She hardly remembered leaving her house and driving here, her head stuck on an endless visual loop of her father beating her mother, shooting Marcus—aiming the gun at her.
She rubbed a hand against her bruised cheek, trying to make sense of it all. She’d always believed her father loved her. That he accepted her for who she was. But he’d called her a tramp. Implied worse. And the disgust in his eyes. She shuddered and wiped at her tears, as if somehow she would erase the memory as well.
She’d been so stupid. So blind. She’d followed her father like some kind of puppy. Waiting for his praise, begging for his approval. And all the time he’d been playing her. Making her believe in him. Making her hate her mother. Shame washed through her—hot and heavy. When Hector had come at her, her mother had stepped between them. Fearlessly trying to protect Dakota.
That was love. Not the syrupy crap her father served up. She’d been so needy and desperate she’d believed him. Believed in him. Just like she’d believed in the senator. But they’d both used her. Used her desire to be loved and taken what they wanted. God, what had she done? Marcus had tried to tell her. Mallory had tried to tell her. Even Patrick had tried. And she hadn’t listened. She hadn’t wanted to see the truth. She’d been too locked in her own little world to see what was happening right in front of her nose.
Her father had been abusing her mother. And her mother had taken it to protect her children. To protect Dakota. To secure her stupid fantasy world. She’d never meant anything to anyone that she’d believed in. And the people who had loved her, she’d shoved away with scorn.
What the hell was she supposed to do now?
She stared out at the still waters of the lake. It was beautiful, the air cooling as evening set in, the colors of the sky reflected in the ripples below. Somewhere in the distance she could hear the harsh cry of a blue jay as the wind whispered through the leaves of the trees.
She rested her chin on her knees and fought to calm her racing heart. There’d been blood everywhere. On the walls and the floor. On Marcus and her mother and her father. Hector had looked so surprised, an angry hatred twisting his face into a caricature, something from a book or a movie. It was as if the father she’d believed in had morphed into another man.
But deep in her heart she knew that in truth, for the first time she’d seen the real Hector Alvarez. Seen who he truly was. Who he had always been. And more frightening than even that, she’d seen a vision of what she might become. She’d let hatred and jealousy eat at her life. She’d blamed everyone for her problems. Her mother. Ginny. Even the senator.
It would be so easy now to just run farther away. To leave them all behind. To never see anyone in Storm again. End the chapter. Close the book. Run. But even as she had the thought, she knew she couldn’t do it. Not if she wanted to survive. If she wanted to change. At least not without seeing her mom. Without facing her family. Patrick was right; deep down, she had known the truth. She just hadn’t been willing to face it.
“Dakota?”
She turned, eyes going wide. Patrick strode across the meadow toward her as if she’d conjured him from somewhere inside her mind.
“Are you okay? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He knelt down beside her, his hands gentle as he turned her face into the light. “That’s quite a shiner.”
She stiffened at his touch. “It’s nothing compared to my mother. How did you know I was here?”
“Marcus said this is where you come when you’re upset.”
She was surprised that he knew. They’d never been that close, she and Marcus. Always circling each other, trying to avoid the landmines that surrounded her family. He’d tried to help her. But she’d always pushed him away. And then it had been his turn to run. And she’d hated him for escaping, never understanding that there
She rubbed a hand against her bruised cheek, trying to make sense of it all. She’d always believed her father loved her. That he accepted her for who she was. But he’d called her a tramp. Implied worse. And the disgust in his eyes. She shuddered and wiped at her tears, as if somehow she would erase the memory as well.
She’d been so stupid. So blind. She’d followed her father like some kind of puppy. Waiting for his praise, begging for his approval. And all the time he’d been playing her. Making her believe in him. Making her hate her mother. Shame washed through her—hot and heavy. When Hector had come at her, her mother had stepped between them. Fearlessly trying to protect Dakota.
That was love. Not the syrupy crap her father served up. She’d been so needy and desperate she’d believed him. Believed in him. Just like she’d believed in the senator. But they’d both used her. Used her desire to be loved and taken what they wanted. God, what had she done? Marcus had tried to tell her. Mallory had tried to tell her. Even Patrick had tried. And she hadn’t listened. She hadn’t wanted to see the truth. She’d been too locked in her own little world to see what was happening right in front of her nose.
Her father had been abusing her mother. And her mother had taken it to protect her children. To protect Dakota. To secure her stupid fantasy world. She’d never meant anything to anyone that she’d believed in. And the people who had loved her, she’d shoved away with scorn.
What the hell was she supposed to do now?
She stared out at the still waters of the lake. It was beautiful, the air cooling as evening set in, the colors of the sky reflected in the ripples below. Somewhere in the distance she could hear the harsh cry of a blue jay as the wind whispered through the leaves of the trees.
She rested her chin on her knees and fought to calm her racing heart. There’d been blood everywhere. On the walls and the floor. On Marcus and her mother and her father. Hector had looked so surprised, an angry hatred twisting his face into a caricature, something from a book or a movie. It was as if the father she’d believed in had morphed into another man.
But deep in her heart she knew that in truth, for the first time she’d seen the real Hector Alvarez. Seen who he truly was. Who he had always been. And more frightening than even that, she’d seen a vision of what she might become. She’d let hatred and jealousy eat at her life. She’d blamed everyone for her problems. Her mother. Ginny. Even the senator.
It would be so easy now to just run farther away. To leave them all behind. To never see anyone in Storm again. End the chapter. Close the book. Run. But even as she had the thought, she knew she couldn’t do it. Not if she wanted to survive. If she wanted to change. At least not without seeing her mom. Without facing her family. Patrick was right; deep down, she had known the truth. She just hadn’t been willing to face it.
“Dakota?”
She turned, eyes going wide. Patrick strode across the meadow toward her as if she’d conjured him from somewhere inside her mind.
“Are you okay? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He knelt down beside her, his hands gentle as he turned her face into the light. “That’s quite a shiner.”
She stiffened at his touch. “It’s nothing compared to my mother. How did you know I was here?”
“Marcus said this is where you come when you’re upset.”
She was surprised that he knew. They’d never been that close, she and Marcus. Always circling each other, trying to avoid the landmines that surrounded her family. He’d tried to help her. But she’d always pushed him away. And then it had been his turn to run. And she’d hated him for escaping, never understanding that there
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