Daddy's Girl: A Daddy Issues Novel, Rebel Wild [top 10 most read books in the world .TXT] 📗

push the button to slide my seat away from the steering wheel, and pull her into my lap. She comes to me willingly, turning me on with her mouth, but stops short of doing anything else when we see Joe standing with the front door wide open, waiting for us.

I could take it further, but it would be a gross misuse of power. She would be mortified, and that isn’t what I want her to feel about what we do. He closes the door when he sees what’s going on, but it doesn’t change the cock block he just managed to pull off. I put my libido on hold for the time being as matters are going on that we need to deal with right now.

“Let’s go in. You need to eat.”

I lead her into the dining room where Brianna’s already prepared our meal. I’m pleased to see her appetite has returned and she eats a good-sized portion of the vichyssoise.

“That was amazing,” I say, sipping my white wine after I’ve cleaned my plate of Bree’s delicious soup.

“I’m happy you enjoyed it,” he tells me. He gets up and pulls my chair out to help me stand. “Leave the dishes,” he says, taking my hand. I walk with him into his office and take the seat he offers me.

“Is something wrong?”

“There are a few things we need to discuss. Mainly the reason you’re here and the part I played in it.”

“I’m here to do a job, sir.”

“There’s more to it than that. It’s not like you had a choice in the matter.”

“You didn’t force me to sign the contract and I’m glad I did it because I don’t know how I would have been able to pay that lawyer to help my dad prove his innocence. I’m very grateful.”

“Stop it. It’s not like I did this out of the goodness of my heart, and your father isn’t innocent. He dropped the ball on a high-profile murder case. My office was under pressure that was understandable under the circumstances, and we had to let him go. Later, after we investigated the case, we found out that he’d thrown it on purpose. Not only that case, but many others.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Money. Most of which went to support his gambling addiction.”

“That’s bullshit. He didn’t have a gambling addiction. He never even played solitaire on his phone.”

“He threw the case on purpose. I have all the evidence.”

“How could he do something like that without anyone knowing?”

“People knew. Detective Dalton, for one. That’s why he was coming around questioning you. He was trying to see if your father was going to give him up. When he found out you were close to me, it made him anxious. I think he’s responsible for having your father moved to another cell. Roger’s his gambling partner. They’re both dirty.”

“No. My father didn’t gamble. He wouldn’t collaborate with dirty cops, and he sure didn’t throw his cases. You worked him too hard. His caseload was too heavy. You didn’t even let him spend Christmas with me.”

“Sydney, the office is closed on Christmas, every Christmas. Cases aren’t heard because judges aren’t working. Your father was out gambling—”

“I don’t want to hear this. Why are you even telling me this right now?”

“Because I need you to understand who your father is. Because you only see the good in him and you’re doing the same thing with me. It’ll only hurt you in the end.”

“So, you want to hurt me instead, is that it?”

“I’m trying to help you.”

“By turning me against my father?”

“I’m trying to protect you. I’m trying to make you see the truth.”

“Why do you care what I see?”

“I don’t.” He backs away from me like I’m pointing a gun at him. “I care about fucking you, that’s it.”

“Bullshit. You want me to see the truth, but you won’t even see it.”

“I’m telling you the truth. Make no mistake, when I’m done with you, I intend to send you on your way without a second thought. Stop deluding yourself into thinking I give a damn because I don’t. Fucking you is the only reason I’m doing all of this. I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you.”

“At the restaurant?”

“Before that,” he says. He walks over to the wet bar and pours a glass of what looks like whiskey. He stares at it for a moment before finishing it in one swallow. “I was attracted to you when you used to hang out at the office and it’s not something I’m proud of so don’t bother with the judgment.” He pours another glass and finishes it before setting the glass down. He walks back to his chair and undoes the first button of his shirt before sitting back down. “You’re the reason I’m in therapy.”

“Me? I’m the reason?”

“More or less. I was attracted to an underage girl. No man in his right mind wouldn’t have an issue with that. I was a pedophile.”

“But I never even knew. You never touched me.”

“I wanted to. That was enough. When I saw you at that restaurant, I was determined to have you. I couldn’t walk away from you and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let you walk away from me.”

“Is that why you did the contract and the power exchange? You didn’t want me to be able to walk away from you?”

“I would like to say no. I used what happened to your father as leverage because I knew you’d do anything to help him even though he didn’t deserve it. I used every advantage to get you, and I took advantage of you. If that doesn’t prove to you who I am, I don’t know what can.”

I shake my head in disagreement.

“Don’t,” he tells me. “Stop believing all this shit you’ve convinced yourself of about me. I’m not the man you think I am. I fantasized about you when you were a kid. I wanted to fuck the shit out of you, to eat