Page 65 of Bit's Bliss
“Dad? Did you hear me? What am I supposed to do about the house?”
“Goodbye, sweetheart. I’ll try to call again soon.”
I stared at my cell-phone screen in shock that the conversation was over so quickly. I looked up at Trevino. While I hadn’t put the call on speaker, he was sitting close enough to me to have heard the entire, brief conversation.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s like I don’t know my own father anymore. It was so…bizarre, right?” I looked down and saw he was typing something into his phone. “What are you doing?”
He raised his head. “Trying to remember everything he said.”
“Oh. Good idea. Well, it shouldn’t be that hard to do since he didn’t say much.”
He held his phone out so I could see the screen. “Did I miss anything?”
“I don’t think so,” I said after skimming it.
“What?” he asked when I shook my head.
To say something about the conversation was bothering me was an understatement. I was angry, hurt, worried, and confused, but along with all of that, something wasn’t sitting right with me. “I can’t explain it.”
He set his phone on the table and leaned forward. “Let’s break it down. Is there anything your father said that was out of character for him?”
“Hmm. Out of character? I guess most of it was. Except…”
“What?” Trevino pressed.
“He called me sweetheart three times.”
“Was it the number or that he said it at all?”
I studied him. “At all. How did you know?”
“Your reaction. Anything else?”
“He didn’t directly respond when I brought up the house. I don’t know. Maybe that wasn’t out of character. Remember, I feel like I hardly know the man anymore.”
“Decker is monitoring your incoming calls. I should’ve told you that sooner.”
“It makes sense that he would.” My eyes scrunched. “But why didn’t you tell me?”
I could tell he’d heard me, but it took him long enough to respond that I wondered if he would. Finally, he shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Part of me hoped he’d say nothing, but I knew better. Except, inside, I knew it wasn’t because he was keeping secrets from me. He wouldn’t hurt me. Just like my mom never would. Or Uncle Michael. There were certain people who I trusted that much. If I had the guts to take a good, long look at my relationship with my father, to the point where I allowed the hurt in, I already knew I couldn’t say the same about him.
I shook my head. “There’s more you aren’t telling me, isn’t there?”
By his reaction, I knew I was right. He practically flinched.
“Tell me now, Trevino. Either that or…”
His head shot up. “Or what?”
“Itrustyou. Don’t do this to me.”
His eyes scrunched but he gave in. “While I have no proof, my gut is telling me something is off with that phone call. Next, I have a strong suspicion that Tiernan Burke, or whatever his real name is, is involved in one or both of the gangs the FBI raided last year. In fact, I think he’s trying to take over their former territories.”
“Is there more?” I asked.
“I don’t know what you’re worth, Eberly, and I don’t want to know. My theory, and I’m not alone in this, is Burke wanted to get his hands on your money in order to fund his criminal activities. That’s why he proposed; that’s why he wanted to marry you. Something happened. I’m not sure what, but it made him realize things weren’t going to go the way he’d planned, and that’s why he called it off. Or maybe your dad had something on him, and that’s how he convinced him to walk away. Except now, I believe Burke has your dad. He didn’t just disappear. He’s being held against his will.”
