Page 26 of The Rivals' Touch

I’m frozen in place, my heart hammering like a frightened rabbit’s. “Yes, Dad.”

He buries his nose in my hair and breathes me in. “You know what I like you to call me.” His voice is a warning that sends cold shivers down my spine.

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

He groans longingly, but when footsteps echo down the hallway, he steps back and puts the coffee machine on. “Remember, a Burke never admits defeat. If this girl is a bitch, you show her who the real queen is.”

Zayd walks into the kitchen and snorts. “That’s something I’ve got to see.”

I quickly wipe the tears off my cheeks before grabbing the cereal box and closing the pantry door.

Zayd frowns, then looks over at my father.

“I heard you won the game last night, son.”

Zayd’s eyes are back on me as he replies, “Yeah, we did. We murdered the competition.”

I don’t want to be alone with my dad when Zayd leaves the room, so I hurriedly pour cereal and milk into a bowl.

“Excellent,” my dad says, reaching for a coffee mug in the cupboard.

“Are you okay?” Zayd asks me as I rush past him with my breakfast. The milk threatens to spill over the sides of the bowl.

“I’m fine.” I feel his eyes on me as I exit the kitchen. He can tell something is up. The terrible truth will come out if I don’t keep my emotions locked down. I can’t let it. I don’t want the world to bear witness to my shame. My darkest nightmares…

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