“Do you want to see your dad before we go?”
“Oh Lord, what did you do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Gabriel, the last couple of times you asked me that question, there was something going on at that house. What did he do this time? I don’t think I have it in me to deal with anything else right now. The last two weeks have been awesome; I don’t want anything to spoil that.”
Look at her using her big girl words. “What’re you grinning at?”
“Nothing, Miss. Sassy. If you don’t want to go, just say so.”
“I don’t want to go.”
“Gianna!”
“Fine, I’ll go, but there better not be anything going on.”
“Nothing’s going on. It’s the night before we fly out, is all.” I’d left it this late for just the reasons she mentioned. She’d been doing pretty well since the whole Victoria and Becky thing, not stressing too much other than to worry about getting justice for her mother. She seems to have a very innocent view of the situation, thinking that now that everything had come to light that it was as simple as getting the law involved, and that’s that.
I knew it wouldn’t be that easy, just as I knew that the thought of having her mother’s body exhumed wouldn’t sit right with her. So, I’d gently broached the subject of Becky maybe never paying for her sins through legal means. Of course, I didn’t tell her that I planned on making the other woman pay, she doesn’t need to know that morbid shit, and she’s going to hate me as it is, no need to add fuel to the fire and show her just what a monster I am.
The truth is, I’m not getting rid of Becky solely because of what she did to Adrienne, but because I don’t want her anywhere near Gianna after I walk out of her life. I did convince her after much effort that Becky will indeed get her just desserts one way or another. She seemed to be okay with that for now, but her dad is still a sticking point.
She runs the gamut from being pissed off at him for letting them mistreat her and feeling sorry for him for the mess he’d made of his life. She keeps remembering the man he used to be before her mom died, which I guess is understandable. Me, I think he’s a thoughtless piece of shit who should be nailed to the train tracks ten seconds before the train arrives.
It’s been a hell of a ride keeping her blind to what I’ve been doing, but her preoccupation with the Ball and her first trip to Europe helped me out there. Now I had everything in place, and if all goes as planned, it will be a while before she sees her dad under these circumstances again. The fuck is lucky I’m not just sending him to the hereafter since he serves no damn purpose as far as I can see.
I almost feel sorry for him, but not quite. It’s obvious he didn’t handle the loss of his wife well, and that led to all this, but he had a kid to protect, and he didn’t, end of story. I don’t have it in me to forgive him that easily, and I’m bastard enough not to try to force her to either when she goes into one of her moods and starts berating him to me.
I pretty much know where her head is at because I listen to her when she rants, letting her get it all out. Her grandmother has already been warned by me to get her a therapist once the dust settles. I’d had to tell her a little bit about my plans without divulging too much because I need her to take care of Gianna when I’m gone.
It would’ve been nice if she could stay with my family, but that’s not possible, not if I want to make a clean break. “Where did you go in your head again?” How is it possible for her to know me this well when no one else does? She always seems to know when I wander in my mind, something I find enthralling and worrisome at the same time.
That jackass Lance keeps hinting at her being my soulmate, but I know he has an agenda, so I pay him no mind. Speaking of which, he should be here any minute. Pop claims he’s coming along as an escort for one of the twins, which I’m sure has some truth to it, but I’m almost certain he’s my watcher on this trip. They never learn.
GABRIEL
I thought it best to give Fontane a call and let him know we were coming. He’s been living in the bottom of a bottle the last two weeks. This visit was as much for him as it was her; even though he didn’t know I knew it, he should at least get to say goodbye. I may have overshot this one as well because she was visibly shocked by his appearance.
He looked gaunt as if he’d lost weight since the last time we saw him, and there was a sadness in his eyes that I personally thought was too little too late, but that’s just me. She’s his kid, and as much of an ass as she knows he is, I could understand how his appearance rocked her a little.
I guess I was here for myself as well to some extent. Maybe it was my last shot at giving him a chance to be some type of father to his daughter and not the selfish prick he’s always been. I’m still not sure where we landed on that scale. First, he answered the door looking like a lost puppy.
His conversation was disjointed at best, with a little bit of woe is me thrown in for good measure. At some point, he caught my glare and must’ve realized he was two seconds away from catching my foot in his ass because he snapped out of it. I’m not sure that was much better because he seemed to remember that this might be the last time they see each other under these circumstances, and that seemed to sober him up.
But now, instead of woebegone, he was almost close to sobbing. He kept apologizing to her over and over, but not in an ‘I’ll do better’ kind of way, but more of an ‘I can’t change it anyway, so you might be better off without me in your life,’ skirting pretty close to letting her know that he was about to do something stupid.
I hadn’t forgotten that she asked me what he’d meant the last time when he talked about getting his balls back and doing something about what had been done to her, so I knew where her thoughts went immediately. “Gianna, can you get me some water, please?”
I kept my voice neutral so as not to spook her even smiled. But as soon as she left, I turned my ire on him. “Are you a complete ass?” My tone shook him up, and he looked at me like he was coming out of a daze.
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you hinting at some off-colored shit in front of her? Do you want her to feel sorry for you? Do you not yet realize that you’re in the wrong here? That nothing was done to you, but everything was done to her on your watch?”
“I’m not trying to do that.”
“Yes, you are. I don’t give a fuck how sorry you feel for yourself or what you’re going through. When she gets back in this room, you’re going to act like you’re happy for her for once in your worthless ass life. After that, you can do whatever the hell you want. Got me?”
I guess a teenager talking to him like that cut through the alcohol haze, and he took umbrage; like I give a shit. He had the good sense to get his shit together when she came back and spent the next half an hour talking to her about the trip and what fun she was going to have and how happy he was that she was going to get to do something her mom would’ve wanted.
That’s what I came for. I didn’t want her worrying about him while away, something I knew was a possibility even though she tries to pretend she won’t. I, of course, didn’t let on that I knew what he was planning because I didn’t want him to change his mind. I’m still one hundred percent positive that she doesn’t need him in her life until he gets some help and comes to terms with the fact that he’d failed her as a parent.