Page 98 of Forbidden Eyes
“That’s enough, Hope.” Dad’s voice brushes the air around my ear. Fear isn’t something I should feel when I think about my father. He’s supposed to keep me safe. But all I hear is hate and loathing in his voice directed at my mom. I can’t let him do this.
“Benjamin, you do this, and you tear this family apart.”
“You’ve already done that by helping her. She’s my daughter, and if you hadn’t helped her none of this would have fucking happened. This is your fault. All of it." He starts pulling me again. "You're fucking lucky you're still standing after the shit you've pulled."
She stabs a finger in his direction, seemingly unconcerned about the gun in his hand, and blocks his route once more. “You don’t get to treat her like a child anymore. Not everything in life is on your terms.”
Tears fall down my cheeks as I watch them argue and hear the hatred in their voices.
“Look around you, Benjamin. Look what you’ve done.”
“You think I’m affected by any of this? After all this time, you should know me better. I couldn't give a fuck about it, or you, if you don't get your GODDAMN ASS IN THE CAR!”
Something inside me snaps at the way he speaks to her.
“Don’t you dare speak to Mom that way.” My voice growls with disapproval. “You’re a monster, and you’ve finally shown me what you’re really like.” I fight his grip to face him, but he doesn’t let me go. My wrist is now in the vice-like grip of his hand. “You’re just a bully with a gun, Dad. You can’t threaten us for the rest of our lives.”
His eyes narrow on me, like he’s finally seen the girl he’s raised. But in a split second it’s replaced with hatred and I know he’ll never be reasoned with. Leaving with him won’t fix this. Nothing will.
“Fia doesn’t want to go back home!" Mom yells. "She’s made that quite clear.”
“She's a child. She doesn't get to make that choice.”
“A child who won’t ever stop fighting you," I snap, shoving him. "How’s your ear?”
His eyes widen at my remark, enough for me to know his next move. I brace, waiting for the sting across my cheek.
“No. Don’t you touch her. She’s our child.” Mom’s voice rings out and saves me from the pain of his hand.
“Vico, let her go. She not a child. Look at yourself for fuck’s sake.” Carter’s voice is equally as menacing as Dad’s but holds a deadly edge of impatience. His family is in danger, Quinn’s already been shot, and everyone else he loves is in the eyeline of a gun. This is everything he wanted to avoid.
“Let me go, Dad. You’ve lost. It’s time you started getting used to that idea.”
“Never.” He snarls.
We stare at each other, and I look for the man I once looked up to. “Dad, please." I tug on my arm, hoping there might still be some part of him left that can see sense, but he doesn’t move. "I came out here to beg you to stop. To make you leave.”
“I won’t leave without my family," he roars. I force my body not to flinch in his grip, to stay strong.
“But this isn’t what any of us want, Dad. Can’t you see that. Can’t you see this is my family, too?”
He pulls me into his grasp, and I stumble forward, his gun still firmly in his hand. "You’d stay with him—with the Canes—over your own blood?” he seethes into my ear.
I look up at him and grit my teeth, determined not to back down. The memories of the drug deal, of being tied up, of the knife digging into my skin, and watching Dad beat on Carter all crash through my mind, replacing any of the fond memories of him I had. He’ll never manipulate or control me again. Never again.
“Yes. You showed me what you’re really like. It’s time for you to face the consequences.” My voice wavers, but I remain standing and look him in the eye.
“The Canes are no better,” he spits. "You and your precious Canes. They're killers. All of them. Especially Quinn. You think you can dictate to me who…"
I shake my head, not prepared to listen. “No, what you did tomecan’t be undone. Years of it, Dad. And then making me watch you beat up Carter because what? Someone treated me with respect? You're an animal. Look at what you’re doing now because you can't get your own way. And you sayI’mthe child.” My hiss fills with the anger that’s been dormant through this. Anger at what he’s done to me. Nineteen years of it. “You don’t have the right to call me your daughter after everything you’ve done. And that’s the truth. I came out here to help the people I love. To go with you to ensure their safety, but I’ll never go willingly.” My teeth grind together as I push the words out, pulling the air into my lungs and hoping this will work out. "You take me, and I'll hate you forever."
“I’m not leaving here without my family,” he growls, shaking me with rage. But still I stand, my heels digging into the ground, refusing to move further to the car.
“You won’t have to.” Mom steps closer to us again. “I’ll come with you.”
“No, Mom. You can’t.” Similar echoes and shouts rain around us, Uncle Nate and Gabby’s voices loud and clear, but Mom still walks further.
“You won’t get out of here with both of us. Take this. You’ve done too much damage, Benjamin. We can still all be family, but only if you walk away now.”