Loving the Ice Queen

Chapter 33

Barbara

"Pirate. Lady. Come here."

The dogs, who had drifted ahead of us, came back. Pirate first, followed by Lady.

Eleanor's father, Derek, followed the two animals with his eyes, his smile widening into a sick one. "Dogs, eh? Target practice?"

I could see Ryan's confused glance out of the corner of my eye. My heart doubled its speed. While my brain couldn't believe the asshole was actually in front of me, seeing him brought forth all sorts of painful memories. Gunshots. Blood. Dead kittens and puppies. My chest tightened. A spiral of darkness and guilt and horror.

Someone squeezed my hand. I startled, looking at Ryan. He was tall and warm and right next to me. By my side.

It made me snap out of my memory-induced panic. My heart slowed down from the galloping rate. Still, there was a sliver of fear I couldn't ignore, an instinctive reaction to a familiar face. But it was quickly buried beneath the knowledge that we were no longer the same people. I was older, stronger. No longer alone.

He looked older. More frail. Weaker.

I could hardly reconcile the man in front of me with the monster from my childhood. Had he always looked this... pathetic?

I raised my brow at him. "What are you doing here?"

Derek's smile dimmed. He narrowed his eyes into slits. "I'm here for my daughter's wedding-"

I snorted. "Oh, please. Spare me, Derek. What do you really want?"

His smile vanished fully. "I heard you got yourself a nice inheritance. I just think it'd be fair to share since you've ruined my life."

"Don't be ridiculous. You ruined your own life, Derek. Now get out of here before I call the cops on you for trespassing."

He sneered. "This isn't your property, girl."

I smiled. "Isn't it? Then come right in, and we'll see who's right."

He was still right outside the door, so he wasn't technically on resort lands. The security guard stepped out of his booth and glanced at me. "Should I call the cops, Ms. Owens?"

I looked at Derek and raised my brow. "Well? Are you coming in or not? I'm sure you'd love to see the inside of a cell again. This time I'll make sure you don't get out for a very, very long time."

"For what? Trespassing?"

"I'm sure we can find a few more charges," I said, doing my best to channel Meryl Owens. "Money buys a lot of privileges in this country, you know."

Derek peered at me as if he was trying to figure out whether I was bluffing or not. After a few moments, he stepped back. "I'll see you again, Barbara."

"I don't think so."

He spit on the ground, turned and left. What a lovely human being.

My legs felt paralyzed. I forced them to move, one step in front of the other until I stood right outside the door. Derek walked down the empty road, nothing but a thin shadow in a snowy winter night.

He wouldn't get anywhere near public transport for another ten minutes of walking. I hoped he froze to death on the way.

Which begged the question, how did he know about Eleanor's wedding? And how did he know about the location?

"How did he know about the wedding?" Ryan asked, coming to stand next to me.

"That's what I don't know." Who would have possibly told him? Eleanor and I had no ties to anyone from our childhood.