Chapter 19
"Father.what.what are you doing here?" Sheridan finally managed to squeak. Alistair slid out of the booth and stood tall over her. Staring down at her with cold blue eyes. "I've come to retrieve what's mine. I've come to take you home," he said. In a voice that brooked no arguments. "No," Sheridan protested. Kneeling to pick up the jagged slivers of the broken plate. Tears stinging her blue eyes. "Kid," Mr. Izzaria called from behind the counter. Concern in his voice. "Is everything okay?" Alistair gripped her upper arm roughly. Hauling her to her feet. "Tell him, Sheridan." "Everything's fine, Mr. Izzaria," she said in a wobbly voice. Mr. Izzaria looked skeptical but returned to his work. Glancing at them from time to time. "Good girl," Alistair praised. But it wasn't real praise at all, Sheridan realized. He was just glad she wasn't making a scene. "Sit," he ordered. "But the plate.the mess. I have to clean it up." "I said sit," he said. Pushing her into the booth.
"You did a very bad thing, Sheridan. Disobeying me," he said in a low voice. "Colin's been beside himself." "I bet," Sheridan muttered. Blue eyes glittering with disdain. "I bet his heart is broken. He doesn't love me, Father. No more than you love me." Alistair's lips stretched into a tight line. "You're wrong. What father doesn't love his daughter?" Mine, Sheridan thought silently. "It's because I love you that I'm giving you this chance." Sheridan crossed her arms around her chest. Chin jutting out defiantly. "A chance to undo the damage you did by running off with that." "His name is Luis, Father." "You weren't yourself," Alistair spoke. Spinning a tale to present to the press already. Knowing his willful daughter might be too much too 'handle' this time. "Running away with Luis was the best thing I've ever done," Sheridan said adamantly. "Colin WILL be your husband, Sheridan. In just a few short days, as a matter of fact. You can count on it. This marriage is crucial to the future of the Crane empire."
"I won't marry him. You can't make me," she spat. "Oh, but you WILL," he spoke with a triumphant smile. "If you care anything about this Luis.you WILL," he told her. Withdrawing a cigar from his suit pocket and lighting it. The scent sickened her, and the room around her started to spin with her father's next words. "Or I'll ruin him." "You wouldn't," she shook her head. His image blurry behind the haze of tears. "I would. Tell me. Do you love him? Have you let him touch you? Tell you lies to get you into his bed? Men like Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald want one thing. And one thing only." "Stop it. It wasn't like that. HE's not like that, Father. He." "He what? Loves you? Has he told you that he loves you, Sheridan? Has he said the words?" Crystal tears spilled freely from her blue eyes as she shook her head reluctantly. "Do you think he'd still find you worth the trouble when faced with prison? You're NOT worth the trouble, Sheridan." "Luis hasn't done anything wrong," she said weakly. Her heart splitting wide open as she realized her long-held fears were true. Her father cared NOTHING about her. Nothing at all.
"Kidnapping, I believe, should earn him a lengthy stay behind steel bars." "But he didn't kidnap me. It was my decision. You already knew." He ignored her. Tapping his cigar against the ashtray on the table. Sheridan's blue eyes shifted to the window. Searching for one person. One person who could make things alright again. Where was he? "Do you really think a judge will believe the word of a child? That's what you are, Dear. Still a child. Seventeen. Statutory rape charges." "Fath." "The best lawyers, judges.it shouldn't be too hard to make those charges stick, Sheridan. And there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing that would stop me. That lowlife did, in fact, ruin you. Used you. I promised Colin a virgin. Not a slut who gives herself to trash like Lopez-Fitzgerald. Stop crying, Sheridan. You're making a scene. And you know how angry I get when you make a scene. I might just change my mind altogether about giving you a chance to right your wrongs."
Sheridan wiped at her tears carelessly. Ducking her head from prying eyes. "How?" she whispered in a broken voice. "How do I right my 'wrongs'?" she asked bitterly. "I knew you'd see things my way," Alistair smiled evilly. Taking another puff on his cigar. "You have to promise you won't do anything to Luis," Sheridan said. "Promise, Father. Or I walk out of here right now." "It's really very simple, Sheridan. All you have to do is never see him again. Come back to Harmony. Marry Colin as planned. And forget this dreadful mistake ever happened." Never see Luis again, Sheridan thought. The very idea making her heart break even more. Alistair regarded his daughter's tears unfeelingly. "Luis will live a long and happy life. Outside of a prison cell. With his family. He'll forget all about you with time, and it'll be like this summer never happened. But for your wedding to Colin, of course. Make the right choice, Sheridan. You do want to see Luis happy, don't you?" "More than anything," Sheridan answered immediately. With such love in her voice, Alistair was sure he'd be sick. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll go back to Harmony with you, Father. I'll marry Colin."
The limo door slammed shut, and Sheridan raised a hand to the window. "Goodbye, Luis," she whispered softly. She didn't even get to say goodbye. The leather seat shifted under her father's weight, but she didn't turn to look at him. She couldn't bear to look at him. The miles raced by. Her memories of her time spent with Luis a blur as they sped down the highway. The limo eating up the miles to the airport. Alistair scowled at the teddy bear in her lap. He'd have to get rid of it. Or maybe not. Maybe he should let her keep it as a keepsake. No. He'd have it burned. Along with all her clothes Charles had retrieved from the dingy hotel room by the sea. The limo slowed to a stop, and Charles appeared once more. To open their doors for them. Sheridan jerked away at her father's touch on the small of her back. Guiding her toward the private jet. The cool air inside the jet making her shiver and wrap her arms tightly around her waist. But it wasn't the cool air that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Or the reflexive shudder. It was the sound of his voice, and the discomfort the feeling of his lips on her skin caused within her.
"Colin."
"Father.what.what are you doing here?" Sheridan finally managed to squeak. Alistair slid out of the booth and stood tall over her. Staring down at her with cold blue eyes. "I've come to retrieve what's mine. I've come to take you home," he said. In a voice that brooked no arguments. "No," Sheridan protested. Kneeling to pick up the jagged slivers of the broken plate. Tears stinging her blue eyes. "Kid," Mr. Izzaria called from behind the counter. Concern in his voice. "Is everything okay?" Alistair gripped her upper arm roughly. Hauling her to her feet. "Tell him, Sheridan." "Everything's fine, Mr. Izzaria," she said in a wobbly voice. Mr. Izzaria looked skeptical but returned to his work. Glancing at them from time to time. "Good girl," Alistair praised. But it wasn't real praise at all, Sheridan realized. He was just glad she wasn't making a scene. "Sit," he ordered. "But the plate.the mess. I have to clean it up." "I said sit," he said. Pushing her into the booth.
"You did a very bad thing, Sheridan. Disobeying me," he said in a low voice. "Colin's been beside himself." "I bet," Sheridan muttered. Blue eyes glittering with disdain. "I bet his heart is broken. He doesn't love me, Father. No more than you love me." Alistair's lips stretched into a tight line. "You're wrong. What father doesn't love his daughter?" Mine, Sheridan thought silently. "It's because I love you that I'm giving you this chance." Sheridan crossed her arms around her chest. Chin jutting out defiantly. "A chance to undo the damage you did by running off with that." "His name is Luis, Father." "You weren't yourself," Alistair spoke. Spinning a tale to present to the press already. Knowing his willful daughter might be too much too 'handle' this time. "Running away with Luis was the best thing I've ever done," Sheridan said adamantly. "Colin WILL be your husband, Sheridan. In just a few short days, as a matter of fact. You can count on it. This marriage is crucial to the future of the Crane empire."
"I won't marry him. You can't make me," she spat. "Oh, but you WILL," he spoke with a triumphant smile. "If you care anything about this Luis.you WILL," he told her. Withdrawing a cigar from his suit pocket and lighting it. The scent sickened her, and the room around her started to spin with her father's next words. "Or I'll ruin him." "You wouldn't," she shook her head. His image blurry behind the haze of tears. "I would. Tell me. Do you love him? Have you let him touch you? Tell you lies to get you into his bed? Men like Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald want one thing. And one thing only." "Stop it. It wasn't like that. HE's not like that, Father. He." "He what? Loves you? Has he told you that he loves you, Sheridan? Has he said the words?" Crystal tears spilled freely from her blue eyes as she shook her head reluctantly. "Do you think he'd still find you worth the trouble when faced with prison? You're NOT worth the trouble, Sheridan." "Luis hasn't done anything wrong," she said weakly. Her heart splitting wide open as she realized her long-held fears were true. Her father cared NOTHING about her. Nothing at all.
"Kidnapping, I believe, should earn him a lengthy stay behind steel bars." "But he didn't kidnap me. It was my decision. You already knew." He ignored her. Tapping his cigar against the ashtray on the table. Sheridan's blue eyes shifted to the window. Searching for one person. One person who could make things alright again. Where was he? "Do you really think a judge will believe the word of a child? That's what you are, Dear. Still a child. Seventeen. Statutory rape charges." "Fath." "The best lawyers, judges.it shouldn't be too hard to make those charges stick, Sheridan. And there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing that would stop me. That lowlife did, in fact, ruin you. Used you. I promised Colin a virgin. Not a slut who gives herself to trash like Lopez-Fitzgerald. Stop crying, Sheridan. You're making a scene. And you know how angry I get when you make a scene. I might just change my mind altogether about giving you a chance to right your wrongs."
Sheridan wiped at her tears carelessly. Ducking her head from prying eyes. "How?" she whispered in a broken voice. "How do I right my 'wrongs'?" she asked bitterly. "I knew you'd see things my way," Alistair smiled evilly. Taking another puff on his cigar. "You have to promise you won't do anything to Luis," Sheridan said. "Promise, Father. Or I walk out of here right now." "It's really very simple, Sheridan. All you have to do is never see him again. Come back to Harmony. Marry Colin as planned. And forget this dreadful mistake ever happened." Never see Luis again, Sheridan thought. The very idea making her heart break even more. Alistair regarded his daughter's tears unfeelingly. "Luis will live a long and happy life. Outside of a prison cell. With his family. He'll forget all about you with time, and it'll be like this summer never happened. But for your wedding to Colin, of course. Make the right choice, Sheridan. You do want to see Luis happy, don't you?" "More than anything," Sheridan answered immediately. With such love in her voice, Alistair was sure he'd be sick. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll go back to Harmony with you, Father. I'll marry Colin."
The limo door slammed shut, and Sheridan raised a hand to the window. "Goodbye, Luis," she whispered softly. She didn't even get to say goodbye. The leather seat shifted under her father's weight, but she didn't turn to look at him. She couldn't bear to look at him. The miles raced by. Her memories of her time spent with Luis a blur as they sped down the highway. The limo eating up the miles to the airport. Alistair scowled at the teddy bear in her lap. He'd have to get rid of it. Or maybe not. Maybe he should let her keep it as a keepsake. No. He'd have it burned. Along with all her clothes Charles had retrieved from the dingy hotel room by the sea. The limo slowed to a stop, and Charles appeared once more. To open their doors for them. Sheridan jerked away at her father's touch on the small of her back. Guiding her toward the private jet. The cool air inside the jet making her shiver and wrap her arms tightly around her waist. But it wasn't the cool air that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Or the reflexive shudder. It was the sound of his voice, and the discomfort the feeling of his lips on her skin caused within her.
"Colin."