Page 46

After I left Sherry’s, I drove around for an hour, trying to clear my head and come up with a solution.The more I drove, the more obvious it became.There wasn’t one.Every road I took brought me to the exact same place.Her heart, my lie, and the inevitable storm once the truth came out.
By the time I pulled into Robin’s Landing, most of the outside porch lights were off.The townhomes were all dark, and so was mine until I stepped inside.
The faint light from the living room told me I wasn’t alone.
The scent of cheap cologne hit me before I saw them.Dad’s goons were parked on my couch, flipping through a magazine that wasn’t mine and drinking my whiskey like they paid rent.
“About time,” Stanley said, glancing at the Rolex Dad gave him last Christmas.“Starting to wonder if you were sleeping with the enemy.Can’t say I’d blame you.She’s a hot piece of ass.”
Anger surged through me, red hot and furious.Somehow, I managed to stop myself from drilling my fist into Stanley’s face.I’d probably break my damn hand if I did.
“Smart boy,” Mario mocked, then slipped a phone out of his pocket.“He wants an update.”
“I just gave him one.”
“Not since you wined and dined the vineyard princess,” Mario said with a smirk.He dangled the phone between his fingers.“He wants to know if you’re getting somewhere or your just getting laid.”He tapped a button on the phone and tossed it at me harder than necessary.I should have just let the fucking thing drop to the floor, but I caught it, glanced at the screen, and sighed.
“Yeah?”I said.
“Is that any way to greet your father?”
“Like having two brick shit houses sitting on my couch, drinking my whiskey is any better?”
“You’re lucky drinking your whiskey is all they’ve done.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Of course not.”But there was a sadistic undertone in his voice I couldn’t ignore.“Now, where is my update?”
“I just gave you one a few hours ago.”
“Yes, but that was before I found out you were getting friendly with the Grasso bitch.”
My jaw tightened, my teeth clenched, but I knew better than to say a damn word.The minute I defended her, the minute I said anything that could show an inkling of care for Sherry, he would use it to every advantage imaginable.
“I tried to get her in bed.She turned me down.”The lie spilled from my lips so naturally it almost scared me.I hated how good I was at it, but I was his son, after all.He taught me everything I knew by proxy.
“Vic told me you two looked pretty cozy together.I wouldn’t want to find out that you’re lying to me.”
“I’m not,” I said without my voice wavering.
“She went to dinner with you.Turn up that annoying charm, get her in bed, and get me something I can fucking use.”
The line went dead.
I held the phone out to Mario, ignoring Stanley.“Get the fuck out of my house.”
Mario took the phone, placed it in his coat pocket, and he and Stanley made their way to the door.I snatched the whiskey bottle off the table.
“Next time, bring your own fucking whiskey.”I took a swig right from the bottle and collapsed on the couch as the door shut with a soft click.
Getting Sherry to go out with me was all I fucking wanted since we’d slept together that first time.After months, I finally got exactly what I wanted, and in doing so, I inadvertently put her on my father’s radar.
I wanted to win her over, not use her.
And now … she was officially a pawn in his game, and I was the idiot who moved her into play.I stared at the ceiling, the burn of the whiskey trailing down my throat doing nothing to quiet the voices in my head.
She deserved better.Plain and simple.She deserved better than secrets.Better than lies and manipulation.Better than me.Yet, when she smiled at me in the car, like she saw me for who I was, someone I wasn’t even sure I could see any more, I forgot for a second I wasn’t allowed to have that kind of peace.