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You’re into all of that hippie shit! Gemstones, wands, readin’ those strange placards.

It’s witchcraft! ALL OF IT! It’s against God’s will.

Devil’s work! Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out to be defied by them.

I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 20:6! That’s why your luck has always run dry, Sarah.

You think that you’re a female Harry Potter or some such.

Ain’t none of them runes, candles, sage and incense saved you from the likes of abusers, now have they? You still had to call your daddy!”

“I’m a seer… I’ve always had vivid dreams, and it ain’t Satan at work, Daddy.”

“You’re no seer. Just crazy! Like your son!

Gone clean off your rocker! I warned ya.

A hard head makes for a soft behind. You can’t read nobody’s future, ’cause if you could, you’d seen the writing on the wall.

You’ve got blue eyes like mine, but you shoulda been called, ‘Black eyed Sarah.’ The bloody lips.

The chipped tooth. All administered from weak men who had to slam their woman around.

My beautiful child. You were a gorgeous woman.

It was your claim to fame. They tried to ruin you.

Pathetic! When it comes to protecting my children, violence is ALWAYS the motherfuckin’ answer. ” He seethed.

“Let’s not cherry pick, dear ol’ dad. Quote some scriptures ’bout murder, and womanizing, too, Daddy. Why don’t you do that ?” Her voice rang with command.

“I don’t like your tone, little lady. I’m afraid I’ll have to fix it if you keep this up.”

“I’m sorry that my tone displeases you, but the way you’re dealing with my child displeases me .

You’ve been hurtin’ people, Daddy. You’ve been doing devilment for a mighty long time.

You can make fun of my spiritual beliefs all you want, but if you don’t stop chasing down your grandchildren, somethin’ real bad is going to happen to you.

Karma always has her way, and God don’t play about my boy.

” There was a lethal calmness in her voice.

“God and the demons you talk to when you pray are not agreement. I’m chosen.

My life is nothin’ but a miracle. Me even standin’ there drawing breath after the hell that I’ve survived, is a miracle!

I bled, so that you, and the rest of my children wouldn’t have to!

You’re not on my level. Fear God, not the reaper. ”

“You know… when I was a child, daddy, I was afraid of you. I ain’t gonna lie, I still am a little bit, but not in the same way.

You don’t have the same power over me, because I can see you for who you are, through adult lenses, rose colored glasses and all.

Mama was afraid of you, too.” Her voice trembled as the words tumbled forth, tinged with anger and fear.

“Well, Sarah, it sure as hell wasn’t because I’d ever slapped her, smacked her, or punched her.

I never touched a hair on your mother’s little platinum blonde head, and I’d swear that on a stack of Bibles.

When we divorced, I even continued to financially take care of her.

Even after her second marriage ended, too.

There was no bad blood ’tween us. She just was no longer what I needed.

I wasn’t good for her, and she wasn’t good for me.

Didn’t mean I didn’t want her to be happy in life.

That is what a real man does, Sarah. He protects, even when his desires change!

I’ve killed over you, ’cause NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY, lays a hand on my girls and gets away with it!

I’ve been real kind to you, even when you deserved a good tellin’ off!

I called you today, to get you to try and talk sense into that boy.

Kage may listen to you, so here’s your last chance.

I suggest you remind him what’s on the line.

He could hurt his mama by not doin’ the right thing. ”

“Daddy, are you threatening me?”

“Now what sense would that make? If I threw you outta that house, he’d just build you a new one!

If I stopped payin’ your water bill, that son of a bitch would build you a well and dig a trench, and even add a man-made pond.

If I cut off your lights, he’d get you solar panels and some battery run generator, and if I took your car away, he’d call one of his other fucked up cousins that’s handy with cars ’nd such, like Phoenix, and have you set up with some fresh wheels.

No, girl… that wasn’t no threat. I don’t need to threaten you.

Tellin’ you the truth will suffice just fine. ”

“Daddy.” She huffed. “I’m so, so tired… I’m tired of your bullyin’.

I’m tired of you makin’ me feel bad for living the life I want to live.

None of the men I’ve dated you’ve ever approved of.

I haven’t had a bunch of babies out of wedlock and embarrassed you.

I haven’t run around town whorin’, as you call it.

I haven’t gotten into drugs, stealing, or drunk myself silly, and you’re still not satisfied.

I got pregnant young, yes, and no, Kage wasn’t planned, but his father, Kane?

He was the love of my life!” Her voice shivered.

“I don’t know if we would have still been together right now if he hadn’t been murdered, but I’d like to believe we’d at least be friends… That is respect, Daddy.

“Co-parenting, and being nice to one another, for the child’s sake.

I was never afraid of Kane, despite his affiliations.

That man never once struck me. He never called me out my name during our occasional quarrels, either.

Whatever he was doin’ out in those streets was none of my business, but when he came home to me, he was devoted.

He was beautiful, inside and out. I never wanted for nothin’.

All he did was tell you to back off, and you went ape shit.

I loved him, and he loved me.” He rolled his eyes, barely able to stomach it.

“He didn’t get in your way. He knew how you felt about him.

Even after all of that, you still disrespected him and did everything you could to break us apart. ”

“Because he was attracting the wrong crowd, and could’ve gotten my daughter killed!

I take it you forgot about the police raid, and you standin’ there seven or eight months pregnant—big as a house, Kage in your belly, with your wrists behind your back, in handcuffs, while the police tore up your house?

You had to be rushed to the hospital. I had to pick up the pieces and make sure you weren’t charged for his crimes! ”

“And how many times have you had my mama, and all of your ex-wives for that matter, some of them pregnant no doubt, too, in the line of fire because of some bad deals you made, or some enemies you excited? Or maybe none of our mamas were a real target, since most folks knew and understood you ain’t care about the majority of ’em, and would get rid of them at the slightest infraction. ”

He refilled his glass. This time with bourbon. “Don’t try to switch this around. Your mother was never in peril because of me. I never put her in that position.”

“Well, maybe that’s true. If it is, that’s because you are incapable of lovin’ a lady, Daddy.

” He breathed in shallow, rapid gasps. “As hard as that is for me to say, it’s true…

I believe you, Daddy. Mama was never on the choppin’ block or in harm’s way, and I guess you’re proud of that, but the reason is because gangsters like you only go after where it hurts.

Anything less would be a waste of time and resources.

The guys you fucked with and fucked over knew snuffin’ out one of your wives or mistresses wouldn’t touch the surface of revenge when it comes to the likes of you .

They knew what took me a lifetime to understand, because now I see that you would’ve never shed so much as one tear over Mama if she’d been killed on account of your affiliations. ”

“Sarah, I, of all people, know and understand what love is.”

“Understandin’ what it is and being capable of acting on it are not one and the same.

The devil knows who God is, too. The devil understands grace and mercy.

It don’t mean a damn thing to him though…

he wants no part of that. Now Daddy, I’ve been good to you.

I’ve been respectful most of my life to you, and I didn’t even talk bad about you when I found out you’d been cheating on mama for most of your marriage.

But this… this has to stop. We’ve both put Kage through enough.

I’m older now. A senior, like you. I don’t have the strength to keep fightin’ you.

Please leave Kage alone. Nothin’ good is going to come from this.

If he did work for you, you could never trust him anyway.

You’d be looking over your shoulder the whole, entire time.

This contract? Please just let it go! There’s plenty of guys in this world who would jump at the chance to work for you, Daddy. Why don’t you just—”

“Sarah, I invited you to help save your son from harm. You refuse. You don’t learn from your mistakes, but gotdamn it, you’re gonna learn today .” He quickly disconnected the call, gulped the last bit of the bourbon, and made another call.

“Hello, this is Mr. Wilde, of Wilde Enterprises. I need to speak to the land surveyor of Piedmont County, please…”