Fraud

I already know it.

“Let me call you back, Stewart. I just had another problematic situation walk into my office.”

He slams the phone down onto the cradle and crosses his arms over his broad chest as Emily and I practically crawl into the room like children begging for mercy.

“I didn’t do anything wrong this time, Dad. I promise. I wasn’t anywhere near Gabriel Dane, and he set the entire thing up to cause problems.”

“Is that so?” he asks, his voice far too calm to be comforting.

“Well, he did a damn good job of it considering I’ve been on the phone for the entire day explaining to my colleagues that my daughter is no longer welcome in my house since she can’t keep her fucking legs closed.”

My jaw drops at his words.

Emily steps closer to me and wraps an arm around my back. She might need to keep it there because I’m not sure my legs will hold me upright given how bad they’re shaking.

Rounding his desk, Dad leans against the front. His suit jacket is missing and the top buttons of his white dress shirt are undone. As usual, his hair is styled back, the peppering of grey obvious in the dark brown color.

I inherited my blond hair from my mother. My blue eyes as well. She must have cloned me rather than half my DNA coming from this man. I look nothing like him.

“If you’ve had nothing to do with Gabriel, then explain to me why I saw you talking to him at Emily’s engagement party.”

Swallowing the knot of fear in my throat, I try and fail to steady my voice.

“He approached me. I was just trying to be polite. How would it look if I caused a scene in front of everybody by ru

Truthfully, I’d wanted to run. There was just the pesky problem of the price I owe Ta

Dad smiles at that, but the look isn’t friendly. It’s the attorney look he gets. The one that tells me he’s cornered me easily.

“Is that so?”

Fuck. He has his attorney voice, too.

I’m screwed.

“Then why were you out on a date with him a week later? Was that just you being polite, or is there something else you’d like to explain to me?”

Not good. I have no explanation for that beyond the truth that I was trying to get out of another fuck-up, namely owing Ta

Plus, it was fun screwing with Gabriel. I can’t help myself with him, though. He has the a

The war we have is a drug, and I’ve always been an addict. It’s caused an insane number of problems, but I just can’t stop.

All of my problems, every single one, has Gabriel’s name plastered all over them.

It’s one of the reasons my dad is so mad right now. He knows what I’ve done in the past because he’s the one who had to fix it. And I have no explanation for why I went out with Gabriel that night when he’s the person my dad has expressly forbidden me from talking to ever again.

“You have no explanation,” he says while I stand there staring at him with my jaw slack.

“Which is what I thought. And why I’ve decided that you’re now cut off from everything I’ve given you. I take part of the blame for this, Ivy, because I’ve coddled you your entire life. Fixed all your problems, and never forced you to fix them yourself so you’ll stop doing the stupid things you do to cause them. Regardless of whether the engagement is real or not, you are responsible for opening a door for Gabriel to do something like this again. You know better with him. He’s always been a monster. So, now that you’ve allowed this to happen, you can do what it takes to fix it. On your own. And without my finances to help you.”

I’m about to die right here in front of him.

About to wither beneath the murderous glare in his eyes.

Not because I’m cut off. I’ve always wanted to take care of myself. This might give me the opportunity to prove that I can. But it’s painful because I’ve hurt him again.

I love my parents. Despite how screwed up they are in their own lives, I never wanted to disappoint them. And this last issue has driven a spike into a relationship I’ve been fighting to rebuild.

“Scott can clear this up. He was with me the entire time in California-“

“Scott is the person who told me about your date,” he yells, cutting me off. “And that was right before he quit his job because he’s tired of chasing after you.”

What?

My jaw drops at that.

Scott and I were always on good terms.

“I suggest you and Emily walk out of here right now and decide how you plan to smooth all of this over. I have nothing more to say to you.”

With any other person I would plant my feet in place and keep arguing. But it’s no use with Dad. Once he’s made a decision, there’s no talking him out of it.

I have to fix this.

On my own and without his help.

Emily and I turn to leave, but my dad calls out to stop us.

“Emily, actually, I have something to say to you as well.”

The knot of fear crawls back into my throat as we both spin back to look at him. His eyes lock on her, disapproval obvious in his face.

“You are an engaged woman. While I don’t necessarily agree with the decision your parents have made for you, I still feel you should honor that engagement, at least when it comes to public appearance. And if you think nobody noticed you sneaking out of my house with your hair a mess and your clothes out of place, you’re wrong. We also noticed the twins coming out after you. And no woman should be caught having anything to do with Ezra and Damon Cross. They are loose ca

I want to argue on her behalf. Mason Strom isn’t much better than any of the Inferno boys, yet she’s being married off to him like some kind of object that can be bartered. But I keep my mouth shut because it would only make this worse for her.

Emily must feel the same because she answers him as demurely as possible.

“Yes, Mr. Callahan.”

He nods his head once.

“You both are excused.” His eyes slide to lock on me. “Fix this problem, Ivy. This is the last chance I’m giving you.”

Nodding my head, I turn back to the door and rush out, my arm clasped with Emily’s. Neither of us say a word as we run downstairs and out of the house, both of us beaten down.

After climbing back into the car and driving away from the house, we settle against our seats as we pull into traffic.

“What are you going to do?” she finally asks me, her voice soft.

“I have no idea.”

My thoughts are racing at this point with no clear direction of what I should do next or where I should be heading.

All I know is that I have to beat Gabriel at his own game. And knowing him and the power he holds, this battle will not be easy.