Page 112 of Revenant

Because I no longer care what he thinks.

He doesn’t have any control over me.

I shake my head, only feeling pity for him now. While I might have sought his affection and approval when I was little, he beat that out of me a long time ago.

Now, I just want him to forget that I ever existed.

“You know what’s funny?” I don’t wait for him to answer. “Being sent to that asylum might have been one of the best things that ever happened to me.”

“And why is that?” A scowl darkens his face, obviously hating the fact that he ever did anything nice for me, even if it was unwittingly. “Did they cure you?”

If anything, that idea seems to piss him off even more.

“Cure me?” I laugh and step away from the desk, only stopping when my back comes to rest against Hicks. “I was never sick. Ironically, I found something at the asylum that you were never capable of giving me—a family that loves me. I should be thanking you.”

Knowing that my father will never willingly let me go, I turn away and head for the door. “I’m done with you. If you come after me or my family, I will make sure everyone discovers that you’re a fraud. I kept records of every underhanded deal, and I’m not afraid of publishing them and exposing you.”

“And you think anyone will believe you?” he snarls, following me around the desk and stalking after me.

I glance at him over my shoulder and pause. “I think you pissed off a lot of people, and they would be more than happy to see you burn.”

Rage darkens his green eyes, and he takes a threatening step toward me. “If you think I was hard on you, imagine how the outside world will react when they discover your little secret.”

My stomach drops at the very real threat.

If he can’t have me, then no one will.

“You will never be safe, you will be hunted on the streets, never knowing when danger will strike.” A malicious smile darkens his face, the smug bastard crossing the room to deliver his next threat. “I’ll even put a bounty on your head. I bet you would go for a really high price to the right people.”

A vicious snarl rumbles in Hicks’ chest, the heat of his fury nearly singing my back. Before he can leap toward my father and incinerate the asshole, Crystal glides forward and brushes her fingers along the back of my father’s hand.

A bubble of unease swells in my chest at the gamble we’re taking, but I’m left with no other choice. My father is never going to let me go, and I can’t take the risk of killing him.

That leaves us with only one option.

“Calm,” Crystal says, stroking her fingers along his hand over and over, her voice taking on an almost echoing cadence. “You just discovered that your daughter died tragically in the asylum fire. These two administrators came to inform you personally of her tragic demise.”

Crystal glances at me from the corner of her eye, and her lips quirk slightly. Panic sparks in my chest, and she continues before I can stop her. “She died a horrible death, burned alive. She suffered greatly before her body was turned to ash and buried under the ruins of the asylum.”

“Yes, it’s horrific,” my father parrots, his expression tragic when he glances at us. His pupils are blown and his eyes glazed, no recognition in his expression. I almost expect him to cheer at the news, but he looks annoyed that he wasn’t the one to kill me personally.

Bastard.

“We’ll be sure to have a copy of the death certificate sent to you,” Hicks says, nearly choking on his rage. “We need to be going. We have other death notifications to perform. We have taken up too much of your valuable time already.”

“Quite right.” My father nods obediently, already turning back toward his desk. “I have a meeting in twenty minutes that needs my attention.”

The instant he pulls away from Crystal’s touch, he hesitates and glances back at us with narrowed eyes. “And you’re sure she is dead? No remains at all? I would like to bury her body next to her mother.”

A muscle ticks in Hicks’ jaw, the man too pissed to speak without breathing fire. I swear I see smoke curling out from his nose.

I smile at my father, keeping my tone simpering, just the way he likes his women. “I’m sure we can find her remains and have the ashes sent to you. Again, we’re so sorry for your loss.”

I nearly choke on the words. My father dismisses us with a wave of his hand, and I grab Hicks by the arm and physically drag him from the room. Crystal follows silently, seeming just as eager to leave. When the door closes, we remain quiet for almost a full minute, waiting to see if my father will storm out after us.

Only, that doesn’t happen.

“It worked,” I whisper, unsure I believe that it’s finally over.

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