Page 83 of Strength

Chapter Twenty-Five

Olivia

“Charlie.” My voice trembled as I issued a warning to my son.

Miguel lowered himself down to Charlie’s level. “It’s alright, Charlie. I won’t hurt you. Do you know who I am?”

“No, he doesn’t,” I growled.

Miguel glared up at me. “Does it look like I was talking to you?”

“Who are you, mister?” Charlie asked.

“I’m your daddy, Charlie. You've gotten to be a big boy. Look at you!” Miguel attempted a smile.

Charlie wrinkled up his nose. “I don’t think I want you to be my dad. I want Emmett to be.”

I couldn’t have been prouder of my son in that moment than at any other time in his life.

Miguel’s face turned murderous. “Who the hell is Emmett?”

Charlie shrunk away from Miguel and I pulled him against me.

Miguel stood up. “Get inside,” he ordered, pointing to the door of my old apartment.

I set my jaw. “No.”

“I said get the hell inside!” Miguel shouted.

“And I said no!” I shouted back.

Miguel gripped my arm and dragged me, kicking and screaming into the apartment. Charlie raced after us, screaming at Miguel to let me go.

Miguel ignored his son and threw me onto the couch. He slammed the door behind us. “Where have you been?”

I gripped the handle of my bag so tight, my knuckles turned white. “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t been here. So, where have you been?”

How did Miguel know I hadn’t been here?

When I failed to provide a response, Miguel said, “I own this apartment block, Livvy. You’ve been renting off me for the last five and a half years. I’ve had eyes on you since you took my son and left me. Latisha’s husband is a damn fine employee. I think he deserves a raise.”

The hairs raised up on my neck. All this time I thought Latisha’s family were friends when they were actually foe.

“His poor wife won’t know what to think when she suddenly gets to live in one of my mansions in Beverly Hills. She’s clueless about his work. That’s how we like our women, you see—clueless and controlled.”

It was a relief to know that Latisha had no part in spying on me, but I was still unsettled. I thought I’d broken away from Miguel and become independent, when the truth was, he’d had me under his control this entire time.

The way Miguel’s eyes travelled over my body made me tremble with fear. “I underestimated you. I didn’t realise you were so smart when we got together. I thought I could blind you with pretty things and a little baby. But you have a strong sense of self and an independent streak that’s impossible to break. It’s all that woman power hippy bullshit your mom fed you while you were growing up. Fuck her and fuck you.”

“I’m proud of who I am and I’m proud of my mother. She bred me with a strength you’ll never begin to understand.” I narrowed my eyes. “That’s why you feel so threatened, isn’t it? You’re so used to everyone bowing down to you, to women who turn the other cheek and enable you, that you don’t know what to do with yourself when faced with a real woman. Your son is already a better man than you will ever be.”

“Yeah, I’m better than you, but you’re not my dad.” Charlie poked his tongue out at Miguel.

“I’ve got news for you, boy. I am your daddy. Now you’d better watch your mouth, or I’ll slap some sense into you.”

I launched myself to my feet and made sure to keep Charlie behind me. “You won’t lay a damn finger on him, Miguel.”

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