Page 14 of Kane
Her father narrowed his eyes. “You will not be ending anything with Nathan Shaw.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in, but when they did, she sat up straighter. “What?” Panic fluttered in her chest. “No. Our agreement was for six months. You have no idea—”
“Youhave no idea.” He slapped his hand on the arm of the sofa. “Our association with Nathan has been very productive, and I will not have you upset the apple cart.”
“Ourassociation? Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to endure his company or get treated like a piece of property.” Apparently, the three glasses of wine she’d downed at dinner were loosening her tongue. “After all, what’s the benefit to having a daughter if you can’t sell her off to seal a business deal?”
Her father’s face hardened with every word. “You will not speak to me that way in my home, Amanda Grace.”
“I won’t do it anymore, Dad.” She shook her head, climbing unsteadily to her feet, defiance pumping through her veins.
“You will if you want my money.”
She stopped.
“Ah. Right. Let’s not forget, you aren’t dating Nathan out of the goodness of your heart. You want my money to save your little construction company.”
She whirled around. “I only asked for a loan. Parents give loans to their children all the time.Youwere the one who put strings on it. The terms said I would date Nathan for six months, and you would grant me the fifty thousand you had for me in trust. It’s not even really a loan. It’s my money. And those six months are done. I held up my end of the bargain.”
Her father peered at his fingernails. “It’s your money when you turn thirty-five. Let’s not forget.”
“A deal is still a deal. You gave me twenty-five thousand at the beginning. I need the other twenty-five thousand now.”
He rolled his eyes. “To save your precious Charlie’s company.”
“It’s my company now,” she growled. “Mine and Mike’s. And you know it.”
“Be that as it may, I need you to stay on Nathan’s arm a little bit longer.”
Her voice rose. “Those weren’t our terms.”
“Our terms have changed!” His shout echoed in the cavernous room. He breathed deeply and clenched his jaw. “Nathan finds you a pleasant companion. He and his connections are going to support my run for governor. I can’t have you upsetting the balance of things right now.”
“But he hurt me,” she whispered, balling her fists. “The last time we were together, he hit me, and he kicked me when I was down.” She thrust a fist against her thigh. “Don’t you care?”
“Of course, I care.” Nothing in his voice indicated he was surprised by her admission. “I’m not asking you to let him hurt you. I’m simply asking you to extend your association with the man for a little bit longer. Really, what can he do to you in public?”
When she released her tense fingers, tiny half-moons marks indented her palms. She swallowed back the sob lodged in her throat. Reaching for her Ice Queen veneer, she met her father’s level stare. Her feelings didn’t matter to him. Why would she think otherwise? This was a business deal. “How do I know you won’t change the terms on me again?”
He held up his palms. “I give you my word.”
“I no longer find your word carries the weight I thought it did,” she said formally. “I suppose I inherited my sense of honor from Mom’s side of the family.”
“Honor,” he spat, and his face contorted in a sneer. “Was she honoring me when she ran off and left us? When she married another man?”
She stuffed her outrage down. Why was she even surprised? Her father had never thought of anyone but himself. Her happiness had never been his priority. Neither had Mom’s. It was the reason she’d left, and she’d been right to do it.
Her mask slipped a little. “Mom didn’t leave us. She left you. I should’ve done the same thing years ago.”
Why hadn’t she? Was she still worried he’d betray the agreement they’d made all those years ago? Or was it because she was so hollowed out, there was nothing beneath the masks she created to hide her true self?
“You’re being overly dramatic. Whether you recognize it or not, I’ve done nothing but look out for your best interests.” He walked to the fireplace and poured himself two fingers of scotch from the decanter on the mantelpiece.
“Sure. As long as I did things your way. Dated the men you wanted. My happiness never mattered then any more than it matters now.”
He slammed his drink on the mantle, sloshing the liquor over the rim. Only the thickness of the high-quality crystal kept the glass from breaking. “You are not talking about the ridiculous infatuation you had in college. We always come back to it. That boy—”
“Man.” Her voice shook, all signs of the Ice Queen melted. “Thatmanmeant everything to me. But no. I’m not talking about Kane. I’m talking about Nathan. I won’t date him anymore. I won’t sleep with him. And I won’t let him hit me ever again. I will be cordial to him and be an escort to a few more events. But I swear, Dad, in two more weeks, I’m done either way.” Empty as she was, she’d reached her limit.