Worth It

“Boys,” Bainbridge said as he continued to watch me. “Leave us.”



As the two brothers departed from the room—I’m not sure where the third guy had disappeared to—I met Max’s leer one last time and shared a glare with him. But as soon as he closed the door, shutting me in alone with his father, the fear closed in. I had no idea what Bainbridge had planned for me.



“I’ve called the sheriff. He’ll be here any minute.”



Relief flooded me. I’d convinced myself he was going to kill me off, tie me to a couple concrete blocks, and dump my body in the strip pit. At least this way, I was going to live.



But then he said, “You’re going to jail, no matter what. You’re eighteen; she’s sixteen. That’s statutory rape.”



Jail? Shit. The reality of that sent the fear of God racing through me. I had no idea what jail would be like, but I knew I didn’t want to find out. I didn’t want to be separated from City. I wanted to finish high school and get to work on providing a life for the girl I loved. I didn’t want my freedom taken away.



Bainbridge leaned down to get into my face. “Now here’s what’s going to happen when he arrives. You’re going to tell him you forced her.”



I blinked, not expecting him to say that at all. “Excuse me?”



“You’re going to serve time no matter what.”



“Then why does it matter?” I shook my head, not understanding.



“Because I don’t want everyone and their dog knowing my own daughter willingly spread her legs for some damn Parker.”



I snorted. “One of your own has already knocked up a Parker. You think this is any worse?”



He slapped me. The pussy actually slapped me. Even his sons had been manly enough to hit with their fists instead of using an open palm. Still, the spot stung, but only because he caught me in a sore place Garrett had bruised earlier.



Tasting blood, I licked it off my lip and glared.



“You’re going to tell him you forced her, and that’s that.”



I laughed. “I don’t fucking think so. I’m not stupid. I’m not going to lie about that. Forcible rape has to get a guy a hell of a lot more time than statutory rape.”



He merely shrugged. “Not that much more time if you plead guilty first thing. Maybe only a couple extra years.”



Years? He really had lost his fucking mind.



“No way in hell.”



“Look, kid. I can get your entire family kicked off that property and put out on the street. You want me to do that to them?”



I shook my head. “You’re lying. If you could get them evicted, you would’ve done it a long time ago.”



“Oh?” He cocked up an eyebrow. “You sure about that? Do you really want to risk the home of your entire family just to see if I’m bluffing?”



I looked away, refusing to engage him. But then he took another approach.



“Would you be so cavalier if I threatened Felicity?”



My gaze shot to his as a bad feeling sank into my bones.



He smiled. “If you don’t tell the sheriff exactly what I tell you to tell him, then that little slap I gave her will be nothing compared to what I’ll do to her next.”



“You son of a bitch.” I seethed, breathing hard as worry sliced through my system.



“I’ll beat her every night in places no one will see the bruises. I’ll beat her until she’s eighteen, and then…then I won’t have anything to do with the little whore ever again. I’ll kick her out and cut her off without a cent. Do you want that to happen to your precious girlfriend? Because I swear to God, I’ll do it.”



“Heartless bastard,” I rasped, glaring at him as I struggled against my bonds. “She’s your daughter.”



He snorted. “No daughter of mine would get into the backseat of a car with a scumbag Parker.”



I glared at him, helpless and pissed, and hating him, wanting to hurt him for everything he was saying about her, for everything he’d done to her, for everything he was threatening. But he was right. I could never risk City’s safety in case he wasn’t bluffing.



Barely able to control my voice to a steely calm, I said, “I’ll only agree to your terms if you get Felicity through college and if you provide my niece with financial support for the rest of your life.”



Bainbridge narrowed his eyes at me. So I narrowed mine right back. “I mean, she is your one and only granddaughter, your precious son’s love child. I don’t think that’s such an unreasonable request.”