Page 41 of Mercy

I push the thought away as I start the engine.

The drive to CVS is uneventful, just me and my swirling thoughts.

By the time I park, I've managed to convince myself that this with Tor can’t possibly work out.

There’s a high possibility I’m not going to end up staying here.

Inside the pharmacy, I quickly locate the items Charm requested.

As I approach the register, I feel a sense of relief.

I'll be back at the clubhouse soon, surrounded by people.

Safe.

I place the items on the counter, digging in my purse for my wallet.

That's when I hear it—a deep, dark voice that turns my blood to ice. "Meggie Poo?"

My body goes rigid, my mind screaming in denial.

It can't be.

Not here.

Not now.

I turn slowly, my heart pounding in my chest.

There he stands, all six-foot-two of him, his piercing blue eyes boring into me.

My father.

The fearsome son of a bitch known as the Patriot.

"What are you doing here?" I spit out, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady.

He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Lily mentioned you were in town. Thought we were bound to run into each other. I gotta say, it’s great to see my little girl."

My stomach churns.

Of course, Lily told him.

I should've known better than to trust her.

"You shouldn't have come," I say, my eyes darting around the store, looking for an escape route.

"Now, now," he chides, taking a step closer. "Is that any way to greet your father?"

I can smell the familiar scent of his cologne, mixed with leather and cigarettes.

It brings back a flood of memories I've spent years trying to forget.

"Ma'am?" The cashier's voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. "That'll be fourteen seventy-two."

I fumble with my wallet, acutely aware of my father's presence behind me.

As I hand over my card, I turn to face him again.

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