Page 40 of The Rivals' Touch

“My daughter has a boyfriend. You would do well to keep your hands off her.”

“Charles!” Ariana gasps, pressing a hand to her chest. “They’re brother and sister. They would never!”

“Oh, please!” I roll my eyes just as Zayd says, “Like you do?”

My father turns bright red. “That is out of order, young man!”

Zayd laughs as if it’s all one big fucking joke to him. He must know it’s my life he’s toying with.

My father turns his blazing eyes on me. “I can’t trust your brother to behave appropriately, so I’m driving you to school today.”

I turn white as a sheet. I don’t want to be in a confined space with him.

“Charles! What are you insinuating?” Ariana looks appalled.

My father rises from the table. “I’ll wait in the car.”

As he walks out, I stare at my plate. My heart has long since ceased to beat. When I look up, Zayd is watching me. I scoot my chair back and keep my eyes down on my way out of the room, so he won’t notice the tears threatening to fall.

My father’s shadow looms inside the car as I walk down the front steps. Every instinct I have tells me to run, but there’s no escape.

I get in the car and reluctantly shut the door. My father doesn’t say a thing as he starts the engine, and we drive in silence until he growls, “If you ever look at that boy again, I’ll kill you!”

I peek at his white knuckles on the wheel. “I’m with Bennett.”

My father sniffs, then puts his hand high on my thigh, too close to my crotch. “Bennett is a good choice, a decent young man with a prosperous future ahead of him.”

His hand slides further up, making me grip the edge of my seat as my heart trips over itself in my chest.

“Dad,” I whisper shakily when his fingers dip between my legs.

His hand stills. “Do you deny me?”

I squeeze my eyes shut against the tears blurring my vision. I know what’s coming even before he fists my hair and snarls, “Do you deny me, you ungrateful little bitch?” His spit flies in my face.

“Dad, please. You’re hurting me!”

He chuckles and releases me, but it’s a sinister sound preceding the squeal of tires as he pulls over by the roadside. Before I can react, he’s turned in his seat and grabbed me by my throat. “Everything you have and the life you live is because of me! The least you can do is show your father some fucking respect!”

I grapple with his tight hold on my neck.

“I could so easily squeeze the life out of you.” He watches me with a sick smile before letting go and straightening his tie. Then we’re back on the road, driving toward school.

His phone rings.

“I’ll be there in about an hour,” he says when the call connects. I make myself as small as possible while he talks to his business partner. We’re still some distance away from school, and I don’t want to anger him further.

“I’m away for three nights.”

If I could shout from the rooftops, I would. I hope he never comes back again.

“Yes, bring it, and I’ll take a look.”

He disconnects the call and puts the phone down as we slow at a red light. “What did we agree on here today?”

I glance up from my hands in my lap. “I am not to look at Zayd again, and I need to show you respect and not deny you.”

He brushes his hand over my hair in what could be perceived as a loving, parental caress to anyone looking, but it makes me violently ill. “That’s my good girl!”

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