"If you hang up you'll never see your family again."
"The police are already on the case. I don't have to participate in these stupid games to get what I want. I'm not getting involved in whatever you have to offer."
A dark chuckle made my...
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TW: This chapter does deal with themes of trauma responses, survivor's guilt, sexual violence, and human trafficking. Please read with caution.
"His actions support either theory that he's a threat or an asset. We need to observe each angle." Carson sat down across from me. Lacey used a notepad to chart the events of the past month.
"Dottie is the only one that has shown her face during this hell fest. Your dad hasn't offered so much as a phone call. Unless he's the one that has been calling you via creepy phone number." Lacey scribbled something down.
"But why would he send me those creepy messages? He knew where I was. Why would he wait to harm me? ? If he was trying to keep me safe, why would he send them at all?"
"Maybe he was trying to scare you off because he couldn't come out of hiding? Someone is after you, and he may be to blame. Maybe he was hiding to draw less attention to you?" Lacey offered.
"Why would he want to harm me is my question. I'm his daughter." I pointed out.
"We don't know that he's trying to harm you. It's a possibility. But you being his daughter has nothing to do with his motives for helping or harming you. There are plenty of sick people in this world that hurt their children." Carson mentioned.
"Right. Why is everything so complicated?" I whined as I fell onto the couch with a huff.
"But if he was looking to be a threat, why would he wait so long to take you out?" Jamie asked.
"I don't know. It's not like we can ask Vincent." I shook my head.
"There's a possibility he could be running from someone. He may have introduced you to Henry in an attempt to keep you safe. Perhaps things got away from him, and he had to go into hiding. Or he was luring the people away from you. Family members in this line of work are the perfect form of bait." Carson told me.
"Then we would have to assume that he was involved in organized crime. Which. wouldn't shock me." I mumbled as I shook my head.
"If I shake my head anymore, it will swivel right off."
"What relationship did you have with your father?" Carson inquired.
"He was an emotionally absent control freak. He claimed that everything he did was out of love. It felt as if he wanted nothing to do with my life but wanted control over it." I admitted as I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Where is your mother in this situation?" Carson asked.
"My mother died giving birth to me. That's why I have her last name. It's the only selfless thing my father ever did."
