Page 39 of Tormented Kings

“Before you go all psycho, I want to warn you I’m not having this conversation on the phone. I’m merely calling to tell you to meet me on the corner of Fifth Street and Sixty-second Avenue in fifteen minutes. We need to have a talk.”

“I don’t have fuck all to say to you,” I bark back. I mean, I do—I have a lot of fucking things I want to say and do to this motherfucker. But I’m not stupid enough to threaten him, it would only piss him off, and knowing him, he would get back at me for it. I don’t want to risk Sadie.

“Oh, but I think you do. And you’ll be smart to meet me. I’m warning you, Collin.” Then he hangs up the fucking phone.

“Fuck!” I roar, punching the steering wheel.

I don’t have a good feeling, not at fucking all.

Pulling up my contacts, I press Grayson’s number.

“What do I owe this pleasure? You never call me. I feel honored.” Grayson’s cocky tone greets me.

“Can it, Taylor,” I snap. “I don’t have time. I need you to check in on Sadie, make sure she’s okay.”

“Why?” he demands, his playfulness gone. “What’s going on, Collin?”

“My father just called me and wants to meet. In a few words, he pretty much told me to come or I’ll pay. And what do you think he’d do to the son who doesn’t give a shit about him or anyone else.”

“Find the one thing he does care about,” Grayson curses. “He’s not done with Sadie, is he?”

“No,” I grind out. “I don’t think he is.”

“I can run over and check on her. Is she home?”

“Cut the crap. I know you can just press a few buttons and see for yourself on your phone or computer.”

For a moment, when the line goes silent, I think the call dropped. “How do you know?” he asks suspiciously.

“You're not the only unhinged man in Sadie’s life. I think that title of completely and totally ‘hinged’ would go to Declan and Declan alone. You didn’t think I’d sweep her house for bugs? I found your little cameras a long time ago.”

“Then why are they still up?”

“Because I hacked in and saw who they belonged to. When I saw it was you, I left them. It’s better to have eyes on her by someone who has her best interests at heart. I was planning on planting a few myself, but this way, when she finds out, she can be pissed at you, not me, and I still have someone watching over her.”

“Way to throw me under the bus,” he grumbles. “Let’s hope she’s madly in love with me by then.”

“We’ll see,” I snort. “So, check on her, would you?”

“Already on it.” I can hear the sounds of keys clacking in the background. “She’s in her house. Seems to be cleaning or something. Shouldn’t she be in class? Shouldn’t you?”

“I was on my way back when I got the call. I’m not teaching anymore today, just guidance counsellor duties for the rest of the day. I’ll call the school secretary and see if she can reschedule. Or have the other counselor take the appointments for me.”

“I’m done with class for the rest of the day. Just got done with a Host Club meeting, heading out now. I’ll watch her for the rest of the night.”

“Thanks.”

I end the call and punch the address my father gave me into my GPS.

When I get there, I’m really fucking confused. It’s a parking garage. Why the hell does he want to meet in a damn parking garage?

The place is pretty empty, but as I make it up to the third level, I see a black SUV.

“Not fucking creepy at all. This is very much giving me mafia vibes,” I mutter as I pull up next to the car.

Rolling my window down, the other car does the same. And there he is, the mother fucker. “Collin.”

“Sperm donor.” I give him a smug grin. He doesn’t like it when I address him that way. “You wanted to talk. So let’s talk.”

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