Tory laid down on her bed hugging her stuffed bear to her chest.
Tears slowly ran down her cheeks. Her small frame was shaking with sobs.
She looked over at her father's picture that sat on her nightstand. "Oh
Daddy," she whispered quietly. "Why did you have to leave me? I need you so
much. What's going to happen to me now?"
"Miss Tory," Joe said gently rapping on her door. "There is someone here to see you. I think you might want to come downstairs."
"I don't want to talk to anyone right now Joe," Tory told him wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'd really like to be alone right now if you don't mind."
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice this time sweetheart," Joe told her. "Mr. Racer is down stairs with a court order. I'm afraid you might have to go with him."
Tory sat up and ran to the door flinging it open. "What did you say?" she asked him worriedly. "He can't really make me go with him can he? I want to stay here with you and Mrs. Gretchen and Logan."
"Tory why don't you go downstairs and talk with him," Joe recommended. "We'll never find out what he wants without talking to him."
Pops sat in the study of the X Mansion. He was a little uneasy with his surroundings. Everything was so clean and so classy. It didn't have a comfortable lived-in feel like his house did. The door slowly opened and a petite fifteen-year-old girl walked in. She was Rex all over again. She had silvery hair and beautiful dark blue eyes. She wore a pair of khaki cargo pants and a dark red tank top that complimented her dark complexion nicely. Her long hair hung freely down her back. Her face was free of make-up and tear streaked. Yet she was completely expressionless. Her pretty face held no traces of emotion.
"I understand that you wish to speak with me," Tory said sitting down in one of the overstuffed leather chairs.
"You look just like him," Pops said slightly in awe. His lack of words stunned him. Why couldn't he say anything to his own granddaughter? She was only fifteen but acted with maturity beyond her years. Her gaze was steady and controlling. How could such a small girl have such complete control over him?
Tory was careful to look him in the eye. To the weak often her dark eyes were hypnotic. They would forget everything and just stare at her. This test gave Tory the information she needed about anyone she encountered so she could decide whether to treat the person as her equal or as someone below her station. Social classes were one thing Rex had never taught his daughter. She had learned of those in boarding school.
"I brought tea Miss Tory," Joe said entering the room and breaking Tory's spell over Pops. He set the silver tray down on a cart in the corner of the room.
"Thank you Uncle Joe," Tory said giving him a slight smile and a nod. "Since I would like a private interview with Mr. Racer will you please go and check on Cracker for me? I would greatly appreciate it."
"Of course Miss Tory," Joe said pleasantly. "Just ring the bell if you need me. I'll come as soon as you call."
Tory nodded her head as Joe walked out of the room then she turned back towards Pops. "Now let's get down to business. I understand that you have some sort of court order. May I inquire what it is about?"
Pops looked at the young girl. Her voice had an air of authority that was almost intimidating. "You know who your father really was right?" Pops asked her.
Tory nodded her head. "I don't know what my father has to do with any of this," she observed coolly. "I know that you are aware of the fact that he is no longer with us."
"Your father was my son," Pops told her trying not to become annoyed because of the girl's attitude. "That would make you my granddaughter. Your grandmother and I are both aware of the fact that you have no legal guardian here and would like for you to come live with us."
"I had never even met you until today and you want me to leave the only home I have ever known?" Tory asked arching her eyebrows.
"Your all that I have left of my son," Pops said quietly.
"Whose fault is that?" Tory asked angrily. "From what I understand it was your fault my father left. My bloodlines are the only reason you're here today. Now if you will excuse me, I am very busy today and don't have time for this." Tory stood up and rang the bell on the wall then walked out. "Joe will be here momentarily, tell him that you are to be escorted back to your car then you are to leave the premises." With that Tory left the room leaving a shocked Pops behind.
"Miss Tory," Joe said gently rapping on her door. "There is someone here to see you. I think you might want to come downstairs."
"I don't want to talk to anyone right now Joe," Tory told him wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'd really like to be alone right now if you don't mind."
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice this time sweetheart," Joe told her. "Mr. Racer is down stairs with a court order. I'm afraid you might have to go with him."
Tory sat up and ran to the door flinging it open. "What did you say?" she asked him worriedly. "He can't really make me go with him can he? I want to stay here with you and Mrs. Gretchen and Logan."
"Tory why don't you go downstairs and talk with him," Joe recommended. "We'll never find out what he wants without talking to him."
Pops sat in the study of the X Mansion. He was a little uneasy with his surroundings. Everything was so clean and so classy. It didn't have a comfortable lived-in feel like his house did. The door slowly opened and a petite fifteen-year-old girl walked in. She was Rex all over again. She had silvery hair and beautiful dark blue eyes. She wore a pair of khaki cargo pants and a dark red tank top that complimented her dark complexion nicely. Her long hair hung freely down her back. Her face was free of make-up and tear streaked. Yet she was completely expressionless. Her pretty face held no traces of emotion.
"I understand that you wish to speak with me," Tory said sitting down in one of the overstuffed leather chairs.
"You look just like him," Pops said slightly in awe. His lack of words stunned him. Why couldn't he say anything to his own granddaughter? She was only fifteen but acted with maturity beyond her years. Her gaze was steady and controlling. How could such a small girl have such complete control over him?
Tory was careful to look him in the eye. To the weak often her dark eyes were hypnotic. They would forget everything and just stare at her. This test gave Tory the information she needed about anyone she encountered so she could decide whether to treat the person as her equal or as someone below her station. Social classes were one thing Rex had never taught his daughter. She had learned of those in boarding school.
"I brought tea Miss Tory," Joe said entering the room and breaking Tory's spell over Pops. He set the silver tray down on a cart in the corner of the room.
"Thank you Uncle Joe," Tory said giving him a slight smile and a nod. "Since I would like a private interview with Mr. Racer will you please go and check on Cracker for me? I would greatly appreciate it."
"Of course Miss Tory," Joe said pleasantly. "Just ring the bell if you need me. I'll come as soon as you call."
Tory nodded her head as Joe walked out of the room then she turned back towards Pops. "Now let's get down to business. I understand that you have some sort of court order. May I inquire what it is about?"
Pops looked at the young girl. Her voice had an air of authority that was almost intimidating. "You know who your father really was right?" Pops asked her.
Tory nodded her head. "I don't know what my father has to do with any of this," she observed coolly. "I know that you are aware of the fact that he is no longer with us."
"Your father was my son," Pops told her trying not to become annoyed because of the girl's attitude. "That would make you my granddaughter. Your grandmother and I are both aware of the fact that you have no legal guardian here and would like for you to come live with us."
"I had never even met you until today and you want me to leave the only home I have ever known?" Tory asked arching her eyebrows.
"Your all that I have left of my son," Pops said quietly.
"Whose fault is that?" Tory asked angrily. "From what I understand it was your fault my father left. My bloodlines are the only reason you're here today. Now if you will excuse me, I am very busy today and don't have time for this." Tory stood up and rang the bell on the wall then walked out. "Joe will be here momentarily, tell him that you are to be escorted back to your car then you are to leave the premises." With that Tory left the room leaving a shocked Pops behind.