Page 67 of Claiming Charlotte

“Hey Princess.” I cooed, wrapping her in my embrace, lifting her up and spinning her. I dipped my head into the crook of her neck, letting the scent of her perfume surround me.

Her hands sat on my shoulders, squeezing lightly and I smiled at her.? “Let’s go out tonight, just me and you. What do you say? A nice dinner before a rumble.”

“This isn't the fifties, Roe, absolutely no one calls them a rumble, but yes, I would love to.” The glint in her eyes reflected the excitement, and I kissed all over her face, nose, jaw, until my lips melted into hers.

“Good you go get ready, I have to run a couple errands and I’ll pick you up after Princess.”

I had to go pick up the ring from Nicole. She went with me to buy a new one, a better one that suited Charlotte in all aspects. The silver band called out to me with the purple stone that sat in the middle of two smaller diamonds. It wasn't a normal ring, but she deserved a ring that spoke to her beauty.

She turned to walk down the hall and I whistled out to her, “Hey, what did the washer say to the dryer?”

She rolled her eyes and the loudest cackle came from her, “Already working on the dad jokes, huh?” She smirked and wagged her finger at me in a scolding manner. “Do better Anderson.”

“Hey,” I called out. “That wasn't even….” Oh no. I rolled my eyes taking off in the opposite direction.

My leg shook uncontrollably as I sat at the table waiting for my father. After our last conversation, I wasn’t even sure he would want to see me, I mean, I did say he was dead to me. Quickly I rose when he approached me.

“Well, this wasn’t expected.” My eyes met his and I couldn't believe this was my father.

He looked disheveled with long hair, his skin was covered in tattoos and he looked mean. This isn’t the person I saw in that picture. He motioned for me to sit back down before placing himself in front of me with his hands folded together.

“Why are you here, Rowan?” he asked gruffly.

I took a deep breath. “The Carrot told me everything, my question is why didn’t you? Did mom know?”

I had so many questions to ask and so little time so I opted for receiving the answers that I could right now.

“No one should have seen what we saw son, but you faced your own war at home didn’t you? Charlie told me what happened to you and Charlotte.”

“So, he visits you often and you gossip about me?” I scoffed.

“Actually yes, he says you're a prick, but that you protect and love Casey's… sorry William’s daughter the best you can, I'm proud of the man you have become. Although, sex and gym equipment. Wow…now that's creative. With his daughter too,” he laughed.

My face flushed and I felt like a teenager being made fun of for having sex, but I shook it off. “What did Walker frame you for?”

“Enough to put me here for good, just don’t fall back into his trap…please. He’s dangerous, more than you know Rowan. We should have taken it seriously and saw the signs. William felt guilty for years; they were best friends, and came from the same small town in Kansas, strict Christian families. He started sneaking out, then we found out what he was doing, when I threatened to turn him in he got scared, and I ended up here. He's hunted us down ever since.”

“What does this have to do with us?” I asked.

He gave me a dumbfounded look before answering,

“What's the best way to break a parent, Rowan?” He asked leaning so close, his breath fanned my face.

“So…he’s what, coming after all of us?”

“Essentially, Charlie had two daughters, one was sold, and he searched for years, his other daughter was a fighter, and she was gunned down. The Davies brothers were taken and tortured and Carter traded himself. I’m sorry if it was selfish, but I'm safer here. When he couldn’t get to me, he did the next best thing.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I hated this man for leaving us, and part of me wanted to hate him more for being so selfish.

“What about Lottie’s mother?” I asked. She deserved to know, I knew how much she blamed herself. Thinking she was abandoned. But he didn't answer, so I changed the subject.

“If you're so inclined, Richard Walker and his cunt of a daughter are dead,” I said with a cheshire smile. No words were needed, he knew.

He looked at me wide eyed and then down at his hands. “Rowan, you do know those aren’t his kids right? Well they are biologically but not in the normal sense.”

“What do you mean?” I thought about it and a disgusted look crossed my face when I realized what he meant. There were a select few who had their brand on their hips instead of the inner thigh. They were treated better and… “Fuck” I said out loud.

“Yeah, all those kids are to him, are an extension of his ‘legacy’. That man isn’t capable of loving anything. Any kids that man has is a product of rape and torture. Good thing you got to Lottie in time. That was his ultimate plan for her, if he had control of her, and the Bennett name, especially an heir; he would have been untouchable Rowan.”

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