Page 32 of Cruel Love

“Why would I trust you when you kept all this from me for how many months?”

He didn’t respond.

I clenched my teeth and forced out a demand to which I didn’t really want a reply. “Then tell me about it.”

Shane shook his head. “I can’t. It’s not my story to tell. I promised him that I wouldn’t say anything. He wants to explain it to you himself.”

“Fine.”

“You’ll meet with him?” Shane grinned.

I gritted my teeth and nodded. Things wouldn’t go the way my brother wanted them to. I would meet with him but only to end this shit once and for all. I would tell our sperm donor to stay away from all of us. No longer would I let my family—the people I loved more than anything in the world—get hurt by him.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way”—Shane’s features hardened, then he pulled a thick envelope from his back pocket and tossed it at me. “Mark Rowan handed this off to me when he couldn’t get it to you because of your coma. Want to tell me what this was all about?”

I opened it to find a stack of cash that only led to more questions. “Fuck if I know.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ASPEN

This is bad. I stepped aside so Phoenix’s grandfather could enter my dorm room. He must have tracked me down after I ditched the meeting. Max was right. Nothing good could come from speaking with the man alone.

I didn’t want to, but I let the door close. Mr. Bennett pulled out my desk chair and motioned for me to sit on the bed so we could face each other. I did as he’d requested but kept my mouth shut. He wanted the chat. I would wait for him to say what he needed to. Then I would air my grievances.

I was beyond annoyed and disturbed by the situation but had to keep my head. Since he came here, I assumed he wanted something from me. In exchange, I would demand that he stay out of my life, and my baby’s.

The smile Mr. Bennett gave me chilled to the core. There was something downright evil about him. “You seem to have my grandson’s head all clouded by hormones and lust. But I’m confident that when he’s thinking clearly again, he’ll realize that this baby is the worst thing that could happen to him. It will ruin not only his future but yours as well.”

I opened my mouth, but he held up a hand to stop me from speaking. Knowing he wouldn’t listen to me if I didn’t let him say his piece, I sat quietly and fumed.

“If you question how detrimental going forward with this pregnancy is rather than terminating it, just ask your father how it’s affected his future.”

That had to have been the trouble Mom had mentioned with Dad’s job. He was well respected at work, which I knew because I’d overheard a few Zoom calls when he had to take meetings at home last year. I couldn’t even guess what he’d done. It made my head spin. Besides, Mr. Bennett’s threat about Dad’s future was no coincidence. “No. I’m not having an abortion. And it’s not your choice.” It was my choice, and it also wasn’t what Phoenix wanted.

“Let me make things clearer for you. I will set you up in another city, complete with an apartment and money for school. All you have to do is break things off with Phoenix and terminate the pregnancy.”

“No. Absolutely not.” I stood. He was no longer welcome, and I wanted him to understand that. “I’ve been without money. I know how to get by with very little. I’ll be fine. So will my baby.” I went to the door and opened it. “And I can’t be bought.”

“We’re not done here.” He maintained that arrogant air of his.

“We are. Please leave.”

He held firm, trying to use his height to intimidate me. “If you want your father to remain out of trouble and to keep his job, you’ll do as I say.”

I wanted to scream but held my emotions in check and quietly shut the door, bitterly resigning to having to hear him out for my dad.

“All you have to do is agree. Let Phoenix get his life back.”

“Have you discussed this with Phoenix?” He hadn’t. I was sure of it.

A smug smile rearranged the wrinkles around his mouth, and not in a pleasing way. He took his seat again. “Whose idea do you believe this was? When I told Phoenix how easy it was to get rid of his lowdown, no-account father, he thought it would work on you too.”

My hand jerked on the doorknob. Bullshit. But knowing didn’t stop pain from piercing my heart or a strange buzzing from starting in my head. I didn’t understand how or why this man would treat me—us—like this.

Mr. Bennett handed me a folded piece of paper. I skimmed it, fighting to keep tears at bay: I don’t want to see you or the kid—Phoenix.

It was a forgery. I wasn’t stupid. But knowing it was fake did nothing to stop the terror that took residence in my heart as I began to understand the lengths the man would go to control his family.

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