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And maybe they had because my heart broke.
I didn’t think it was possible again.
It was Luke’s baseball, and my father had delivered it to this stranger. There was no denying it now. He had stolen it.
“I can’t believe you actually pulled it off, Stevens,” the man said with a shake of his head.
“I said I would. I am a man of my word.” The smile on my father’s face made me want to gag.
The irony of his words and the lie they meant to me only ignited my anger. I curled my fists, hoping that would stop me from barging through these doors.
“Pay the man,” the boss commanded.
A bruiser to his right bent forward and counted out the cash.
“We’d agreed to twice that amount,” my father said.
“Well, I heard the police are now involved, so that presents a bit of a problem to me. The market value has dropped.”
“You can’t—”
“I can and I will. Now it’s time for you to leave Stevens.”
My father stepped toward Rossi. Did he plan to attack him? Was he out of his mind?
I knew I had two choices. I could run back the way I came, or I could stand up to this man and tell him he wouldn’t be buying that baseball today. Not for any price.
I knew what the smart thing to do was, but my legs just wouldn’t move. I should leave right now, but if I did, I couldn’t face Ryan knowing that my father was the one who had stolen Luke’s baseball. And what if I left and my father did something stupid that would land him in jail or in a hospital?
I was impulsive. I had always reacted badly whenever someone threatened me or someone I cared about. I wanted this time to be different.
But old habits die hard.
I pushed open the doors.
“Let him go,” I said.
All five heads snapped in my direction.
With a sneer on his chiseled face, the boss asked, “Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m his daughter.”
“Well, fuck.”
My father ran to me and shook my shoulders. “What are you doing here?” Then he bent down and whispered in my ear, “This is no place for you.”
“How could you?” I cried. “How could you do this to us?”
“I did this for us, Laura.” He said, rubbing my arms. “I want to help you with your program and I want to buy nice things—"
“I never asked you to do that. Ever!”
“If this family reunion is over, can you both leave now?”
I turned and glared at the man. “I’m not leaving without that baseball.”
He smiled, but it wasn’t reassuring. In fact, it made my skin crawl. “It’s time for you to leave, Laura.”
