“It’s about my daughter.”
I scoffed, unconcerned as I took another drag from my cigarette.“Your daughter isn’t my problem.Take it up with Daniel.She’s been his problem since the day he married her.”As if I needed to add their shit to my never ending grocery list of problems.
Richard sighed in frustration.“Well, you see, that’s the other problem, Darren, because your brother is part of the reason I need to speak to you.”
I paused at the mention of Daniel being another potential catalyst for disaster.
What the fuck did you do now, brother?
“Explain,” I ordered.
“Not over the phone.Can you meet me at O’Neil’s?”he asked, the sense of desperation lingering in his tone.
I groaned aloud at another fucking task requiring my attention.“Fine.I’ll be there in fifteen.”
This had better be worth my time, or Katherine was about to become an orphan.
12
ATOMIC BOMB
* * *
Iwoke up feeling groggy and pissed off.But at least I was blissfully alone.
The animal in me had gone absolutely feral when Darren had tried to comfort me through the trauma he had once again caused.I hated it when he tried to do that, but eventually, the exhaustion of fighting would hit, and I’d just collapse against him, hoping sleep would come and rescue me sooner rather than later.
Sitting up in bed, I stretched my arms high above my head, then turned to look out the window at the setting sun.Squinting, I could see Sloane standing on the dock, pointing toward the water as various divers surfaced from under it.
I laughed internally.They must be searching for that stupid necklace.
Hopefully, they never find the damn thing.
Standing up from the bed, I made my way out into the hallway and decided I might benefit from some rage painting in my art room.People usually left me alone when I was in there since Sid had managed to convince Darren that creating art was therapeutic for me, and should therefore be encouraged.
But the second I walked through the door, I paused in my tracks when my eyes landed on the massive mess someone had made of the room.Red paints were spilled in puddles on the tile floor and walls, blank canvases punctured and broken, pencils and brushes clearly flung across the room, and all my unfinished projects ruined with slashes and tears.
“What the hell?”
A pained gasp stole my attention, prompting me to quickly round the corner of the room and freeze in place.Daniel had one of the cleaning staff bent over my drawing desk, his uninjured hand wrapped around her mouth as his hips bucked wildly against her ass.Her face was red with tears coating her eyes and skin, her body’s reaction indicating nothing but pain.
I saw red.
“What the fuck are you doing?!”I shouted, my nauseated stomach twisting with disgust.
Daniel looked up from his position, his eyes shifting from focused to absolutely deranged as he sneered back at me.
“Well, well,” he slurred, slowing his pace as he continued to fuck the poor woman.“Look who it is.The little home-wrecker.”
My eyes widened at his comment but ignored it to center on the pained woman still pinned underneath him.“Says the man wrecking his own home this very second.Let her go, Daniel.She clearly doesn’t want you, and you’re a married man, for fuck’s sake!”
He scoffed with a drunken laugh and then abruptly increased his pace, fucking her brutally for another ten seconds before he finally stopped and groaned lewdly against her.I took a deep breath and turned my eyes away, trying to regain my composure.If Darren hadn’t confiscated my knife, I would have thrown it at Daniel’s throat by now.
“You piece of shit,” I growled as I watched him stumble away from the poor woman and fumbled with his belt.As soon as Daniel stepped back, she took off running, clutching her torn clothes to her body as she moved for the door behind me.
“Are you okay?”I asked her, but she ignored me, sniffing back her tears as she rushed past me, slamming the door shut behind her.Turning back to Daniel, I scowled at him in disgust, but all he did was sneer in return and waved his other hand that appeared to be wrapped in a cast.
“Bye!”he slurred again, continuing to wave long after the woman had already barreled through the door.“Thanks for the good fuck!”