Page 40 of Daddy's Addiction

One word. One fucking word and I feel murderous. The use of her name makes me want to tear him apart.

My heart rate increases, and my muscles tense as I bare my teeth. “What the fuck about her?”

“Are you sleeping with her?” His dark eyes hold mine hostage in a silent standoff. “Daddy?” he tacks on, making my head drop in defeat.

When I arranged the setup in the office, I never intended it to go as far as it did. I wanted to taste the forbidden while rubbing his nose in the fact he delivered me my toy to play with. I didn’t expect to fall so deeply in love with her I’d drown us both in the depths of an addiction so strong and raw there would be no coming back from it.

I raise my head again, my eyes locking with his in determination. “I love her.”

“Love?” He scoffs, and I want nothing more than to pummel his perfect white teeth into the back of his throat. Not for the first time, I despise him.

“You’ve taken an innocent young girl and corrupted her. Your stepdaughter, no less. You’re a fucking addict and I never should have allowed you within six feet of someone so pure as her. You’re scum!” he seethes.

I struggle to swallow as his words sink in. He’s right in everything he’s saying. I am an addict. She is pure and innocent, and I don’t deserve her. But I fucking love her. I love her and he will not take her away from me. Panic floods me. Is that what he plans on doing?

“You won’t take her from me!” I jump up from my chair, sending it to the floor.

“I can do whatever the hell I want. I’ll protect her from the likes of you!” he spits out.

My body threatens to collapse, my heart rate frantic. “Dad, please.” He scans me, and a flash of softness inches in, giving me hope, but it’s quickly eradicated when his cold eyes bore into mine.

His shoulders relax as he slumps back in his chair, watching me closely. “I’ll give you Justine,” he adds, stealing the air I’m breathing as my chest tightens.

His words flip a switch in my brain. Just the sound of her name sends me into a frenzy and I fly across the desk. “You son of a bitch, I knew it. I fucking knew it. You took her from me!”

Firm hands pull me back, and Rafael pins me against his broad chest. “Calm down, brother.” I try to shrug him off, but I can’t move him.

I’ve never loathed my father as much as I do in this moment.

As my breathing regulates and I relax against Rafael, I say the words, “I’ll do whatever it takes...” I admit.

Jade

Rafael’s eyes meet mine as my foot moves off the last step. “Go and get in the car, Jade.” He nods toward the front door, making me glance there in confusion. “Go on. I’ll explain everything shortly.” His firm voice leaves no room for argument, so I nod and head toward the open door.

The sound of Tommy’s pained voice makes me stop in my tracks with my hand on the door handle. I turn to glance over my shoulder to find Rafael has now gone into the office too.

Taking a deep breath, I tiptoe toward the office door. Keeping my back against the wall to remain undetected, I listen in.

“I’ll give you Justine,” Mr. Marino says, making my heart free-fall at the sound of her name. My lip quivers and my eyes fill with tears while my heart breaks. He’s trading me?

The pain inside my chest manifests, forcing my knees to buckle under the weight of a feeling of pure devastation. My whole world feels like it’s crumbling around me.

He’s leaving me. Choosing her over me.

Tommy’s sharp, scathing voice slices through the air. “You son of a bitch, I knew it. I fucking knew it. You took her from me!” Pain lances my chest at the hurt in his voice, and I struggle to breathe.

Knowing his father is threatening to take me from him, and yet he’s still distraught about his ex.

He promised me he was all in. That I was someone special to him. He told me he cared, that I was his to protect. My body shudders as I cling to the wall for support. He used me. He took what he wanted and now he’s going to discard me like everyone else does.

A scuffle ensues, but I struggle to gain enough composure to care. I push off the wall, my mind and heart shattered and my pulse racing so hard I feel light-headed. Like I’m floating in a sea of misery. Drowning, in fact. And there’s no one there to save me.

“I’ll do whatever it takes...”

It’s all I hear as I walk toward the door, swiping away the lone tear that cascades down my face and onto the floor.

I step outside and into a future without Tommy, without my daddy.

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