he didn’t hear her nervousness in her voice. She glanced around the room to see Luke pacing in front of the fireplace, talking quietly into his phone.
“Ms. Reece,” His voice calmer but still hard. “I have to leave for Miami first thing in the morning.”
Oh thank heavens . It wasn’t anything she had done. But still this wasn’t good.
“What? Why?”
“I’m being sued.” He held up the packet of papers gripped in his thick hand. “Every tenet in both my Miami apartment complexes has filed complaints against my company. I have to get there and figure out what the hell is going on.”
“You’re leaving Daddy?” Anna’s voice came from the archway. Both of them turned to see all three children peaking around the corner, obviously eavesdropping.
“Yes Sweetheart.” Mr. Fates answered gently. “But only for a couple of days.”
Anna stepped from behind the wall, her blue eyes glittering with tears that hadn’t yet fallen. “But what about our competition?”
“Yea Daddy.” Ali stepped out. “We were looking forward to you being there.”
“I’m sorry girls. I’ll just have to go to the next one.” Then he looked at Richard. “Richard , please get my suitcase out.”
“Yes sir.” Richard said with a nod and made his way up the stairs.
Destiny’s heart broke when she saw Anna in Ali’s arms, her face buried in her sister’s shoulder. Her little body trembled as she cried silently. Destiny had to say something. She couldn’t just let him disappoint his girls like this.
“Mr. Fates.” She turned to see him now standing with Luke by the fireplace. Their conversation ceased as she made her way to them. “Couldn’t this at least wait till Sunday?”
“I’m sorry Ms. Reece but this is important.” Then he turned his attention back to his brother.
Important? More important than his children? That was it. In a split second Destiny’s anger had reached an all time high and she couldn’t hold back.
“Your children are important, damn it!”
He stood solid for a moment and then turned to her.
“Excuse me?” He asked as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
“You heard me.” She folded her arms across her chest, unwilling to back down or shut up. “ I’ve only been here a day and a half and I can already tell you one of the things wrong with your children. You!”
A muscle under his right eye twitched as he glared at her.
“Ms. Reece,” He growled deep in his throat. “I’m warning you, you are about to cross a line you don’t want to cross.”
Right now she didn’t care. He needed to hear her thoughts. He needed to hear her opinion.
“Ali ignores everyone because you ignore her. Jason acts up because when he’s in trouble is the only time you give him any attention. And Anna…” She glanced back at the little girl who was still in her sister’s arms but now watching the scene before her. Tears clogged Destiny’s throat at the thought of what may happen to that sweet little girl if things didn’t change around here. She swallowed them back as she turned back to the man she was scolding. “Anna’s heading down the same damn path.”
His ruggedly handsome featur es darkened as he glared. His face reddened, nostrils flared. At that moment she felt fear slither all through her but she wasn’t backing down and she wasn’t apologizing for telling him the truth. He could hit her, kill her, or whatever but she wasn’t going to let him hurt these children anymore.
“Ms. Reece,” His voic e low as if trying to contain his anger. “you do have limitations in this house and you’re very close to exceeding them. No one dictates to me what’s important and what’s not important. You don’t know me!” His anger released as his voice rose. “You don’t know them!” He motioned to the children.
“Neither do you!” She yelled back. “ They’re doing everything except screaming at the top of their lungs for your attention. Today I was actually
“Ms. Reece,” His voice calmer but still hard. “I have to leave for Miami first thing in the morning.”
Oh thank heavens . It wasn’t anything she had done. But still this wasn’t good.
“What? Why?”
“I’m being sued.” He held up the packet of papers gripped in his thick hand. “Every tenet in both my Miami apartment complexes has filed complaints against my company. I have to get there and figure out what the hell is going on.”
“You’re leaving Daddy?” Anna’s voice came from the archway. Both of them turned to see all three children peaking around the corner, obviously eavesdropping.
“Yes Sweetheart.” Mr. Fates answered gently. “But only for a couple of days.”
Anna stepped from behind the wall, her blue eyes glittering with tears that hadn’t yet fallen. “But what about our competition?”
“Yea Daddy.” Ali stepped out. “We were looking forward to you being there.”
“I’m sorry girls. I’ll just have to go to the next one.” Then he looked at Richard. “Richard , please get my suitcase out.”
“Yes sir.” Richard said with a nod and made his way up the stairs.
Destiny’s heart broke when she saw Anna in Ali’s arms, her face buried in her sister’s shoulder. Her little body trembled as she cried silently. Destiny had to say something. She couldn’t just let him disappoint his girls like this.
“Mr. Fates.” She turned to see him now standing with Luke by the fireplace. Their conversation ceased as she made her way to them. “Couldn’t this at least wait till Sunday?”
“I’m sorry Ms. Reece but this is important.” Then he turned his attention back to his brother.
Important? More important than his children? That was it. In a split second Destiny’s anger had reached an all time high and she couldn’t hold back.
“Your children are important, damn it!”
He stood solid for a moment and then turned to her.
“Excuse me?” He asked as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
“You heard me.” She folded her arms across her chest, unwilling to back down or shut up. “ I’ve only been here a day and a half and I can already tell you one of the things wrong with your children. You!”
A muscle under his right eye twitched as he glared at her.
“Ms. Reece,” He growled deep in his throat. “I’m warning you, you are about to cross a line you don’t want to cross.”
Right now she didn’t care. He needed to hear her thoughts. He needed to hear her opinion.
“Ali ignores everyone because you ignore her. Jason acts up because when he’s in trouble is the only time you give him any attention. And Anna…” She glanced back at the little girl who was still in her sister’s arms but now watching the scene before her. Tears clogged Destiny’s throat at the thought of what may happen to that sweet little girl if things didn’t change around here. She swallowed them back as she turned back to the man she was scolding. “Anna’s heading down the same damn path.”
His ruggedly handsome featur es darkened as he glared. His face reddened, nostrils flared. At that moment she felt fear slither all through her but she wasn’t backing down and she wasn’t apologizing for telling him the truth. He could hit her, kill her, or whatever but she wasn’t going to let him hurt these children anymore.
“Ms. Reece,” His voic e low as if trying to contain his anger. “you do have limitations in this house and you’re very close to exceeding them. No one dictates to me what’s important and what’s not important. You don’t know me!” His anger released as his voice rose. “You don’t know them!” He motioned to the children.
“Neither do you!” She yelled back. “ They’re doing everything except screaming at the top of their lungs for your attention. Today I was actually
Similar Books
