Chapter 24 #3
I let out a hard breath before stepping back enough to give them space.
But I wasn’t going anywhere.
My dad let out a dry laugh, shaking his head slowly as he looked between us.
“Wow,” he said. “You got her trained, Wolf.”
My jaw tightened immediately.
“What is it?” he continued, his tone sharp now. “You think I fucked up so bad you could control her better than me?”
“It ain’t about controlling her,” Marlon countered. “Rory’s her own person.”
My dad wasn't impressed. I could tell because his face didn’t move. If anything, it got harder.
“Look,” Marlon went on, taking a small step forward, trying to meet him halfway. “I know it’s fucked up, okay? I know I’m dead wrong for this. It’s beyond foul. And I ain’t even mean for it to go down like this.”
“Then why the fuck did you do it?”
The question made the room go quiet.
“Because I wanted to,” Marlon answered after a moment.
My head snapped toward him so fast my damn neck hurt.
That ain’t helping, baby. Not even a little bit.
My dad’s jaw tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line.
“Because you wanted to.”
“Yeah.”
“You wanted to risk everything we built. Everything I trusted you with.”
“I ain’t thinking about business when it comes to Rory.”
“You should’ve been,” my dad snapped, his voice rising now. “You supposed to be smarter than that.”
“I’m human.”
“You a grown ass man,” he shot back. “Old enough to know better!”
Marlon didn’t flinch or blink. “I do know better.”
“Clearly not.”
“Look, I didn’t force her,” Marlon added, his tone still controlled but firmer now. “This ain’t one-sided. When I agreed to keep her over the summer, I told you straight up. I’m not into no kidnapping. She came of her own accord and everything we did was between two consenting adults.”
My dad shook his head slowly, like he couldn’t even believe what he was hearing.
“Cut the shit, Marlon. You know you have influence over her. She’s young and impressionable and you took advantage!”
“I made my own choices!” I snapped, stepping forward without thinking.
Both of them turned to look at me at the same time.
“Stay out of this,” my dad said, not even soft about it.
“You and I both know nobody can force her to do something she ain’t wanna do,” Marlon said, not breaking eye contact with him. “And yeah, she’s young, but she’s not a child.”
“She’s my child!” my dad roared, his voice filling the entire room. “Mine! And I thought you had enough integrity to leave her alone out of respect for me and my late wife! But here the two of y’all go, disrespecting her legacy and making a mockery out of her name!”
I covered my ears instinctively, squeezing my eyes shut for a second because it felt like everything was closing in.
“Marlon,” I whimpered, shaking my head, trying to ground myself.
“Dillon, calm down,” Marlon said, still trying to keep it level. “We can still talk—”
“Fuck you!” my dad snapped. “There’s nothing to talk about!”
And then his hand went into his jacket. My stomach dropped before I even saw it.
“No—”
His gun came out.
I covered my mouth and screamed, the sound tearing out of me before I could stop it.
But Marlon didn’t move, or even step back.
He just stood there.
“So you gone shoot me over this?” he asked calmly.
My dad pointed the gun at him. “I got to.”
“In front of your daughter?”
“It’s because of her,” my dad explained, his hand steady on the gun. “It’s because you disrespected her honor.”
“Daddy, please!” I cried, stepping forward again without thinking. Marlon held his hand out to stop me.
“What would Alice say about this?” he asked.
“Keep her name out your mouth!” my dad snapped. “You don’t deserve to talk about her! You think I don’t know about y’all two?”
My stomach twisted hard at that.
“Yeah,” he continued. “She told me on her deathbed. Said it didn’t mean anything and to forgive you. Said you were lonely. And damaged. But still a good friend.”
He cocked the gun.
The sound made my heart jump into my throat.
“If only she knew what you did to her own child!”
“It ain’t even like that! Marlon didn’t know who I was when we slept together in New York!”
My dad paused and lowered the gun slightly like he was considering something. “New York?”
Oh thank God!
He came to his senses and realized what me and Marlon had wasn’t some casual hook up, at else not any more. We’ve been involved so long, it definitely meant what we had was real and dad saw that now. He had to—
“Tell me you wasn’t bragging about fucking my daughter to my face.”
I froze.
Marlon did too. “…I didn’t know she was your daughter, man.”
Oh fuck.
Christ Marlon, can’t you just lie?!
The gun was raised again.
“Marlon—”
“Rory,” he said, finally turning his attention to me. His voice softened just a little. “Baby, I need you to step outside right quick.”
“No,” I said immediately, shaking my head. “No! I’m not leaving you.”
“Please, Bunny. Me and your dad gotta talk about a couple things.”
“Marlon no!”
“Remember what I said?” he added, his tone dropping. “Focus. It’s your day. Go see what your guests need. They all waiting on you.”
I shook my head, tears pouring out whether I wanted them to or not. He looked at me then and smiled.
Like everything was okay. And I believed it.
“I got this,” he said. “Trust me. Okay?”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “Okay.”
“Good. Now go.”
I don’t even remember opening the door.
One second I was in that room, choking on fear, and the next I was back out in the party.
Oh Marley.
I stood there for a second, just staring. My chest was tight, my hands shaking, and I couldn’t tell if I was about to cry or throw up.
Get it together.
Help him.
I forced my feet to move, looking for someone who could fix this.
Who could help?
Marcus.
Patch.
They were near the bar, talking low.
I rushed over, grabbing Marcus by the arm without even thinking.
“Something’s wrong,” I said, my voice coming out rushed and uneven but quiet so it didn’t alert others. “My dad—he—he pulled a gun on Marlon.”
Both of them went still.
Marcus’s face didn’t change, but his eyes sharpened immediately. He’s like Marlon in a way. Cool under pressure.
“Where are they?”
“In the back,” I said, already turning. “I just left them—he told me to—”
“Show me.”
I didn’t argue, I just moved.
Patch stayed close behind us. The closer we got to that hallway, the louder everything in my body got. My heartbeat, breathing and thoughts all crashing into each other. We were almost at the door when a sharp popping sound pierced through the noise.
I stopped.
My whole body locked up. “…no.”
The word barely came out.
Marcus stepped in front of me immediately.
“Rory, honey,” he said, his voice still calm but firmer now. “I need you to go back to the party, okay? You don’t need to see this.”
“I can’t!” I snapped, shaking my head. “I’m not leaving—”
“Look at me.”
I didn’t want to but I did.
“You wanna help your dad and Marlon?” he asked.
“Y-Yes,” I said instantly, my voice breaking. “Yes.”
“Then you need to stay out of it.”
I shook my head again, tears building fast again.
“No, I—”
“Whatever is going on in that room,” he continued, not raising his voice but not backing down either, “is something you can’t witness. Not only for your sanity, but in case you need to testify in court.”
Fuck.
“Marlon saved you by getting you out of there,” Marcus said. “Don’t waste it.”
My chest tightened so bad it hurt.
“Go,” he said. “Finish the party and keep people out of here.”
I stared at the door.
My mind screamed at me to open it and run in.But my body, my body didn’t move.
Because deep down… I knew he was right.
And I hated it.
The second Marcus and Patch disappeared into that room, it felt like the door swallowed everything. I stood there for a second, frozen, then forced myself to turn around and walk back into the party.
Everything looked the same. It didn’t seem like anyone heard what I heard.
Music playing, people laughing, glasses clinking like nothing just happened and I played along. I smiled, nodded, thanked people for coming, and checked on the staff. I kept telling myself it had to be a dream. Because if something really bad happened, I would’ve heard sirens by now.
Something.
Anything.
But there was nothing.
Time dragged and then slipped right past me.
I moved through the crowd on autopilot, saying the right things, doing what I was supposed to do, pretending I still had control over the night.
People started leaving, the energy died down, and everything got quieter.
The party I worked so hard for was ending, and I couldn’t even feel it.
I was just waiting for something to break the silence.
Then my phone rang.
I pulled it out slow, my hands shaking as I stared at the screen.
My dad.
I answered, but I didn’t say anything. I just held the phone to my ear waiting for him to speak first.
“…hey, baby girl.”
I didn’t reply.
“…I need you to listen to me, alright? What happened back there… it got out of hand. Faster than I expected. And I had to make a decision.”
He exhaled on the other end, like he was choosing his words carefully.
“I did what I felt I had to do in that moment. Not because I wanted to hurt you… but because I couldn’t let that stand. You might not get it right now. But one day, you will.”
His tone softened slightly.
“I can’t be there tonight. I can’t explain everything the way I want to. I gotta lay low for a while until things settle. That’s just how this has to go.”
I still said nothing.
“But you need to know something, Rory.” His voice dropped, “I love you. Everything I do… even when you don’t agree with it… it’s for you.”
Silence.
“You hear me?”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “Did you…”
The words stuck and I couldn’t even finish the question.
Not over the phone.
I closed my eyes for a second, steadying myself before asking the only thing that mattered.
“Did you… tell Marlon goodbye?”
There was a pause on the other end.