Page 93 of Deserving Ryleigh
“So, you’re the man who finally made my daughter a real woman, huh?”
The question was rude and crude, but Ry wasn’t surprised.
“You have a choice, Ryleigh,” her dad said, almost conversationally.
Ry could feel her hands shaking, but she forced herself to look at the man who, before last week, she hadn’t seen for years. The man who’d done his best to make her exactly like him. Amoral. Evil. With no thought for anyone other than himself.
“Don’t you want to know what the choice is?” her dad asked, clearly enjoying himself. He obviously thought he had the upper hand, but Ry would literally bet on Tiny any day of the week. She had no idea what he could do, butthere was no chance at all that he’d simply stand there doing nothing for long.
“What?” she finally asked, knowing if she didn’t, her father would likely start yelling.
“You can save yourself—or your friends,” he said almost gleefully. “These detonators in my hands are remotely connected to two different series of bombs I’ve placed around this godforsaken place. When one goes off, it’ll set the next one off, and so on. You can save yourself and your fuck toy, and I’ll take out all the bunkers with the press of a button. Or you can choose the people out in those good-for-nothing bunkers—why anyone thought they’d be safe is beyond me—and I’ll blow up this lodge with you in it. And that fancy new hangar. And the barn with those adorable…barf!…animals.”
Ry blinked at him once. Twice. Then she couldn’t help it—she laughed.
And once she started, she couldn’t stop.
She probably looked and sounded like a lunatic, but she didn’t care. Her father was delusional. Ridiculous. And sostupid.
“What are you laughing at? Stop! I mean it, stop itright now!” her dad yelled.
“Ryleigh,” Tiny said in a low voice.
She didn’t risk looking over at the man she loved more than anything else in the world. If she did, she’d probably fall into a heap on the floor. She was barely hanging on by a thread as it was. She couldn’t believe her father, a man she’d once looked up to—a long,longtime ago, before she’d realized he was a piece of shit—was threatening to blow up not only her, but dozens of innocent people. Hewas so much worse than she’d ever imagined, it was impossible to wrap her brain around.
“I’d give you all the money in the world if I could,” she told her dad when she could speak again. She didn’t recognize her own voice. She’d never talked back to him like this. But she was done cowering. Done doing everything he demanded simply because she was scared. “But I can’t. It’s gone. All of it. Every dime.”
“What?” Harold asked. “No, it’snot. I know you have it hidden away. Just like I taught you. Transfer it back to me, now!”
“I’ve given it away. To charities all over the country and the world. A little at a time. I gave it back to the people you stole it from. Veterans groups, homeless organizations, orphans, animals…you name the charity and I supported it. All the money you stole from hardworking and innocent people, from fledgling businesses that didn’t have security on their accounts, even the cash you were so proud of taking from our government…it’s gone. Like the wind. Given back to those who deserve it. And you know what? It feltamazing. So much better than stealing it in the first place.”
“You’re lying. You bitch, you’relying!” Harold shouted.
“I’ve even given a big chunk of it to The Refuge. The very buildings you’re threatening to blow up were built with that money. The hangar? Built with donations. The cabins you already blew up? They’ll be rebuilt with the money I donated.”
“No! No, no, no!” Her dad screamed, his face turning dark red. “That’smymoney! I stole it fair and square!”
“Wrong!” Ry yelled back, feeling more and more confident. “You didn’t steal shit! You mademesteal it. I was akid! All I wanted was your love, and I did everything you ever asked in the hopes you’d even so much assmileat me. Tell me ‘good job.’ Tell me that you loved me! But instead, you belittled me, told me I was worthless. That I wasn’t fast enough. Wasn’t sneaky enough. Wasn’tgoodenough. So I worked harder. Learned as much as I could, so you’d maybe love me one day. But nothing was ever enough.
“The laughable thing is, if you’d shown me even a scrap of affection? I probably would’ve become just like you. I’d still be at your side today, stealing money. But because you were so cold, so heartless, you’reresponsiblefor everything I did. For me leaving—and taking that money with me.”
It was as if she and her dad were the only two people in the world. Glaring at each other. She didn’t feel intimidated, like she usually did in her father’s presence. Didn’t flinch. She kept her chin up as she told her father the things she’d always wanted to say, but never had the guts to voice.
“Ineverloved you,” her dad barked. “Never wanted kids. Your mother was even more worthless than you. Gave me two ungrateful brats and beyond that, was barely useful for getting my rocks off. I kept her around until you were old enough to take care of yourself, then she was fucking gone.”
“I wasfive!” Ry screamed. “I couldn’t take care of myself! I needed my mom. Mydad!”
“You act like you’re so much better than me,” Harold sneered. “But as you just pointed out, it wasyouwho stole that money.Youwere the one who hacked into the coffers of the very charities you pretend to support now. And you loved it! I watched you, daughter dear, you got off on sneaking around online and taking what didn’t belong toyou. That’s why I wanted you back, working at my side. You’re good at what you do because you love the power that comes with it! I might be wanted by the FBI, but you’re just as bad as me.Worse!
“You’ve got everyone snowed. Everyone here thinks you’re so sweet and kind. You’re actually a viper in a pit of cuddly kittens. They have no idea how dangerous you are. But one day they’ll figure it out, and you’ll be gone. Kicked in the face. All these people you’re protecting, they’ll turn their backs on you faster than you can blink. You’restupid. You’vealwaysbeen stupid. And because of you, all of this is gonna be gone.POOF!Gone with one goddamn press of the button on these detonators!”
At any other time, his words would’ve crushed Ry. She would’ve taken them to heart. Internalized them. Believed what he said. But she stood tall and proud. He was wrong. About her, about her friends. And about what was going to happen here.
Because what she knew, and her father didn’t, was that Wolf hadn’t run away from the lodge in fear…he wasn’t running to a bunker to try to save his wife.
He’d circled around the lodge and was now—even as her dad ranted and raved, completely focused on trying to belittle and demoralize her—stealthily moving out of the kitchen.
“You think I won’t do it?” her dad yelled. “I will! I’ll blow this entire place sky-high! It’ll fucking rain body parts! And it’ll be your fault.All your fault!I’ll give you one more chance to give me my money. Ten seconds, Ryleigh. Put your fingers on that keyboard and give me my money. Otherwise…KABOOM!”
