Read Riders - Horizons (III) for Free Online Page B

people.”
    “An apology? Now why on
earth would I apologize to you?”
    “You robbed my good family
of their money and forced them outta town. You undervalued the bar
to punish me for the past. You're a real piece Charlie Lyle? Proud
of yourself, are ya? You've just about ruined me. Poor Annie,
having to live with a cold hearted bastard like you.”
    “Um, Mickey, you'd better
shut up...” I interrupted angrily, disgusted he was bringing my
dead mother into it... But my father held his hand up silencing
me.
    “No Josh, let me answer
that.”
    “I'm a businessman, which
means I've got where I am today by making wise decisions about
money. If you weren't happy with my offer, you could have turned it
down. No one had a gun on you, forcing you to deal with
me.”
    “I was in no position to
refuse. And you knew that.”
    “Your financial situation
was not my problem. I made what I felt was a fair offer for a
business which was, quite frankly, in dire straits. I got you out
of your jam. You should be thankful Mickey Green. Thankful. Now get your
cheap hide off my ranch. The sight of you makes my skin crawl. You
goddamn creep. What she saw in you I'll never
understand.”
    “Shut the fuck
up .” Mickeys eyes blazed at him and then,
oddly, flicked to mine.
    There was a very strange atmosphere,
underlying the deep animosity between the two men. I wondered what
the hell was going on?
    “She... who's she?” I
asked.
    “Your mother.” My father
replied.
    “I'm confused. What has
Mom got to do with Mickey Green?”
    “Maybe you should ask him?
Apparently, he could be your father...” the words rolled off his
tongue so calmly. There was a loud, collective gasp and shock
ripped through me. “Although I personally doubt it,” he added as a
softening blow.
    “No...!” I shook my head.
“No way... that's a lie...”
    I looked to the other faces staring at me,
registering just as much shock as I was.
    “You goddamn fucking
bastard, Charlie Lyle.” Mickey ground out through gritted teeth.
“You promised her you'd never mention it. You promised on your
life. You promised to keep her good name if she stayed with
you.”
    “I really don't think Anne
cares anymore. I guess it's time it all came out. Josh deserves to
know.”
    “Mickey?” I said in an
agonized tone. “You could really be my
father?”
    Charlie's cold attitude toward me was now
making perfect sense. He wasn't even sure I was his son. Although
he'd tried to treat me as such, for my mother's sake. I didn't know
how I felt any more. My whole world was tipped upside down.
    I could be a Green? For God's sakes NO. I
couldn't fucking bear it.
    I tried to listen to what Mickey said, but
my mind was reeling.
    I didn't look like Mickey, did I? I looked
far more like Charlie, I was goddamn sure of that.
    “We never found out for
sure. Charlie was insistent that you were his. He wanted you to be
brought up as a Lyle. No matter who your father was. And Annie
didn't want me to do the DNA test, to defy him or to take the risk
of anyone finding out. She feared the consequences and didn't want
you to be disadvantaged in life, or to be treated differently to
your sister.”
    “For fuck's sake, how did
you get together with my mother?” I was incredulous. I could never
imagine my lovely, beautiful mother having sex with this
slime-ball. Never in a million years.
    “We were old news. We knew
each other way before she got together with Charlie. We were
high-school sweethearts, way back. I wasn't like I am now. I had
hopes and dreams. I had plans. I was a good guy. I openly admit I'm
not anymore. Life's dealt me some tough shit. And I've done
everything I shouldn't. Every decision has taken me around the
wrong corner. I got into some real bad stuff along the way. But
Josh, I loved your mother. I always did. And she knew that. God
knows why she married him .”
    “You took off, didn't you?
You abandoned her. And in the end she loved me far more than she
ever loved you,