Page 114 of Banshee
“Morning, Sugar.”
I turned my head at the sound of my father’s voice. Never again would I call him Daddy. A shudder ran through me at thethought. I sat on the stool next to him, and Joey placed a hot cup of coffee in front of me.
“Thanks, Joey. How’s Maisy doing?”
He smiled big at the mention of his little sister. “She’s doing great. The couple she’s living with wants to adopt her, and they let me see her anytime I want.”
“That’s wonderful.”
Joey moved away to the other end of the bar, leaving my father and me alone, and he asked, “Who’s Maisy?”
“His baby sister. Joey’s mother is an addict, and King told him if he prospected for the club, he’d help him take care of Maisy.”
“And helping is giving her away to strangers?”
I set my cup down and looked at my father. “KingpersuadedJoey’s mother to sign over her rights to Maisy. Joey is too young to raise her himself. He decided, along with one of the old ladies, who is a child psychologist, to let a couple King knew in town, who weren’t able to have children of their own, take her in. This way, Joey still gets to be in his sister’s life.”
I left out any snide comments I wanted to say about him not selling her off to the highest bidder. I really didn’t want to argue with my father this early in the morning.
“Will you take a walk with me, Sugar?”
I closed my eyes as I took another sip before setting the cup down. I nodded, and we both stood, leaving our cups on the bar. It had taken some time to get used to having prospects around again when I moved into the clubhouse. I’d been doing everything myself for so long.
When we stepped outside, my father took my hand and tucked it into his elbow. I was reminded of how many times he used to do the same thing when I was growing up.
He always seemed to know when I needed to talk. Maybe that was why I was having trouble forgiving him. What he’d donedidn’t make sense. He’d always been there for me. The father that gave me away wasn’t the man I’d grown up with.
“I’m so sorry, Sugar,” he began. “There is nothing I can do to make it up to you. But I’d like to try. I missed you so fucking much. Not a day went by that I didn’t worry about whether you were safe, and where you were. I want you to come home.”
I stopped moving and pulled my hand from his arm. He looked my way, waiting for my answer. Though what he said wasn’t a question; it was more of a command. An order he thought he had the right to issue.
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
“Irene,” he groaned as he rubbed his hand over his beard.
“My name is Aspen,” I growled.
He opened his mouth, and I held up my hand. “You know what, forget it. I don’t know why I ever thought you would understand. You never wanted me to begin with.”
I spun around, ready to walk back to the clubhouse, and my father grabbed my arm, turning me back to face him.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I know you wanted Mom to have an abortion,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Who the fuck told you that?”
“It doesn’t matter who. Are you saying it’s not true?”
He looked away, shame spreading across his features. I didn’t need him to answer me. His expression said everything I needed to know.
“Exactly,” I muttered and once again turned back to the clubhouse.
This time, my father moved around me, blocking my path. He placed his hands on my biceps, holding me in place.
“Yes, I asked your mother to get an abortion. After Zeus and Diana were born, the doctor told us your mother shouldn’t haveany more children. It was too dangerous. And when she told me she was pregnant, I was fucking terrified of losing her.
“So you were willing to sacrifice me,” I said, once again shrugging off his hold and crossing my arms over my chest. My heart needed protecting. My father was standing in front of me, telling me he would have let me die.
