Page 146 of Shattered Veil
Dad made millions in ransom but blew it all on gambling and settling past debts. Those ‘jobs’ he was doing were not developer side gigs. Those were trips to Vegas, Monaco, Macau China, and even Lisbon, Portugal. Desperate to feed his addiction, he often left me in the apartment in the middle of the night to sit at Blackjack tables in Atlantic City or Mohegan Sun.
I learn that he even sold my mother’s family home in Connecticut over a year ago and didn’t tell me. Mom’s old clothes, her cookware, and her recipes were in that house. Her wedding dress!
All gone!
The loss of my legacy tears at my soul.
But nothing is worse than finding out he orchestrated this whole abduction scheme with Wes to get me away from Balor because the O’Rourkes discovered his secret identity.
A terrorist named Iceman.
When Dad sees all my injuries, he pulls away sharply and tries to kick Wesley. Lachlan takes the chain from Connor and yanks him back like a dog, so hard that hefalls.
Balor brings a knife to Dad’s throat.
“Now tell your daughter who ghosted my texts to Petra. And who gave the instructions of what to do with her,” Balor snarls.
Dad’s jaw trembles. “It was me. But I had no idea it would result inthis. Ella, you have to believe me. I’m so sorry, honey.”
“Still think Wes is better for her than me?” Balor shouts.
“Mr. O’Rourke...”
“Cut the fucking mister act.”
“Despite the outcome, I did not intend for my ransomware virus to hurt you or your family. It... It spread farther than I intended.”
“Like the atom bomb,” I mumble.
“What, my love?” Balor turns around.
“The tests at Los Alamos. They expected a detention of seven megatons. But the bomb replicated itself over and over, reaching over fifteen. It couldn’t stop.” I take a breath, spewing what I learned in my physics classes at Yale. “Like a virus.”
“Da, Ella.” Dad gives me a small smile. “You understand.”
“Then why did you agree to work for Balor if you knew he would be looking for you?”
“To cover my tracks. And... To hide. I meant what I said when I told you, they would protect us.” His sad eyes take in all the guns aimed at his head.
Protection one day, a death sentence the next.
“Then why did you team up with Wes to take me away from Balor?”
“Wesley promised me he would never lay a hand on you again.” Dad chokes up. “He’s one man I thought I could control. I am no match for the mafia.”
“Your father also figured out we reverse-engineeredeverything he did.” Balor’s lips twist into a hateful sneer. “And he planned to disappear. Leaving you with a monster.”
Dad just lowers his head.
“All clear, Balor,” Camryn says to Balor. “No tripwire on Brennan.”
“Thank you, Camryn.” Balor whispers to me, “Your father’s fate is up to you, Ella.”
“What?”
“He’s your father and despite his despicable lack of judgment, I believe he loves you.”
“You’d let him live?”