have to do. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to you.”
I couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. I might as well have been speaking another language.
“You aren’t listening to me! I am not afraid of being captured.”
Dorian leaned away, clapping his hands together in obvious amusement. “Don’t be so naïve. False bravery won’t do you any good here…”
I cut him off. “Hey! Here’s a news flash, Dorian! I don’t care what you think. I’m leaving and there’s nothing that’s going to stop me.”
I started to pass by him when Dorian grabbed hold of me, hissing a warning. “You are making a big mistake.”
I didn’t have the energy to fight with him. After a few tense moments, he let go of me, and I pulled away.
“Look, I didn’t tell them anything about what happened with Todd, about the case.”
Dorian let out a long exhale. “I already know that. You see, I trust you, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out why you are unwilling to do the same in return.”
“Okay, well, you’re not my father. Even if you were, he stopped having any control over me when I was twelve. This has nothing to do with trust and everything to do with you thinking you can control me which, by the way, you can’t.”
Shaking his head, Dorian raked his hand through his hair before turning his back on me and walking towards the door.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
Stopping at the door, he wrapped his hand around the knob and looked at me over his shoulder. “If I can’t reason with you, I know someone who can.”
What the hell was he talking about?
He opened the door and gestured for someone to enter, calling out at the same time. “Okay!”
Before I could get a word out, I looked on in disbelief, stunned at the person who entered.
“Oh my God!” I cried out, running towards my father. A huge smile came to his face. I flung my arms around him and swallowed him in the biggest hug I’d ever given to another person.
With my chin resting on my dad’s shoulder, I watched Dorian walk out of the room and close the door behind him, leaving the two of us alone.
* * *
“ W hat are you …” I stammered, separating from him. “How did you get here?”
A tired smile spread across his face. He sat down in one of the chairs.
“Dad, answer me. What are you doing here? How did you know where I was?”
My father scooted the chair closer to the table. He flopped one arm on top of it and with the other gestured towards the entrance of the room.
“Ask the suit.”
Following his fingertip with my eyes, I glanced in the direction of the door. I couldn’t see anyone looking inside, but Dorian was out there, somewhere.
Had he done this? Why?
The fact he had… It made me feel like he really listened to me. After all, he knew how much I wanted to see my dad. What’s more, he’d done it in spite of the way I acted towards him. The cops must have told him I’d come in threatening charges of kidnapping. Maybe in his own way he was trying to prove to me I could believe everything he said.
I had no idea what to think.
I turned and looked at my father again, smiling. I’d have to get the answers to all those questions later. Right now, I just wanted to spend time with him.
“Dad, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it for our regular visit. Something came up, and I…”
With a casual flick of his wrist, he waved me off. “Don’t worry about it, Temp. I’m just glad you’re okay. I worried when I didn’t hear anything from you.”
While he spoke, I sat down in the chair next to him and frowned. “I know. It wasn’t my fault. I…”
He shrugged. “No. Stop. I don’t want to hear it. Tell me what is going on, and do it now.”
I returned his shrug with one of my own. “What are you talking about?”
“What am I talking about?” he replied, clapping his hands together once for emphasis. “Well, for starters, why are you in here? Where is Todd? I
I couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. I might as well have been speaking another language.
“You aren’t listening to me! I am not afraid of being captured.”
Dorian leaned away, clapping his hands together in obvious amusement. “Don’t be so naïve. False bravery won’t do you any good here…”
I cut him off. “Hey! Here’s a news flash, Dorian! I don’t care what you think. I’m leaving and there’s nothing that’s going to stop me.”
I started to pass by him when Dorian grabbed hold of me, hissing a warning. “You are making a big mistake.”
I didn’t have the energy to fight with him. After a few tense moments, he let go of me, and I pulled away.
“Look, I didn’t tell them anything about what happened with Todd, about the case.”
Dorian let out a long exhale. “I already know that. You see, I trust you, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out why you are unwilling to do the same in return.”
“Okay, well, you’re not my father. Even if you were, he stopped having any control over me when I was twelve. This has nothing to do with trust and everything to do with you thinking you can control me which, by the way, you can’t.”
Shaking his head, Dorian raked his hand through his hair before turning his back on me and walking towards the door.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
Stopping at the door, he wrapped his hand around the knob and looked at me over his shoulder. “If I can’t reason with you, I know someone who can.”
What the hell was he talking about?
He opened the door and gestured for someone to enter, calling out at the same time. “Okay!”
Before I could get a word out, I looked on in disbelief, stunned at the person who entered.
“Oh my God!” I cried out, running towards my father. A huge smile came to his face. I flung my arms around him and swallowed him in the biggest hug I’d ever given to another person.
With my chin resting on my dad’s shoulder, I watched Dorian walk out of the room and close the door behind him, leaving the two of us alone.
* * *
“ W hat are you …” I stammered, separating from him. “How did you get here?”
A tired smile spread across his face. He sat down in one of the chairs.
“Dad, answer me. What are you doing here? How did you know where I was?”
My father scooted the chair closer to the table. He flopped one arm on top of it and with the other gestured towards the entrance of the room.
“Ask the suit.”
Following his fingertip with my eyes, I glanced in the direction of the door. I couldn’t see anyone looking inside, but Dorian was out there, somewhere.
Had he done this? Why?
The fact he had… It made me feel like he really listened to me. After all, he knew how much I wanted to see my dad. What’s more, he’d done it in spite of the way I acted towards him. The cops must have told him I’d come in threatening charges of kidnapping. Maybe in his own way he was trying to prove to me I could believe everything he said.
I had no idea what to think.
I turned and looked at my father again, smiling. I’d have to get the answers to all those questions later. Right now, I just wanted to spend time with him.
“Dad, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it for our regular visit. Something came up, and I…”
With a casual flick of his wrist, he waved me off. “Don’t worry about it, Temp. I’m just glad you’re okay. I worried when I didn’t hear anything from you.”
While he spoke, I sat down in the chair next to him and frowned. “I know. It wasn’t my fault. I…”
He shrugged. “No. Stop. I don’t want to hear it. Tell me what is going on, and do it now.”
I returned his shrug with one of my own. “What are you talking about?”
“What am I talking about?” he replied, clapping his hands together once for emphasis. “Well, for starters, why are you in here? Where is Todd? I
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