“What?”
“The pills did this to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Drugs. That’s what was in the bottle. I had different kinds of drugs, Ava. Frank got me hooked a long time ago. I’m so sorry. I let your mother down with it all. She tried for years to clean me up but I couldn’t do it. It was my relief. I could take breaks though, Ava, and I did. I took breaks. That’s how Frank pulled me into it all. The drugs. The gambling. It was the only way to keep my debts satisfied and try to save the store. I wanted to keep it all for your mother and you. But it never worked out. Frank had me… he had me on a leash…”
Dad started to break down.
I took my hand from his.
Behind me, I felt Jace touch my back. His lips then at my ear. “I’ll leave the room.”
“No,” I said. “You’re staying, Jace. We’re all in this.”
I felt a surge go through me. I was going to stand tall and take control of my life.
Right here. Right now.
“He had you on a leash?” I asked Dad.
“Yes. Me and several other people. It was what he did best. Luring us in and keeping us hooked and happy. I’m so sorry, Ava.”
“Frank was murdered,” I said. “Did you do it?”
“No,” Dad said. “No… I didn’t… I would never…”
“You knew about it?” I asked.
“Yeah. I saw it happen. I was hiding. I was in a warehouse just outside Bishop. That’s where Frank wanted me to meet him. He was planning another attack.” Dad looked at Jace. “He wanted revenge on you guys bad. You did something to him. He tried to blame me. That time at the store… he was high and trying to collect from everyone he controlled. I had nothing to give him though except the cash in the register.”
“I can’t speak for my club,” Jace said. “Speak to your daughter.”
“Dad, who killed Frank?” I asked. “If you were there… you could help Jace’s club. We could stop this.”
“He knows what he wants,” Dad said.
“What does he want?” I asked.
Dad lifted a weak finger. He pointed at me. “Ava, he wants you dead.”
“Who wants me dead?” I asked.
Dad shook his head. He started to breakdown again.
This time, Jace wasn’t having it.
Pushing me aside, Jace stepped forward and stared down at my father.
“Listen,” Jace said. “You’ve done nothing but fuck things up for your family. Whatever else you’ve got hiding, get it out now before your damn heart gives out for good. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the one behind all of this. One phone call to my club and they’ll be here to settle up. And I think you know what that means. You want to run with gangsters like Frank? Fine. But you’ve never seen the power of an outlaw.”
“Help me sit up,” Dad said to Jace.
Jace grabbed Dad’s arm. He pulled Dad up. One of the machines started to beep wildly and Dad let out a groan. He was short of breath for a few seconds but waved me off when I started to reach for the button to get the nurse.
“Okay,” Dad said. “I have to fix all of this.” He licked his dry lips. They were cracked, purplish. “Ava, you can’t walk away from this.”
“From what?”
“The truth.”
“Give me the truth and we’ll see what happens,” I said.
“It was a few years before you were born, Ava. I had been messing around with drugs then too, okay? Your mother, she was a saint to me. She put up with everything. All of it. I had an affair, Ava. It was a quick thing. Some woman who was into the drugs as much as me. That’s what we bonded over.”
My chest tightened.
“Bonded,” I whispered. “That’s not all, is it?”
“No. She was worse than me. I regretted the affair as soon as it started. It only lasted a week. I confessed it all to your mother. I actually cleaned up for a little while. But then I found out the woman was pregnant.”
I stepped back, bumping into Jace. I jumped and gasped. His hands touched me, trying to reassure me.
“She was high when he was born. She died, but he didn’t. I wanted nothing to do with him, Ava. He wasn’t going to be my son. I had a wife. I had my own marriage to fix.”
“You had a secret son?” I asked.
Dad nodded. “He ended up in the same crew as Frank. He was vicious. He was a terrible man. Still is.” Dad reached for me. “Please, Ava…”
I felt Jace nudge me.
I stepped forward and let Dad grab my hand. “What?”
“I never meant for any of this to happen to you,” he said. “To us. To our family. I kept all of this going so you would have the chance to get away from it all.”
“But you kept me there.”
Dad nodded. “I did. I didn’t want to lose you too.”