Page 114 of Safe and Sound

I nodded. Stepping out of the way, I ushered him inside. At the sight of Nick in the living room, Dare’s tense body language eased up slightly. “Hey Nick,” he said pleasantly.

“Hey, man. Good to see you.”

After they clapped hands and backs, Nick said, “I think I’ll go grab a drink and let you two talk.”

While I bobbed my head in agreement, Dare replied, “Thanks for keeping an eye on things.”

“That’s what family is for, right?”

“Exactly.”

“Call me when you need me,” Nick said.

“Okay,” I whispered.

When the door closed behind Nick, I swallowed down my rising nerves. “Would you like to sit down?”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Look, Dare, you have every right to be angry–”

“Anger doesn’t even remotely cover my emotions right now. Livid. Betrayed. Traumatized. Those are the words that describe me.”

“I’m sorry. I truly am.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

I stared down at the intricate patterns on the rug. “Not if I could help it.”

“Fuck you, Ava!” Dare blared.

As I jerked my head up, fury replaced my fear. “How dare you speak to me that way?”

“How dare you deceive me in such a way as to keep my child from me?” he growled.

“I’m a mother. It’s my job to protect my child.”

“She’s mine too.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Now that I know she exists, I’m not going to allow you to keep her from me.”

I sucked in a harsh breath. While I’d expected his wrath, I hadn’t foreseen this. “But you never wanted kids. You told me so yourself,” I protested.

“And you said the same. Yet here you’ve been playing mommy for three years while keeping my daughter from me.”

“I didn’t want her to be a part of your world.”

“Bullshit. You didn’t want to havemeinyourworld.”

“You’re right. I didn’t.”

“So you deprived me of being a father. You deprived your daughter of having a father.” Posturing his hands on his hips, Dare sneered, “Whose the monster now, Ava?”

Tears stung my eyes at his tone and words. But I quickly slipped my mask back in place. “What kind of father would you possibly be for her? Torturing men a floor down while she sleeps in her bedroom? Bringing a revolving door of women around her?”

“Doesn’t seem like you were thinking of Piper when you spread your legs for an abuser.”

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