriage to Andrew Tinsley. With Congressman Tinsley’s backing, I’ll be virtually unbeatable.”
It was virtually unbeatable. Right. Her father was at the helm of an entire state—just what the people of Alabama needed. Ty still sat at her father’s computer. His knee bounced under the desk, the only indication he was anywhere near as stressed as she felt. She chewed her lower lip.
How long was this going to take? She fought a battle between conversing with her father and watching Ty. All her strength went to not tapping her foot or fidgeting to release the nervous energy coursing through her.
“I’m sorry, it’s just not going to happen.” Feeling sorry was a straight-up lie. She didn’t have an ounce of remorse in her. “I’ll say this one time and one time only. I refuse to marry Andrew Tinsley. I’ve built a good life in Florida.”
He snorted.
“I have friends, I have a man, I have a life, and to be able to enjoy all of that after what happened to me a few months ago is nothing short of amazing. I will not trade that for your political career. I won’t trade it for anything.”
Ty’s back straightened, and he shot out of the chair as though he’d been ejected. Kelsie’s heart leaped into her throat. He dashed over to the bookshelf and pulled a random book down, flipping halfway through in a matter of seconds.
She held her breath.
What’s happening?
The door opened, and the security guard reentered the room. His gaze went first to the empty couch. An annoyed scowl scrunched his face as he found Ty standing with a book. Ty spoke a few words, and it looked as though the guard only grunted in response.
Kelsie’s gaze flicked to the computer. Her stomach plummeted when she saw Acer’s virus hadn’t finished uploading.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
What if it made noise?
What if the guard noticed?
This would all be for nothing, and who knew what her father would do to them if they were caught?
“A life.” Her father laughed. “This is a life.” He spread his arms, indicating his mansion and vast property. “What you have is pathetic.”
She shrugged. “Least I can come and go as I please.”
Storm clouds moved across his expression. “It appears there’s no changing your mind.”
“Finally, we’re getting somewhere.”
He nodded. “Well, then, I recommend you enjoy what’s left of your happiness. Once you walk out that door, I’ll consider you one of them. And I’m coming after them with everything I have, Kelsie, mark my words.”
Her blood ran cold. She tried to swallow, but her throat dried up, making it impossible.
It’d be easy to buckle under her father’s fierce stare and harsh words. How many times had she caved throughout her childhood? But she thought of Ty and how he believed in her and cared for her. He’d given her so much just by being himself. He’d infused her with his strength and bravery. He supported her choices and celebrated her wins. Kelsie squared her shoulders and stared her father directly in the eye. Thankfully, he couldn’t see beneath her skin to the anxiety simmering beneath the surface.
A flickering in her periphery caught her attention. She skirted her gaze for the briefest of seconds. The computer screen had darkened.
She sucked in a sharp breath.
They’d done it.
Time to get the hell out of there.
She focused back on her father. “Don’t bother waiting until I walk out the door. Think of me as one of them right now. I’d consider it an honor.”
“You’re making a huge mistake.”
Her gaze drifted to the window where Ty stood, legs spread and arms folded across the chest she loved to fall asleep on. Nothing about his posture or expression revealed a hint of what he’d done.
Kelsie smiled at him. Her heart still thrummed with the aftereffects of being on high alert. “No. No, I’m not.” She turned to her father. “No matter what happens next, I’ll never consider walking away a mistake.”
Her father shook his head. “May the best Carver win.”
“Oh, I plan to.”