You Will Be Mine(85)

It was only when his breathing got faster and more erratic, that he grabbed Melinda’s hips, moaned out loud and shot his eyes open to find his one and only daughter had just witnessed her father come inside someone other than her mother.

Eyes still wide with shock, I gave my father a disgusted look and turned and walked out the door.

I raced down the stairs with Belinda and Luca following me. They looked concerned for me, but I couldn’t utter a single word. I was numb. Suddenly, I was so numb that I didn’t feel whole anymore. It was like my inner core was missing.

Shutting my office door behind me, I slunk back in my chair and buried my head in my hands. It wasn’t long before I felt his arms around me.

We stayed like that for a couple of seconds before I managed to calm, and my senses came back. I pushed Luca away and stared into his eyes.

“You knew about this, didn’t you?”

Luca looked down to the floor, and I knew then I had my answer. “Why, Luca? Why?”

He sat himself down on the edge of the desk, sighed and took my hand. “I didn’t do anything; it was your father that enquired about the place. I was going to keep it a secret from you, so you didn’t have to get hurt in all of this. Once he started making enquiries, I started one of my own. He’s been doing this sort of thing for years, Clara. I don’t know how he found out about The Castle, but the minute he made the enquiries, I saw it as an opportunity.”

I glared at him for more answers. “What, Luca?”

“I thought if he came here then I could get evidence on him. You wouldn’t let me kill him, but I’d be damned if I let him get away with what he’s done to you.”

Seeing Luca’s anger and worry for me didn’t quell my own anger. I was fuming at Luca for keeping this from me. I was fuming at everything that had happened since Belinda told me who he was, and I was absolutely livid with my father.

I was about to tell him he had no right when Melinda barged through the door with a dressing gown on. “What was that all about? This guy’s having a full-on meltdown—whoever he is.”

I shook my head and chuckled. I actually chuckled! I just couldn’t believe this was really happening.

“Clara!” a voice shouted from the door.

Luca stood to attention and was about to lunge for my father when I put my hand out to stop him. “Luca, no. Let him in. I want to talk to him.”

“Oh, no. I’m not leaving you alone with him!”

I threw daggers at Luca to let him know I meant business. “Luca, go. I’ll be fine. I need to speak with my father alone.”

Belinda—and now Melinda—both had their eyes wide open in shock. Their mouths were practically on the floor in astonishment.

Walking towards the door, Luca had his back to me, but now faced my father. “Okay, I’ll be right outside, but if I hear even a tiny bit of distress from my fiancée, I’m coming in, and it won’t be pretty. Capisce?”

My father nodded his head, but then returned his eyes back to me. Once the door was shut, I stood still. Waiting.

“So, you’re getting married?”

I laughed. Is this man for real? “Yes, I’m getting married.”

“So, this is what you’ve been doing since you left home. Whoring yourself.”

Yes, I think he was for real. “Quite frankly, what I do here is none of your fucking business.”

My father had the cheek to get angry. “Don’t blaspheme, young lady!”

“Or what, Daddy? You’re going to get your belt and beat me like you used to?”

Stepping closer, the rage on his face brought back unwanted memories. I almost recoiled, but I stood strong. I wasn’t going to let him get to me.

“Your mother and I always said you had the devil in you. You were always going against the Bible—always going against us.”

I shut my eyes and breathed deeply, so I wouldn’t completely lose it. “And you’re saying this after fucking one of my workers. How did you rate the experience, Dad? Did you like her better than all of the other women you’ve been screwing behind mum’s back?”

Pointing his finger at me, he shouted, “This is not about me!”

I threw my hands in the air in frustration. “Oh, no. Of course it isn’t! I can’t believe you have the gall. How dare you have the nerve to come in here and be righteous with me after what you’ve done? What does it say in the Bible, Dad, about screwing women who aren’t your wife? What does it say about paying to sleep with other women, ha?” Stepping closer to him and pointing, I said, “What does the Bible say about beating your daughter so badly that she had to crawl on her hands and knees for two days because the pain was so unbearable that she couldn’t stand up?”