cheated on Shauna, but she wouldn’t believe him, so she became like Easy Rawlins, snooping and trying to investigate the truth in his words.
When he discovered that she let her lack of trust lead her to the arms and bed of another man, Kahron walked away from the relationship.
Trust was a major issue with him, particularly in a relationship. Without trust their was no foundation to build upon and at that point anything can happen to jeopardize the love.
“King agree to sell, yet?” Kade asked.
“No, not yet.”
“From what I hear it’ll be just a matter of time. It’s a damn waste, but his lost is your gain.”
Kahron his eyes filled with steely determination. “Exactly.”
“I’m sorry about last night.”
Bianca didn’t even bother to look up from the ledger at her father’s apology. She had spent the last hour going over his books and right now she wanted explanations more than empty apologies.
Hank rose from the chair, shuffling toward the bar in the corner.
“If you pour a drink I’m out of here. Today. Right now.” Bianca eyes went steely. “I mean it.”
Hank turned and faced her, pointing his finger at her in anger. “I’m your father, Bianca Renee King, or didyou forget that when you ran off.”
Bianca met his stare. “No, more like you forgot and that’s why I left.”
Hank turned away from her and settled his hand on the canister. The glass stopper rattled against the glass of the decanter from the trembling in his hands.
Bianca rose from the chair, coming from behind the desk to stand by her father. “This business was failing way before those things started happening three months ago. You’re over a hundred thousand dollars in debt, you’re behind on your property taxes, you have no income coming in right now, and you have a wife who is spending way too much money.”
The rattling increased until the liquid inside the bottle sloshed against the side.
Bianca touched his back. “Things are out of control because you have lost control, Daddy,” she told him softly, fighting the tears because now was not the time.
Hank closed his eyes as his grip on the decanter tightened. “You don’t understand, Bianca,” he told her, his voice tortured.
She released a heavy breath as she licked her suddenly dry lips. “You’re right, Daddy, I don’t.”
His shoulder shook with his tears and Bianca felt like her very soul was on fire. It was never easy to see your parents cry.
“I promise you I will fix this, but I need my Daddy. I need you to be the man you were before Mama died. It’s either that liquor or me and this ranch. The choice is yours.”
Bianca turned and walked away from him. When she heard him lift the decanter she went weak with sadness and she hugged herself as her tears flowed freely. “Oh, Daddy, why?” she cried, turning to him.
Hank flung the decanter into the barren fireplace withmore gusto than she seen in her father in a long time.
Relief flooded her body in waves and she rushed to him, burying her face deep against his chest as his arms surrounded her with bearlike strength.
“This ain’t gone be easy, Bunny,” he admitted, his chin atop her head.
“I remember a wise man saying that victory never comes easy,” she told him, leaning back to smile up at him.
Hank grunted. “A wise man, huh?”
Bianca shrugged. “I’m biased, sue me.”
And Hank laughed deep and rich and full in his chest.
“You ready to get to work?” Bianca asked, moving out of his grasp.
Hank released a heavy breath as he moved back to his seat. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Why do you think Kahron Strong is behind the sabotage?” she asked, as she took the seat behind the desk.
“That bastard,” Hank said without missing a beat.
A snapshot of her naughty dream flashed and Bianca literally shook her head to rid it.
“About a month after he came sniffing around asking to buy my land those damn shenanigans started,” Hank roared, leaning forward to
Jessica Keller, Jess Evander
R.L. Stine - (ebook by Undead)