Page 29 of Destiny

I bite on my lip, twisting my lip ring. “Do you have any…feelings for this woman?”

“Of course I do.”

I raise my eyebrows.

“They’re all negative, Ava. I hate her. I hate the fact that I share her genes. I hate what she’s done to my family. What she did to my brother all those years ago, and through him, what she did to my father. My father was no saint, to be sure, but he wasn’t as evil as this woman.”

“You told me yourself that he financed the club back in high school and then continued to do so.”

“Yes, until they got into the illegal stuff.”

“Are you sure about that? Are you sure your father wasn’t still involved?”

Dad drops his head. “Ava, I’m not sure of anything anymore.” Then he raises his head and looks up at me. “Except that I love you and your sister and your mother more than anything in this world. And after that, I love the rest of my family. As long as this woman is alive, the rest of my family is in danger.” He nods to the recliner next to his. “Take a load off.”

I take a seat. “Dad…one of the documents that Brendan found…”

“The deed. Yes, I know.”

“What do you make of it?”

“I think it’s obvious. This woman forced my father to sign it. She wanted everything to go to me—her son. She didn’t want anything to go to Daphne’s children.”

“But it was never recorded.”

“No, it wasn’t, thank God. Knowing Wendy, there was some kind of contingency plan. But who knows what could’ve happened? All the property had already been transferred to the four of us the year Marjorie turned eighteen—after the first time my father faked his death.”

“What if… What if all of ittrulybelongs to you, Dad?”

“It doesn’t matter. I would never cut my brothers and sister out.”

“That’s what I figured.”

“Would you want me to?”

“Of course not! Not ever. They don’t deserve that. They’re Brad Steel’s children too.”

He nods. “Exactly. In fact, they’re Brad Steel’slegitimatechildren.”

I say nothing. He’s right, of course. “Except in the eyes of the law…”

“Yes. In the eyes of the law, we’re all legitimate. Daphne’s name is on my birth certificate. But we all know it’s a crock. I had my DNA tested years ago. It shattered my world, Ava. But you already know that story.”

“I do.” I won’t make my father repeat it, but still, I have so many questions.

“I don’t know why she reached out to you,” Dad says. “Or had someone else do it. Either way, she’s behind it.”

“So you understand my curiosity.”

“Of course I do. For some reason, you, the Murphys, Pat Lamone…”

“Yes. Obviously you were her pride and joy, Dad. I wonder why she didn’t go toyou?”

“She knows what I think of her. She was ready to kill me twenty-five years ago. It’s only because of your mother that I’m alive.”

“Do you think Mom is safe?”

“I do. In her twisted way, my mother loves me. She knows how much it would hurt me if anything happened to your mother.”

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