Page 16 of Retribution

‘Oh?’ I ask, my mouth suddenly feeling dry.

Shorter leash?

‘It’s clear that your stepbrother is a bad influence. After what Marcus has told me, I’m not surprised. You aren’t to be around Jack or the other KIP members any longer, is that understood?’

Is this what Joe has decided with my stepfather? Is that why my guys aren’t here?

Joe goes on, clearly not needing any conversation from me at all, despite asking me a question.

‘I hope you’ll learn a lesson from this. Girls who don’t toe the line are corrected, Marguerite. Your father has been instructed on what I expect.’

He’s not my father,I think even as my mouth goes dry at his choice of words.

Corrected.

He ends the call abruptly, and I hand the phone back to John, making sure our fingers don’t even brush against each other regardless of my shaking hands. I’m not sure if I’m scared, furious, or both, but I am upset.

I don’t want John to see how much, though.

‘I assume he let you know how displeased he is that you got yourself hurt,’ John says airily, putting his phone away in his breast pocket. ‘Once again, you’re causing me trouble. You’ll no longer be living at the KIP house. It was…an oversight on my part. I’d assumed that Jack would ensure you were taken care of properly.’

He shakes his head a little.

‘I should have known better. I’m bringing you home, Marguerite. When you are discharged, that’s where you’ll be going and where you’ll live until you marry into the Banderville family.’

He steps closer. ‘And there will be no more going toclubs, or getting arrested.’

My eyes widen.

‘You didn’t think I’d find out that you were found in a male student’s room drunk and had to be escorted out by the police?’ He snorts, looking at me like I’m disgusting. ‘I should have known that a girl like you would bepromiscuous. But you better pray that Joe still thinks you’re a virgin when he marries you, or he’ll make your life a living hell.’

I don’t tell John that he’ll do that regardless and that he’s already starting to by the sounds of it. What would be the point? John already knows exactly who the Bandervilles are. He’s probably enjoying the ideas of what my life will be like in their family.

My stepfather steps to the side of the bed and gets veryclose to me. It takes everything in me not to lean away from him.

‘You will not jeopardize this deal,’ he says through gritted teeth. ‘You will give Joe Banderville chaperoned access to your person whenever he requests it. You will marry him in the Spring. You will do as he tells you. Do you understand me, girl?’

‘Yes,’ I whisper, my mind working quickly to salvage something of my life here. ‘I’ll do what he wants, but I want to finish the academic year at Richmond U before I get married to him.’

John’s lips twist angrily.

‘Do you really think you hold any cards here, Marguerite?’ He rolls his eyes. ‘Why would I let you do that?’

I regard him with a shuttered expression. ‘Did you ever love my mother? Really?’

The question seems to throw him because he doesn’t answer right away.

‘Yes,’ he says finally. ‘I loved her.’

‘Then how can you hate me so much? And why did you make her think that I didn’t want to hear from her or talk to her while I was at The Heath? Why did you make sure I had no contact with the outside at all?’

He holds my gaze. ‘Your mother felt guilty. She would have tried to have you brought back, sooner or later. I couldn’t allow that. You were a liability. It was best for everyone that you weren’t around. You were a danger to people. Your mother was afraid you’d hurt Andy or Jack too. It wasn’t hard to convince her that The Heath was best. It was even easier to convince her that speaking to you would impede your progress. She was glad to have a clean break, an excuse to not be constantly exhausted by you.’

I try not to let his words get to me, but I still wince at the venom behind them.

‘One more question?’ I ask, pushing forward while he’s in such a delightfully chatty mood.

He looks at his watch and sighs. ‘One.’