Page 121 of Silk Sheets

He opened his mouth, desperate to say it but I shook my head. “I’ll wait,” I assured him and he seemed hesitant. “I promise I’ll wait.”

THIRTY

DAKOTA

The car came to a stop and Kaden turned off the engine.

“I’ll text you when I’m ready,” I loosened my seat belt as we stopped in front of my parents house.

I reached for the door handle but he grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him.

Everything about him screamed that he wanted to tell me something. Talk to me. But, he didn’t.

Instead, he let go of my face, got out of the car and opened the door for me. With a knot in my stomach I got out, thanking him, before heading to the house.

My nerves about Kaden and I immediately disappeared when I reached the front door. It was creaked open. My brows knitted together and I slowly pushed the door open, stepping into the house.

I could hear my mother’s tremulous voice in the distance and my body jolted as the sound of glass shattering bounced off the walls.

With wide eyes, I rushed into the living room.

My heart sank to my feet as I watched my mother cower behind the table with fearful eyes. My father stood across from her—chest heaving and fists clenched.

Tears burned my eyes. “Daddy…?”

My father whipped around, the anger instantly wiped from his face as our eyes locked. “Dakota—princess.”

He approached me but I rushed towards my mother, helping her up. “Did he hurt you?” my voice came out strangled with my heart racing.

“Sweetheart, you need to leave—I’m—I’m fine, baby.”

“Dakota, listen to me,” my father pulled my attention back to him.

My eyes dropped to his bloody hand and a chill shot down my spine. My eyes then darted to the shattered vase behind him, then the broken wine bottle on the floor next to the kitchen island. But what instilled the most fear in me was the sharp knife that had been hurled into the now broken TV.

“We’re leaving,” I said to my mother, firmly wrapping my arms around her as I walked her to the door.

“No, princess,” my father’s voice turned wobbly as he grabbed my arm with apologetic eyes. His eyes were bloodshot and he reeked of alcohol. “Don’t leave—”

“Let go,” I snapped, pulling my arm from him but winced, feeling the shards of glass left in his hand sink into my skin.

My father was yanked away from us and tossed across the room like a fucking rag doll. He crashed into the table, groaning in pain and my head snapped up to see a very pissed off Kaden.Oh my God.

Kaden nodded toward the door and without hesitation, I walked with my mother. “Dakota—”

“You’re not leaving,” my father groaned, rushing toward us but Kaden stepped in front of me, blocking us from my father. “Dakota, baby, please,” he pleaded, his voice coated in honey as he stared at me with panicked eyes.

Kaden slipped his hand into his pocket, pulled out his car keys and handed it to me.

“Dakota, get in the car and lock the doors.”

I took the keys from him, having to force my confused mother out the front door.

“Who is that?” she fearfully asked, looking at me with wide eyes.

“He owns the house, remember?” I softly replied, opening the back door of Kaden’s car. “Mom, did you hit your head,” I reluctantly asked. “Did he hit you over the head?”

In a haze of confusion, she turned back to the house before looking back at me. Her eyes landed on the car, and she shook her head. “No, I—”