Page 66 of The Deal Breaker
Dash’s face went slack. He blinked slowly. “I never thought… I should have done that for you.”
It was her turn to reassure him. “Your parents may be raving lunatics, but they’re alive and in your life—albeit like parasites.”
A vein ticked at his jaw. “Bloodsucking, or rather, money-burning ones.”
“Henry’s parents are dead.” Dash knew this, but she wanted him to understand how this happened. “He brought it up when we were waiting for the train at Zoolights. His offer stunned me, but to be honest, a part of me wondered what happened to my dad. If he was alive, happy, missing me.”
Dash swallowed. “I’m glad Henry could do that for you.”
She blew out a breath. “Though after what I found out, I almost wish I hadn’t said yes.”
Dash’s gaze locked on her. His hand tightened on her. “Is your dad okay?”
“He’s fine. Running a new restaurant in Boise, Idaho.”
Only a state away, but the distance didn’t matter much. He’d proven what kind of man he was when he left Portland, but the information the PI discovered confirmed that and more.
“That’s good, right?” His tone was uncertain.
“My dad married his online girlfriend. I knew she was younger, but I found out her exact age. She’s four years older than me. I also found out that I’m no longer an only child.” Iris couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her voice. “I have a seven-year-old half brother and a five-year-old half sister.”
Dash’s brows shot up. “Seven? Your mom died six years ago.”
Iris hung her head. The truth hurt, cutting deep. Oh, he’d already knocked himself off his pedestal when he’d left her, but this… He’d done this to her mom, too.
She blew out a shaky breath. “My father cheated on my mom while she was sick. As she lay dying, he was making plans to join his mistress and son. The times I worked at the restaurant, I don’t think he spent the entire time with my mom. He couldn’t have if he had another family nearby. Everything he said—did—was a lie.” Iris’s voice cracked and her eyes stung.
“I’m so sorry.” The sincerity in Dash’s voice covered her like a fleece blanket. He put his arm around her. “I thought what he originally did to you was bad. Now this…”
“There aren’t any words.” She leaned into Dash, grateful for his support. “I believed he missed my mom so much that he couldn’t stand being alone. That’s why he started dating right away.”
Dash hugged her tightly. “You have such a pure heart.”
She didn’t know about that because she kept hoping karma would meet up with her father sooner rather than later. “Now, I see it wasn’t like that at all. He’d been with that woman for at least a year, maybe two, before my mom died. What kind of person does that?”
“A monster.” Dash pulled Iris onto his lap, and she didn’t fight him. “I hate that he’s kept hurting you.”
“Finding out the truth was hard, but there’s something else.” Her throat was scratchy, but she kept breathing and no tears fell. Progress from when Henry gave her the report. “The PI told my father that the state had an unclaimed check with our two names on it. It would take both his signature and mine to claim the money. It wasn’t a small amount. My dad said his daughter was dead. His exact words were ‘Iris is dead. Just like her mother.’”
The stinging at the corner of her eyes made her blink. She shuddered. No way did she want to cry.
“Hey, I’ve got you.” Dash’s voice was gentle as he rubbed her arm. “Just say the word, and I’ll destroy him.”
She almost laughed. Instead, she cuddled against Dash, grateful he had her back. “He’s not worth the effort or the jail time.”
“I wouldn’t go to jail.” The words shot out with a sniper’s precision.
Iris hadn’t seen him like this before, but she appreciated how quick he was to offer help. “You’re that confident in your people?”
“In my computer skills,” Dash admitted with a gleam of pride in his eyes. “You can ruin a person without ever touching them physically.”
She shivered. “I’m sure you could, but don’t. Please.”
Dash’s jaw jutted forward. “He hurt you.”
“Yes, but that’s on him.” She rested her palm on Dash’s chest. The beat of his heart soothed her. “I won’t let what he did define me. That’s what my mom would tell me to do. I just hope she didn’t know what he did because she loved him so much.”
“Your mom was an amazing woman. Your compassion and intelligence came from her.” Dash toyed with her ponytail. “If she’d known about your dad, she would have told you. Warned you. She loved you.”
