Page 26 of Siccitas

“I’m home now.”

“You’re home now? To stay?” he laughs. “Why would I ask you to stay? The kids and I are doing fine.”

He looks at me with contempt written across his face.

I bite my lip and look at him forlornly. “I can be a good girl.”

“Whose good girl?” he asks.

“Daddy’s good girl. I could help with things.”

“So, you mean to tell me you ran into the big wide world, didn’t like what you saw and came running home to Daddy?” Luke chuckles and it makes my skin crawl. “You should have known better than to leave.”

“Skylar needs a mother,” I say quietly. “Someone to teach her.”

“I can teach her the Greene ways just fine.”

I stop myself from glaring at him. I loathe this man so much, but physically, he will overpower me if I take him head on.

I look at my feet. “Please forgive me. I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want,” he murmurs. “That’s a big promise from a very small girl.”

Chapter Nineteen

Von

Ireally don’t thinkshe’s coming back. Neither is her brother, apparently.

Well, that was fun while it lasted.

I go out to my truck and climb in, turning up the country tunes as I drive. I pull into the driveway behind Luke’s truck and climb out.

I walk to the front door and knock. At first there’s no answer, so I knock again.

After a minute or two, I hear footsteps and the door swings open. “You’re late.”

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