Page 138 of Deviant Reign (Knight's Ridge Empire 6)

EMMIE

“Hey, kiddo. You had a good day?” Dad asks as I walk through to the kitchen after school on Thursday afternoon.

“Uh…” Images of Theo dragging me into the boys’ locker room and making out for the entirety of his free period fill my mind, and I cringe when my cheeks start to burn. “Yeah, it was okay.”

He eyes me suspiciously but doesn’t say any more.

“Here,” he says, choosing to ignore it. “This came for you.”

My eyes drop to the white envelope on the table, and I don’t think much of it until he pushes it my way and I get a look at the handwriting on the front.

“It’s from Mum,” I breathe, too shocked to keep it in.

“Yeah,” Dad agrees.

“What does it say?” Stupid question, but the blood is racing past my ears and my anger is surging as all the reasons why I should take this outside and burn it flicker through my mind.

“It’s addressed to you, Em. I wouldn’t—”

“I know. I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting…”

He looks down at his watch, and I realise that he should already be at work.

“You want me to stay and open it with you?”

“No,” I say confidently. “It’s just a letter from my mum, how bad can it be?”

Dad smiles in response, but it’s forced at best. He’s more than aware of how bad it potentially could be.

“Go, Dad. Honestly, I’m fine. And Piper will be home soon, should anyone need to stop me from going and killing her.” It’s a joke, but from the grimace on Dad’s face as it falls from my lips, I’m thinking it was a poor one. “It’ll be fine. It’s just a letter.'“

His brow lifts as he stares at me in concern.

“Call me if you need me.”

“Dad, I’ll be fine. I can deal with harder shit than this.”

“I know you can, kiddo. But I’m your dad, it’s my job to worry.”

“I’ve got this. All of this,” I promise.

“I know.”

He holds my stare, and my lips part to ask if he’s heard anything from Pops, but the words get stuck in my throat. It’s been five days since he’s been on the run for Luis’s murder, and the only news is all the new evidence of crimes against him that seem to keep magically popping up. So now murder is only one of the things he really needs to worry about. Theo and the guys are still doing everything they can to find him. I’ve not been brave enough to ask what they intend to do once they do find a location, but I know how they work. He hurt me, which means in turn he hurt them. It’s not going to have a good outcome. And weirdly, I’m okay with that.

For years, he’s been hurting those I love most. Maybe it is time for him to meet his maker and for a new reign of power to fall over this side of the city.

“Go to work. Zach will string you up if you’re late.” He rolls his eyes at me but doesn’t comment.

“Call me,” he urges.

“I’ll be fine.”

“I know. Call me anyway. You might be all grown up and married and shit, but I still worry.”

“I’ll shoot you a message,” I promise, not wanting to get in the middle of his night.

After dropping a kiss on my head, he quickly leaves the house, proving that he is actually late.