Protecting Her(69)

“So should you. But I suppose you’ll use the excuse of your earlier hysterics as the reason why you’re unable to do so.” His eyes fix on mine. “Weakness of the mind can get you killed, Pearce. You should learn to be stronger.”

As he walks to his car, Rachel comes down the stairs. “Where is he?”

“He left.” I shut the door.

“What? But I wanted to talk to him! Yell at him! He almost gave me a heart attack! Does he have any idea what he put us through?”

I pull her into my arms. “Yes. He said he told the principal to tell us he had Garret, but I know that’s not good enough. He should’ve told us directly.”

“He is never allowed back here! Or back in our lives.”

“We can’t do that, Rachel. I work for him. And cutting him out of our lives would mean Garret would never see his grandmother.”

“Then quit your job. And if Garret wants to see Eleanor, she can come here without Holton.”

I step back and hold her shoulders and look at her. “I know you’re upset. I am too. I’m furious. But Rachel, I need you to understand that my father does not back down from a challenge. If we try to cut him out of our lives, or keep Garret away from him, he’ll take that as a challenge and he will fight us until he gets his way. And what he did today? That’s nothing. He’s capable of far worse.”

She folds her arms over her chest. “Your father is crazy. There’s something seriously wrong with him. He should not act this way.”

“I know, but that’s just how he is.”

“So you want me to just forget about this? Pretend it didn’t happen? Just let him get away with it?”

“If we don’t want a repeat of what happened today, then yes. He likes to play mind games, like he did today, and he’s an expert at them. You don’t want to get on his bad side, because if you do, he will make your life hell.”

“Your father is a bully, Pearce, and I’m sick of him controlling us like this! I’m sick of walking on eggshells around him. It’s ridiculous! It’s not normal!”

“I know, and I’m sorry. But please, just listen to me. If you want to get back at him, if you want to get revenge, then just keep treating him the way you’ve treated him the past few years. He can’t handle the way you’re so nice to him. It confuses him and annoys him. He keeps trying to provoke you and it never works. That gives you power, Rachel. Yelling and screaming at him would give him the power, which is just what he wants.”

She nods. “Yes. I’ve already figured that out.”

I pull her into my arms again. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry that he acts this way. I wish he didn’t, but I can’t change him. He is who he is.”

She sighs. “I know.”

“What did Garret say about today?”

“He said his grandfather took him to meet some of Holton’s friends and then he took him for ice cream. So who were these friends? Did you ask him?”

“They were some business colleagues of his. My father wanted to show off Garret to them. He’s very proud of Garret. He just needs to learn to express it a different way. And I told him that. I told him he is never to take our son out of school again without telling us. And I said if he wants his friends to meet Garret, I will be accompanying him.”

“Did he agree to that?”

“Yes.”

“Dad, are you ready?” Garret comes bounding down the stairs. “We have to play ball before it gets dark.”

I let Rachel go. “I’ll go change out of my suit and meet you in the back yard.”

“And then we get to have movie night!” I hear Garret say to Rachel when I get upstairs.

“Should we get it set up?” she asks him.

She tries to sound happy, but I know she’s still upset. I am too. I’m completely enraged with my father, even more so now that I know he took Garret to meet with members of the organization.

I would love to cut my father out of my life, like Rachel suggested, but it’s too risky. If I did that, he’d do something far worse to get back at me.

Keep your enemies close. When it comes to my father, that saying couldn’t be more true.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN


16


RACHEL

It’s a day later and I’m still shaken up from what Holton did. When I dropped Garret off at school this morning, I told the office they are never to let him leave with anyone but Pearce or me. The principal apologized for not calling and telling us, but added that she assumed it was okay for Garret to leave with his grandfather. I made it clear that it was not. She gave me a funny look when I said it, but she doesn’t know Holton. He is not a normal grandfather.