Chapter 43 - 47
He drops the call.
Dad heaves out a hate-harbored breath, shaking his head as he pockets his phone. Our luggage is still parked in the entryway, so we take each of our belongings to our rooms. I start unpacking, shelving what’s clean, and tossing what’s not into my laundry basket. Shortly, my dad enters the room without warning. I glance at him, smiling faintly as he seats himself on the chair. I stop what I’m doing to fix my attention on him, since that’s what he wants.
"I’m sorry."
Simple but devastating words. I falter, sinking to sit on the edge of my bed.
"I never thought in any version of this existence that you would be paying the price for my sins." Long-suppressed emotions rattling his words. "I failed you... and your mother would be ashamed of me. I didn’t mean for things to get this far, the lies... they kept adding up until they became my reality."
"What lies?" I question, exploiting a moment of weakness. "How exactly did you fall into bed with the Yakuza?"
"They threatened my family, and that was enough for me to do whatever they wanted." He runs his hands over his face. "I did it so well that Haru’s demands only grew. My success was at the cost of preserving a deal with the devil."
"Why didn’t you just go to the authorities?"
He throws an irritated look at me. "What would they have done? He has people in the DEA. Hence, none of his shipments have ever been confiscated, nor have his facilities ever been subject to a raid. He has high-ranking officials in law enforcement and intelligence agencies on his payroll... and now because of me. The government as well."
He crumbles, breaking into a cry, shielding his eyes with his hand. Sorrow tears at the seams of my heart and I shoot up, rushing to him, pausing when I’m close enough, holding back for an aimless moment.
"I’m their slave... and I did what I had to in order to make sure that you and the boys are not." He looks up at me with tears swimming in his eyes, revealing everything and hiding nothing. "I did bad things in the name of good, and that good was protecting you and my boys from them. Even when I outlive my purpose, I know too much. They can’t keep me alive. But they also can’t kill me, which means they won’t be able to touch you either."
The phone call Simon played for me. The Vellum.