Page 100 of Seen Knot Heard

With a sigh, I squeeze Chloe’s fingers and connect eyes with Dominic to silently ask him to do whatever she’ll allow as far as comfort goes before I step away to take the call. “What is it, Dad? I’m in the middle of?—”

“What the hell is going on over there, Nathaniel?” my father barks. “I just got a call saying our goddamn construction site has been shut down by some inspector! Would you care to explain how you let that happen?”

Shock bolts through me. How did he find out so fast? The inspector had only just left.

“I’m handling it,” I grit out, gripping the phone tighter. “There were some minor code violations that need to be addressed before we can resume work. It’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” he scoffs. “It sure as hell is a big deal if it’s costing me money!”

“It’s not costingyouanything?—”

He raises his voice to talk over me. “I expect you to get this sorted out immediately. Don’t make me regret financing this little dream project of yours.”

And there it is, the reminder that without him, Misty Pines Resort wouldn’t have even been possible.

Blood pounds in my ears, but before I can fire back a retort, the front door bangs open, and Sprinkles comes bounding inside, tail wagging with excitement, followed by Blake.

“Uncle Blake!” Quinn comes rushing out of the kitchen, a handheld vacuum in her hands.

A cacophony of barking and loud voices fills the house, which at any other time would fill me with joy, but with my father still raging in my ear, it just adds to the chaos in the house and in my head.

I step away from the commotion, retreating to the shadowed hallway leading to the media room. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Chloe looking toward me, her brow furrowed in concern. But she keeps her distance.

In the relative quiet, my father’s tirade continues to batter my ear.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to maintain my composure as tension coils increasingly tighter in my gut. My thumb spins the silver ring on my finger to give me something to focus on.

When my dad takes a breath, I cut in, “I said I’ll handle it. Trust that I know what I’m doing.”

“How can I trust you when this job has been nothing but a nightmare the last month?” he barks and circles back to a previous tirade about my negligence in allowing Grady to be injured on the island.

Soft footsteps approach from behind, and I turn to find Blake walking toward me, his lips pressing together with displeasure when he catches the sound of my father’s voice through the speaker.

Our eyes meet, and he leans against me, his pheromones offering silent comfort. The simple gesture eases some of the tension knotting between my shoulder blades. The heat of his body seeps into mine, the comforting scent of applewood and cider filling my lungs.

He doesn’t say anything, just stands as a steady presence at my side, reminding me why we’re doing all this.

Another shriek from Quinn pierces the air, followed by a bark from Sprinkles and the scramble of claws on the hardwood floor. A second later, they chase each other down the hallway and toward Sprinkles’ room at the back of the house.

“And another thing,” my father snaps, rising in volume with each word. “What were you thinking, bringing that child into the pack now? We’re at a critical juncture with the construction project, and you decide to take on a charity case? It’s like you’re trying to sabotage everything we’ve worked for!”

Blake stiffens, and white-hot anger surges through my veins. My hand tightens around the phone, the plastic creaking in protest. “Quinn is not a charity case. She’s Blake’s niece and a welcomed addition to our pack. Our decision to have her here has nothing to do with the project.”

“Doesn’t it?” my father scoffs. “Ever since that girl arrived, you’ve been distracted, unfocused. Letting things slip through the cracks. Now look where we are! Shut down by some pencil-pushing inspector!”

I open my mouth to argue, but he barrels on. “You need to get your priorities straight, Nathaniel. Remember your duty. You may have left the Burton pack, but you still carry our name, so failure is not an option. Not if you want to prove yourself worthy of leading your own pack.”

Something snaps inside me, the last fraying thread of my patience giving way. “Iamworthy,” I snarl, the words echoing off the narrow walls. “I’ve given everything to this project, to my pack, and I won’t let you continue to question my commitment.”

Before he can tear me down again, I end the call, my chest heaving with anger. The sudden silence rings in my ears, broken only by the harsh rasp of my breathing.

Blake reaches around me, pries my fingers apart to take my phone, and slips it into his pocket. “Are you okay?”

I let out a shaky breath, dragging a hand down my face. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.”

“This isn’t about me.” Blake leans against me harder, the weight of his body grounding me. “I asked ifyou’reokay.”

I huff out a harsh breath. “No. I fucking hate him sometimes.”

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