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I hear Eli’s deadpan voice from behind me, at the top of the stairs. “Ruby, he’s your father.”
* * *
The story is sounbelievable it has to be true.
I can see it in Eli’s face that he believes it. I’m just not sure what it means for us.
“Honestly, I nearly did die,” Reginald says, taking a sip of his tea. I refuse to call him my father, because as far as I’m concerned that role is already filled.
And it’s not like he cared enough about me not to fake his own death.
“Why?” Eli says, shaking his head on a sniff. “Why fake your death? Were things that bad?”
Reginald nods. “If anything they were worse. The only way to fix things and,” he glances my way and gives the fakest fake smile I’ve ever seen, “protect my little girl, was for Reginald Morton to die. Of course, I was only planning to be gone for a few years, until the heat died down, but then I was arrested on totally trumped up charges and—”
“You were arrested?” I move closer to Eli. “For what?”
“As I said, totally trumped up charges. Smuggling. Can you believe it?”
“Smuggling what, Reginald?” Eli glares.
“What does it matter? It was completely untrue, I never—”
“Smugglingwhat?”
Reginald huffs and takes a gulp of his drink. “Cocaine.”
“You were smuggling coke? Are you insane? You’re lucky you’re still alive.”
“I wasn’t though.” Reginald frowns. “I told you—”
“Why are you here?” I ask, cutting him off.
I don’t care whether he was or wasn’t smuggling cocaine. I don’t care that he faked his death and I haven’t seen him for ten years. I don’t care that my life changed because it changed for the better.
But what I want to know—what Ineedto know—is why he’s back.
“I served my totally unfair sentence, and as soon as I was released I came back here. I missed you every day, baby girl. I just hoped you were safe. Every day in that prison, that was the one thing I prayed for, was that my little girl was safe and happy, and had all the things our money could buy.”
He glances around the room and then frowns. And it takes me a moment to put the pieces together.
“What money?” I ask innocently, without even thinking.
“The money I left to Eli in my will, to keep you fed and clothed in the manner to which you’d become accustomed.” He laughs. “You didn’t think your uncle could afford caviar and Chanel on the income from his farm, did you?”
I glance across at Eli, now totally confused. He takes my hand in both of his and kisses my knuckles as he stares at Reginald. It’s a very intimate action, but if his brother even noticed he shows no sign. He just stares back.
“What do you want, Reginald?” Eli asks, but Reginald narrows his eyes.
“Youdiduse the money I gave you to make sure my little girl had every possible comfort, didn’t you? Like I said in my will?”
Eli shakes his head. “I gave her everything she needed. Food, love, a roof over her head. There was no need to touch her money.”
“And what about luxuries? What about things to make sure she wasn’t bullied at school for living on this god-damned farm? I didn’t…” Reginald glances from Eli to me and me to him. “You two seem awfully cozy.”
“Get out,” Eli says, his tone flat.
“Eli, what is going on here? Are you and… She’s your niece. This is…”
