Page 51 of Sinful Attraction

“Because the batshit insane hacker she hired was threatening to choke her to death at pretty much the top of his lungs. I heard it down the damn hall.”

Everyone’s focus turns to my sister’s accomplice, who seems ready to sink into the floor. “I was just here to get paid for fixing her computer! She said she’d pay me, and she’s been putting me off!” he whines. “Then, this drunk comes bashing through the door because he took our argument out of context—”

“Jesus Christ, you’re both a couple of lying freaks. I can’t even believe this! Where do you get off being like this? To your own family?” I glare at Maria, who stares back at me blankly, her strange absence of response somehow more unnerving than if she’d thrown another tantrum.

“Michael!” My father’s voice is as sharp as a gunshot. “You are drunk. Your judgment is shit right now. You need to back off right now, or I’m going to have to—”

Maria breaks in by bursting into tears. “He broke my door, Dad! He was threatening me!”

My father stiffens and glares at me. And that’s when I know.

The truth doesn’t matter because right now, it’s my word against his precious, golden daughter’s, and he’s too fucking biased to even look into anything.

“Explain yourself,” he demands.

The words spill out. I tell him everything I’ve heard, every threat, and every detail. I explain how it fits the evidence. I even explain why I was listening to their conversation in the first place.

It doesn’t matter. He just keeps staring at me angrily while I beat my head against the same brick wall.

This can’t be how it ends. Anger boils up in me, and I finally shout, “And she’s going to get away with it because you’re too busy playing favorites with us to realize she’s fucking you over, too!”

My father’s eyes flash, and his face darkens. I’ve gone way too far this time. And yet, it feels like I haven’t gone far enough because he’s still not hearing me.

“Get out of my house,” he snaps suddenly.

It stops me cold. “What?”

“You’re drunk, you’re violent, you were an inch from attacking your sister, and you’ve scared her to death. I don’t give a goddamn what you think you heard. There is no excuse for this.

“Get out of my home, and don’t think about coming back until you have that money or can tell me where it went. And I want evidence, not more bullshit! Now, get your shit and go!”

I stare at him in pained astonishment, and the first thing that goes through my head is bitter as hell:This is what I get for having loyalty.

The worst part, as I turn to walk away, is catching a glimpse of Maria smirking as she watches me go.

Outside, I sit on the steps and hold my head, baffled and pissed off. I heard what I heard. I know what I know, but it’s not enough for my father, even as the knowledge of the truth burns me up inside.

I’m too fucking drunk to drive. I should call a service and get picked up, but right now, my head is throbbing so hard that I can’t focus.

I don’t realize Billy has come out after me until he sits down next to me.

“What the fuck happened?”

I tell him.

He stares at me incredulously, like he doesn’t know whether to believe me or not. I wince and look away from him.

“Yeah, I thought so,” I grumble. “You don’t believe me either.”

“I don’t know what to believe. Dad’s furious, Mom’s crying, Maria’s crying, some asshole just ran out the backdoor like hewas caught fucking her... and now, you’re saying she and this guy are the ones who stole from us?”

I look at him gravely. “Yeah,” I say. “Yeah, I am.”

“Can you prove that?”

I stop short. “I think so.”

“Well... that’s what you are going to need to get back in Dad’s good graces and prove what you’re saying. Hard evidence, or a witness.”

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