Page 85 of Silver Sanctuary
“You’re still such an ungrateful brat. All I did for you growing up… all I sacrificed.”
Rage lit inside her, a burning inferno she could feel from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
“What, exactly, did you do for me,Mom? You left me home alone when I was five years old for a week. A fucking week, where I almost starved because there was barely any food in the house. A house that was damp and dirty because you never spent any time making it a home, or cleaning up like someone precious lived there. You chose your addiction over me every single time. So please, tell me what the fuck you ever sacrificed for me?”
“You ungrateful, spiteful, evil bitch. I’m taking Embrie from you. I don’t care what I have to do, she’smydaughter. She should be with me. Adam has stable income from his rental properties. You’re not the only one who can play at giving her a stable family life. Because at the end of the day, Lacy, you’re trash. That’s where you were born, that’s where you grew up, that’s where you’ll always be.”
Lacy nodded. “Imagine being the person who created those circumstances for me. Imagine being the woman who held me down in the dirt every time I tried to climb out of it. And when I finally did, when I made something ofmyself, and made a beautiful life for myself and her other daughter, that woman came and tried to drag me back into the dirt. I feel sorry for you, but you will never see Embrie again. She ismydaughter, and she has been since the day you brought her home from the hospital and left her in my arms. Go. Get married to the asshole who forced himself on your child just so she could keep a roof over her head. Have the fucking life you deserve. I’m done. Don’t try to talk to me again. You’ll never get a dime from me. You won’t even get my sympathy anymore.”
She turned, heading toward Gunner and the front of the restaurant. Her fingers might be shaking, and the nausea was still churning in her stomach, but damn, it had felt so good to say those things to her mother after all these years. Gunner held up his hand, waving as she turned to see the sheriff’s deputy vehicle pulling into the parking lot. Perfect timing.
“I’ve got this handled. Go back inside with the girls. I’ll call Nash and let him know what happened here when everything gets sorted.”
“No.”
“No?”
“I’ll tell him when I get home. I’m not letting this ruin his day, or mine.”
Gunner studied her face for a moment, then nodded and walked toward Amber and Adam who were starting to slink away. She had the most freeing realization, as she watched them go, that she no longer cared what happened to them. Embrie was safe. Nash would make sure they were safe. She finally had the family she always wanted.
Twenty-Five
Nash pulled over in front of the large, two-story house. Embrie was in full chatter-box mode, teaching him about the first four rows of the periodic table and her progress in memorizing the elements in order. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that his daughter was well and truly smarter than he’d ever be.
“Ready to go have some fun?” he asked, parking the truck and shutting off the engine.
“Yeah. I guess.”
Embrie’s fingers played with her necklace as she looked out the window.She was nervous.
“Hey, I have something for you.”
Her eyes left the window and found his, excitement dancing behind apprehension. “You do?”
“Yep.” Nash reached around the back of Embrie’s seat. “Now, I cleared this with your mom, and Uncle Gage has it locked down with what you can and can’t do with it, but in case you need to get a hold of us and you’re someplace like this, you can have it with you so we know you can call if there’s an emergency.”
Embrie opened the box to find a small cell phone sitting in the package. Nash had asked Lacy only about a hundred times if she wanted to give the phone to Embrie with him, but she insisted he do it while he was dropping her off at the birthday party.
“I love it so much!”
“Glad to hear it, Limberger.”
She giggled. “You have to be cheating! Mom even helped me look up some different cheese names last night. I’ve never heard of Limberger!”
“It’s not cheating to be resourceful. Belgium, by the way.”
“Yum. Like the waffle!”
“Yep. And… you’re too smart for me. How would I win if I didn’t have some help? It’s clearly not going to be from your mom. She’s fully on Team Cheese, seeing as how she was helpingyoucheat last night.” He pointed at Embrie and got another giggle. “All right, my number is programmed in your phone, so is your mom’s and all the aunts and uncles, too. Call me if you need anything while you’re here, okay?”
Embrie looked out the door, tightening her hold on her phone and the present they’d wrapped together that morning.
“You okay?” Nash asked when she didn’t move to get out.
“I’m nervous. Don’t tell mom, because she’ll worry… but sometimes I tell her I have more friends than I really do. Kids are mean.”
“Here’s something I’ve learned in all my years here on this planet…”
