Cover of Darkness (Witness Security Book 3)

by Jamie Hill

  Gigi crossed her arms defiantly. "Yes, but that's not what I want to talk about. I've been doing the math on this thing, and unless you lied to us about all kinds of other things, then it just doesn't figure. You guys were married in June. I was born in August the next year, which would have me conceived around November. So you didn't have to get married, obviously."

  Natalie sat on the easy chair and Alex sat on the arm of it, next to her. He looked at their daughter. "None of this matters, Geege."

  "It matters to me, dammit! I'm trying to make sense of something that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, and I keep coming back to the fact that you guys lied to me, and are apparently still keeping things from me!"

  "We tell you what you need to know," Alex replied calmly. "That's a parent's job, and we're trying—"

  Gigi interrupted angrily. "Except you're not my parent, are you? That's lie number one."

  He felt his insides harden like dried clay, and he had to force himself to speak calmly. "I understand that you're angry and upset, so I'm going to give you that one. That's your one freebie. Having said that, don't ever speak to me that way again. I'm your father in every way that counts, and I won't have you denigrate our relationship with pissy little comments."

  "Apparently you're not my father in the most important way, or we wouldn't be having this discussion!" Tears streamed down Gigi's face.

  "Oh, Gigi!" Natalie leaned forward. "You are so wrong! This man is your father in all the most important ways—he's been there for you from the very beginning, he's given you his heart and every single thing you've ever wanted your whole life! Whatever you have is because of him. And he's here for you now. Did you hear yourself when your brothers ganged up on you? You hollered for him, and he was there for you, just like he always has been."

  Gigi was sobbing. "Why is this happening? I don't understand what I did to deserve this!"

  Natalie and Alex exchanged glances and she said, "Sometimes things happen that we don't necessarily deserve. We have to deal with them and move on. This is hard on us, too, sweetheart. It's killing your father and me."

  Gigi wiped her face with her sleeve and looked at them with resentment. "It doesn't seem that hard on you. I'm in agony. I can barely function enough to get through each day. It's like my energy has been zapped."

  "We understand that," Natalie told her. "We really do. We're going through the same thing."

  Gigi looked at her father. "You seem to have enough energy to play slap and tickle with mom in the kitchen, the hallway and the bedroom." She turned to Natalie. "And you—well, the only way I can make sense of this is to figure that you must be a big ol' slut."

  "Gillian!" Alex roared.

  Natalie's blood went cold.

  "Why you stayed with her, Daddy, is beyond my comprehension. Maybe you were screwing around on her, too. Oh God, what about Dave and Matt? Do we have any idea whose kids they are?"

  "Apologize to your mother." Alex was livid.

  "To hell with you! To hell with the both of you! I'm so angry I can't stand it! I've got to get out of here."

  Alex grabbed her arm. "You need to stay and face some facts. You may not like what you hear, but at this point, I don't care. I won't have you acting this way toward your mother."

  Natalie jumped up next to him. "No, Alex. Let her go." Her eyes pleaded with him, and he released his hold on their daughter. "Tempers are too raw right now. We'll have to continue this discussion at another time."

  He looked angrily at Gigi. "Not Thanksgiving. I won't have this ruining another holiday."

  "I may not even be here for Thanksgiving," Gigi snapped. "I may fly to Chicago and spend the weekend with Aunt Dean."

  Natalie's eyes widened, then she composed herself and said, "Make sure you inform us of your plans before you go anywhere. We want to know where you're going to be."

  "I'll think about it," Gigi growled.

  Alex faced her down. "If you want to be treated like an adult, then start acting like one. You don't have all the facts, and you're being cruel and vicious."

  "Then tell me the facts!" she nearly screamed at him.

  He eyed her levelly. "No. Go home, Gillian. We'll talk again when you can behave responsibly." He went to Natalie and pulled her into his arms.

  They held each other as Gigi gathered her things to leave. "Drive safely," Natalie told her.

  "I will," Gigi replied in a defeated tone, and walked out.

  "Oh my God!" Natalie said into his neck.

  "She was trying to hurt us. I thought she was more mature than that."

  "She did a good job of it."

  "Nat." He pulled back and held her at arm's length. "You have a decision to make. If you don't tell Gigi the truth, she's going to think she was conceived out of an affair—and I guess we know her feelings about that."

  "I can't tell her." Natalie shook her head sadly.

  "You'd rather keep the secret and let Gigi think you were a slut? I'm not sure that's the way to go."

  She looked into his eyes. "How can I tell her about the horrible and violent way she was conceived? How will she live with herself knowing that?"

  He nodded. "She might need therapy. That's not such a bad thing, it did wonders for you… for us."

  "For right now, we're not going to tell her."

  "All right," he agreed. "Then you need to call Dean and make sure she doesn't tell her, either. I'll never forgive your sister if she gets involved in this."

  Natalie nodded, and buried her face in her hands. Tears streamed down her face and Alex pulled her back into his arms. "Don't cry."

  She spoke into his neck again. "Don't go."

  Alex's heart lurched, but he remained firm. "I have to."

  "Still?" she looked at him. "You still feel like you have to leave me?"

  "Yeah, I do." He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. He loved feeling her body pressed against his. He loved her. He was angry at her. He hated her.

  "But why?" she whispered.

  He hated himself for the way he felt, but he couldn't change his feelings any more than he could tell himself to stop loving her. It was just not possible.

  "Why?" she whispered again. "I always thought we were so much in love that we could handle anything."

  "We are," he said softly. "But you told her. You caused this, Natalie. You caused this whole damn mess."

  "I know I did." She closed her eyes, and memories came flooding back.

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