Page 6

“When did you do that to your face?” Dad narrows his eyes, clearly focused on my nose before his stare starts moving over me from head to toe, and I can see each time he stops on something else that lights his ass on fire.

“Tattoos. Fishnet stockings, combat boots? This won’t do, Magnolia.

You cannot, no, you will not walk through my hospital looking like a gothic whore, and?—“

“I won’t,” I say quietly at first before I clear my throat and force myself to find my voice. “I won’t be walking through Reynolds Memorial at all, actually.”

My father stares at me blankly for a few moments before he scoffs, “I know I didn’t hear you right.”

It’s now or never. “I turned down the internship at the hospital, and I have no intention of working there after I finish my graduate program.”

“And what, exactly, do you plan on doing when you’re finished if you won’t be employed by Reynolds Memorial?”

“I, uhm…” Flexing my fingers at my sides, I watch as my father stands, looming over his desk, and I have to fight the urge to back up. “I decided to take the open position at Blackhurst Ridge instead. It makes more sense with my degree, and?—“

“No.” He stands there glaring at me before he straightens up, tugs at his lapels, then buttons his suit coat as if what he says is final.

It’s not. Not anymore.

I shake my head. “You don’t get to say that to me anymore.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t. I’m twenty seven years old, I’m an adult, and I’m perfectly capable of making decisions like this.

I don’t want to intern at the hospital because I don’t want to be a medical doctor, which you would know if you actually talked to me, and not at me.

” I have no idea where all of this is coming from but I need to run with it while I can.

“I want to go into applied psychology, specifically criminal and forensic psychology, and I want to intern at Blackhurst because I think it’ll be a great place to get valuable experience in all of that. ”

My father blinks at me, standing across the desk almost like he’s a statue, then he comes back to earth. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Shrugging one shoulder, I try to stay strong. “If it’s stupid, why maintain a centuries-old partnership with Carter Blackhurst? Isn’t that the entire point of what his family has been doing for the last few hundred years?”

“Leave Carter out of this.”

Which is code for our affair goes deeper than you know, his family is older than ours, and I’m not going to rock the boat even if I think his plans are ridiculous at best.

Sleeping with him or not, I know my father thinks Evie’s dad is crazy for doing what he does, and psychology, psychiatry, and rehabilitating the criminally insane are a total waste of time.

Some days I think he doesn’t believe any of that is even real.

So, his reaction is exactly what I expected so far, and I’m sure he won’t let me down as our conversation continues.

“I forbid it.”

I frown. “What?”

My father grabs his briefcase and tosses it on his desk. “I forbid it. I will not allow you to do work at Blackhurst, degree or not, and I’ll go right to the director myself if I have to.”

Considering Carter is the director, that was a stupid thing to say.

“Do you think Camden would want you working in a place like that?”

I flinch and immediately pull my left hand up into my sleeve. “I didn’t ask him.”

“Because you know he’d agree with me,” my father says smugly. “The only reason he allowed you to finish your degree was so the two of you could run Reynolds Memorial together when I retired. Only until you start having young, anyway.”

Gross.

Not only does the idea of sleeping with Camden Blackhurst make my skin crawl, having his babies because we actually bond has me wanting to vomit.

I don’t care if he’s Evie’s brother, or the son of the guy who’s letting me intern where I want, Camden is disgusting, he’s an asshole, and I’d rather put a bullet between my eyes than mate him, contract or not.

Unfortunately, that’s the one thing I’m still working on because there doesn’t seem to be a loophole that gets me out of that bullshit. If I was an alpha, I wouldn’t have to worry about it, but I’m not, so I definitely have to worry.

“You forget, daughter , you have no say in how your final year is going to play out,” he says, his tone filled with an edge I don’t like. “I have you by your skinny little neck until you become Camden’s problem, and then your life belongs to him.”

Knowing this was coming, I pull my phone from my pocket, go to my files and pull up the part where the accidental loophole is written, take a screenshot and send it to my dad. “If you’ll read the text I just sent, you’ll find that what you said is only true to an extent.”

His face falls as he scans his screen, but the look is quickly replaced by one of pure, unadulterated rage. “How did you find this?”

Hours and hours of trying to find a way out of my own personal hell. “I’m minoring in law. Something else you would have known had you taken an interest in more than my ability to keep the Blackhurst-Reynolds names unified.”

“I take it you’ve already put this in motion?”

I nod. “Like I said, I took the internship at the institution, which is not a breach of contract since it doesn’t state where I need to be a practicing doctor, as it also doesn’t state what kind of doctor I have to become as long as I become one.”

“I see.” My father continues scanning his phone. “I’m assuming you’ve done something about housing as well?”

“Yes.” I swallow hard as I nod again. “Evelyn and I have an apartment just outside campus. It’s within walking distance to the shuttles, so I won’t need?—“

“Have you emptied your room?”

My nose stings over the iciness in his voice, which surprises me.

I knew my father wasn’t going to be happy about any of this, and I knew he was going to make things as horrible as he could, but I wasn’t expecting to get emotional over him asking me if I’ve gotten all my shit out of his house. Which is exactly what he’s asking.

“I have.”

“Your mother knows, I take it?”

“She does.” Not that she gave a shit either. Sasha Reynolds couldn’t care any less about what I’m doing or where I’m at. I wasn’t a boy, or an alpha, and to her that basically means I don’t exist.

Scrolling a little, he nods but doesn’t look up.

“I have to give it to you, you’ve done just enough to defy me without breaching your contract, or cutting yourself off from your trust. If I didn’t think you were making the biggest mistake of your life, I’d be impressed.

” Then he looks up and makes eye contact as he says, “You’ve yet to do that over the last twenty seven years, and now is no different.

I can only hope Camden will still want you after the way you’re single-handedly destroying the Reynolds name and legacy.

I might have to sweeten the pot for him to ensure the future of the hospital as well as the academy. ”

Ignoring the way my eyes burn with tears, and the multiple digs he just took, I force my voice to stay even as I ask, “Is there anything else you need to discuss with me?”

“You mean, since you’ve said your piece and completely derailed our normal beginning of the year debriefing?” I nod and he tucks his phone back into his pocket. “I suppose I should ask who it is you’re interning with, for tracking purposes.”

Is there any other reason for it? “Dr. Lowe. He’s new, part of the?—“

“Transfer? Good god, you really are ruining your life.” My father laughs like he truly believes I’m an idiot. “Have you even been inside that building? Do you know anything about where you’ll be spending the next three hundred and sixty five days?”

Well, that’s pretty damn dramatic.

I’m not moving into the old asylum, I’m just working there during business hours like everyone else on staff, and Dr. Lowe has a sterling reputation in the exact field I’m trying to get into. He’s making it sound like I’m being committed.

“I know enough.” Which is true. “And what I don’t, I’ll learn as I go.” Which is also true.

My father laughs again, packing his briefcase before he closes it and rounds his desk.

“Don’t come crawling back to me when this blows up in your face.

You’ve burned your last bridge at Reynolds Memorial, and when you can’t hack it with the criminally insane deviants and their handler, I’ll be all too happy to find you in breach of contract, then deal with you accordingly. ”

With those words of encouragement, my dad marches out of his office, waits for me to follow, then escorts his secretary down the hall while I just stand there wondering if I really did make a mistake.

I know I didn’t, this is the first time I’ve ever taken control of my life and that’s exactly what I wanted, he’s just a big enough bastard that he could make me doubt whether or not grass is actually green, so why should this be any different?