Page 36 of Monster
For several long seconds he just stared at me. I recognised the conniving look on his face. Everyone thought my dad was such a saint but in truth he was no different to me. He played dirty to get what he wanted. And he always won.
Always.
But then again, he had never come up against me before. I didn't like to lose either.
“And why would I do that, Angela?” Steepling his hands under his chin he let the full weight of his eyes settle on me.
I answered his stare with one of my own. “Would it be foolish to say because I asked you to? That you’d do it out of the kindness of your heart - leave the man I am falling in love with alone so we can be happy?” I swallowed hard. “So I can be happy?”
His voice when he finally spoke was deadly quiet. “Very foolish indeed, Angela.”
I knew he was going to say that but tears pricked my eyes anyway. I blinked them away, praying that he wouldn't see them fall. I hated showing weakness. I hated crying in front of him because I knew my tears would have no effect on him whatsoever.
“I know you think you love him, that this little dalliance with danger is what you want, but it isn’t, Angela. I’m your father- I love you and I know what's best for you.”
I laughed before I could help myself. Even after everything he had found out, did he really believe that I was his sweet innocent daughter? Was he clinging onto the illusion that I had just been seduced by a need to act out? If he was then he was delusional.
“Monster didn’t seduce me to the dark side, Daddy.” I said his name sarcastically, my voice dripped with it. “I seduced him. And he wasn't the first. God, he wasn't even the first biker. I've been running in dark circles for a long time. The things I've done...or, should I say, let be done to me to get my own way are...” I shook my head and the laughter died on my lips. When I looked at him my face was serious again. “I've seduced officers in your department, right there in the offices next to yours. The things I've done and you never knew because I didn't want you to know.”
“Enough.” The hand he had rested on the table closed into a fist and for a second I thought he was going to drive it into my face. He didn't. Instead he leant over the table. His voice was a malicious whisper. “I know everything about you, Angela. I've always known. Did you really think you could keep your exploits a secret from me? But this is where I put my foot down. It ends here. It's time for you to grow up and take responsibility for your life.”
“And that means marrying a man I don't love? A man I won't ever love?”
“It means marrying a man who will look after you and give you a good life. Someone your family approves of.”
I studied him in silence for a second before my hand curled around the stem of the wineglass. I hated white wine spritzers but I downed it in one. Wiping my hand over my lips, I remained silent until I had myself back under control.
“Ok.”
My father blinked rapidly several times, with a look of disbelief on his face. “Ok?” he repeated like he wasn't quite sure he had heard me right.
“I’ll marry the man you have chosen for me but under one condition. You leave Monster and the Savage Sons alone. Do that for me, and I’ll do whatever the fuck you want.”
29
MONSTER
I hated waiting.Even on a good day it made me feel itchy inside. But waiting for Angela to come back from the trip into town she said she needed to make, especially when I had such a big surprise for her, was like someone had poured itching powder into my brain.
It was getting so bad that I wanted to rip my own eyes out just so I could get access to my brain and give it a good scratch.
“Will you stop pacing?” Fang snarled as I yet again turned on my heel and headed in his direction. I had been pacing for the last hour.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
I couldn’t help it. I was full of nervous energy. And I had no way of relieving it. I needed Angela to waltz back in through the doors so I could show her what I had got for her.
I wanted to see her face when she opened the box. More than anything I wanted to see her face light up with happiness that I had created. Angela being happy was important to me. Whether we had a few weeks together or longer didn’t matter. As long as at the end of it she had good memories of her time with me.
“You’re driving me insane.” Fang went back to whatever he was doing on his phone, ignoring me.
I carried on pacing. I wanted to tell him that he didn’t understand my nerves. But I had a feeling he did. After all it had been a ring he had asked me to pick up on my last run for him. A very large, obviously expensive engagement ring, and as far I knew he hadn’t asked Gypsy the question yet. Whether that was from nerves that she might say no or because he had something special planned, I didn’t know. I had my own wedding drama to deal with without having to worry about his.
“She will love it, Monster.” Gypsy patted my arm as she swept past me. “It’s exactly the one she showed me. Angela is a lucky woman.”
I wasn’t sure about that. It felt like I was the lucky one. I had never thought I would meet a woman who could put up with my ways, let alone embrace them.
