Chapter 26 Hayden
twenty-six
Hayden
“Mr. Pierce? You have a call from your father.” Leslie Perez, the cheerful patient coordinator interrupts my breakfast with my pack—err—my girlfriend and her new boyfriend—and I grunt, my mood immediately turning sour at the mention of dear old Dad.
I stand from the table and shoot Jo an apologetic look before following the worker out of the cafeteria.
Leslie gives me a reassuring smile as we walk, and I can’t help it, I smile back.
What? I like the beta, even if her cheerful energy makes me want to stab a fork in my eye sometimes.
“He didn’t sound upset,” she says gently, but I only sigh.
He never lets anyone hear him sound angry. That doesn’t mean he isn’t.
Before I know it, I’m standing in front of one of the pay phones, my lighter flicking open and closed nervously in my hand. There’s nobody else here, considering it’s still breakfast and everyone is still eating.
Swallowing roughly, I put the lighter back in my pocket and lift the receiver to my ear.
Dad’s phone calls never go well. Just the thought of speaking to him has my fingers itching to take the lighter back out of my pocket, but if he hears the tell-tale snick of it opening, he’ll know the effect he’s having on me.
“Father.”
“Hayden.” His tone is laced with indifference, like he’s asking about the weather and not speaking to the son he hasn’t seen in over two years. “I’m assuming you know why I’m calling?”
I frown, my heart rate picking up. “...No, I can’t say I do.”
He huffs like I’m a disappointment, which to be fair, I am. At least in his eyes. “I would just like to know if you’re done with this rebellious streak. This farce has gone on long enough.”
I gape. Is he fucking with me right now? “Rebellious streak? Father, you had me committed—"
“This was your choice,” he snaps, the illusion of careful control evaporating. “I warned you that if you didn’t fall in line—”
“Fall in line, meaning marrying and fucking some woman I don’t even know!” The rage that spills into my voice surprises even me, and my volume is loud enough to echo in the hallway.
Dad is silent. I’ve always kept things respectful, considering that’s how I was raised, but it just occurred to me that he literally can’t do anything about how I talk to him. He can’t punish me, he can’t do anything worse to me than what he’s already done.
“I see being locked up with all the psychos finally let you grow a backbone.” He almost sounds like he…approves. “Come on, Son. Everybody has a price. What’s yours?”
Nothing. He can’t buy me.
He grunts at my silence. “You don’t have to like her, Hayden.
You just have to fuck her enough times to produce an heir.
As soon as she’s knocked up, you can take as many mistresses as you want, as long as you attend society functions with the bimbo on your arm.
” It’s nothing he hasn’t said to me before, but this time, it hits differently.
The thought of touching anyone besides Jo makes my stomach revolt, but I can’t tell him about her. No, that would put an even bigger target on her back.
Even before Jo, I’ve always known that I never want a marriage like my parents. Two betas, forced into marriage for a political alliance who can’t stand each other.
If my wife killed herself in an accidental drug overdose because she was so miserable with her life, I don’t know how I would live with myself.
Dad seems to manage it just fine though.
He even covered up the overdose to make it look like someone broke into our home and murdered her, painting himself a victim and grieving widow. His popularity skyrocketed when the public saw him being a “loving and doting single father.”
Just like he’s the loving and doting father that sent his son to “get the help he desperately needs.” I’m sure the second I agree to his terms, I’ll suddenly have a miraculous recovery and be welcomed home.
“It’s not happening,” I say bluntly, really wishing I could set fire to the phone right about now. It would be all melty and smell horrible, but at least this conversation would end.
“It will happen,” he snaps again. “You have been promised to the Giovanni heir—”
“I am not for sale!”
“Then you will wither away and die in there.” The dial tone that sounds in my ear tells me he’s hung up, and I breathe a sigh of relief. My heart is pounding so hard I’m surprised he couldn’t hear it through the phone.
Sighing, I hang the phone back on the hook, and let my head fall on the payphone box. I don’t know if it’s the most sanitary, but I stopped caring about things like that a long time ago.
“Your Daddy wants to marry you off?” Jo’s voice sounds behind me, unusually tentative. Fuck.
“How much of that did you hear?”
“I swear, I wasn’t tryin’ to eavesdrop or nothin’.” She sounds like she feels a little guilty, but it’s not like I was quiet. “I followed you ‘cause I was worried, and then I heard yellin’…” She trails off, and I lift my head to turn and look at her.
She’s leaning against the wall behind me, her bottom lip tucked under her teeth. The moment I lay my eyes on her, some of the anxious energy that makes me want to light something up eases.
“Yeah.” I sigh, running a hand through my hair.
“He sent me here because I refused to marry someone for a political alliance. That’s how my parents’ marriage was.
Mom was so miserable, being stuck in a loveless marriage with no freedoms of her own that she spent ninety percent of her time high or drunk.
Then she died when I was twelve. Accidental overdose, but they covered it up to look like a murder.
Can’t have a senator’s wife being a drug addict.
” My voice is bitter, and Jo’s brow furrows in concern.
“Do you want me to kill him?” My mouth opens slightly, staring at the little ball of fire in front of me. Barely over five feet tall, she stands with her hands on her hips, and her face completely serious.
“What?”
“I mean, would you be mad if I killed him?” She asks, lifting her hand to pick at her nail. “I’ve never murdered a beta before, but I can’t imagine it would be much different than killin’ an alpha.”
“Jo—” I shake my head. “You—there’s no way you could get to him.” Why is that what I’m saying? Why am I not telling her that I don’t want her to kill my dad?
“I’m not gonna be here much longer, Darlin’.
” She shrugs, glancing at the cameras. I know for a fact they don’t have audio capabilities, but I’m not sure that Jo does, which is why I’m surprised we’re having this conversation right here.
“As soon as I figure out what’s goin’ on with my sister, I’m outta here.
And I have connections that aren’t a fan of your daddy. ”
It’s not that I think she’s lying, but it all seems a little…fantastical. But I don’t want to ask any questions that might break this moment.
This moment that she’s showing me how much she cares about me, in her own way.
I think I might be in love with her.
A smirk tilts at my lips as I approach. “You’re out of here, huh? What about me?”
She lifts her head to look at me, a feral smile on her face. “Didn’t you figure it out yet, Darlin’? I’m keepin’ you. Which means, you’re comin’ with me.”
“Good.” My voice comes out quieter than I thought it would as she reaches for my collar and pulls me down.
I could resist if I wanted to, but hell, why would I want to? Her sumptuous lips take mine in a claiming kiss, and I can’t stop the groan that comes out when she bites my lower lip.
“You still haven’t answered me, Darlin’.
You want me to kill him? I’ll even let you help.
” There’s a devious twinkle in her eye, and it’s easy to forget that she is a literal serial killer.
For a moment, I let myself consider the possibilities.
I let myself remember every punch to the gut, every backhand across the face the moment I defied him.
Every decision of my life, taken out of my hands.
When I accidentally burned the house down, something that only happened because of him springing a fucking engagement on me with no warning, and how he threatened to have me committed if I didn’t “fall in line”.
Plus, you know, based on what Jo overheard the doctors saying, the fact that he may be a part of a terrorist organization who is apparently intent on eliminating all designations.
“Let’s sleep on it, Fireball,” I tell her, stepping away and threading our fingers together. “We can make that decision once we’re out of here.”