The Tattooed Maniac's Virgin (Sinful Delights Book One)

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

I parked the car in front of the station before getting out. The wind made my hair fly around my face as I climbed the stairs. It had only gotten colder after last night’s rain. The station wasn’t as packed as it was the last time I was here to see Stephen. In fact it was almost completely empty. I walked towards the desk and cleared my throat to catch the woman’s attention. It was the same one who wouldn’t let me see Stephen.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m here to see Chief Dune,” I said softly.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No-“

“Make an appointment then you can see him.”

I slammed my hands down on the counter and glared at her. “Listen here bitch I’m not in the fucking mood to be pleasant. I’ve had a shitty day. I want to see Chief Dune right fucking now!”

“You have no right to talk to me that way!” she yelled, her eyes almost bulging out of her head. “You better get some manners or I’ll lock you up for the night.”

“Fuck you,” I growled. “I want to see my fucking father right now lady!”

She laughed. My hands fisted when she turned away from me. The woman walked over to the desk and sank down into the chair. My body started to shake the angrier I got. She was fucking ignoring me!

“Fine.” I gave her a smirk before charging the door that would lead me to the back.

It slammed shut behind me which cut her off. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with bitchiness today. I glanced over my shoulder as the door opened, and walked straight into someone else. Hands gripped my arms to steady me before pushing me away slightly. I glanced up straight into the face of Michael. He looked grim as he stared down at me.

“Sir,” the woman said behind me, “this girl claims to be your daughter.”

I bit my lip as I glanced up at him again. His lips twitched but he didn’t smile. Michael glanced over my head at the woman.
“Thank you Ferdie.” He looked back down at me. “Come on.”

I followed him silently as he led me through the tables and towards his office. He stepped aside for me to enter first. I took a seat in the chair at his desk. Michael walked around it and took a seat behind it. He watched me silently for a few minutes.

“Your mother wants to tell Mike the truth,” he said softly.
“I bet you’d like that.”

“Not particularly.” My eyes snapped up to his. “I assume you came here for a particular reason?”

My eyes dropped to my lap before lifting to glance around his office. Surprise filled me when I saw the photo against the wall. It was taken not so long ago at a barbecue. Emma was posing at the camera dressed in a pink princess dress. I stood next to her with Sam in my arms. My eyes slowly drifted towards him.

“I didn’t like the fact that you aren’t my blood, I still don’t. It hurt me knowing that your mother had an affair with my brother,” he said softly. “A part of me understood why it happened, but the other part felt betrayed.”

“You still see him around– almost every day.”

“Yes, and it takes everything in me not to beat the shit out of him.” Michael sighed and then stood. He surprised me by taking a seat on the chair next to me. “Mike was always better than me. He made our parents proud and it made me jealous. Everything I did never seemed good enough. Then I met your mother and it didn’t matter anymore. It hurt me because she lied to me about it, and then later when I confronted her, she told the truth. She was going to pretend like you were mine.”

“Would it have been so bad just to pretend? I always thought that you hated me. You were always so distant and mean,” I said. Tears filled my eyes.

“Some things are just hard to explain Alia.”

“Then try!”

“Why did you come here?”

I stared at him silently as he stood and turned his back on me. I stood and took a step closer to him. “Tell me! Tell me why you hate me so much! Look at me and tell me!”

“Because you’re not my blood!” he yelled as he span around. He pressed a finger against his chest. “You’re not my blood! You’re not my daughter. You’re a reminder that my wife had sex with my brother. You look like him! You’re a reminder that I wasn’t there when she needed me. You’re a reminder that she betrayed me in the worst way possible after promising she would never offer her body to another man. Is that what you wanted to hear Alia? I don’t fucking hate you. I hate the fact that I failed. That I-“ he broke off, sucking in a breath. “I don’t hate you.”

“It feels like you do,” I whispered. I wiped my cheeks. “Are you going to hold it against her forever? You don’t have to forget but you can forget.”

I reached down to pick up my bag. “You might not be my biological father, but you are my father in every other way.”

I walked out of the office before more tears could fall. Eyes burned into my back as I made my way towards Stephen’s office. The door stood open. I paused in the doorway. Stephen sat behind his desk with his eyes focused on the computer. He had a pen in his hand and would write down something every few seconds. I stepped into the office after a few more seconds. He glanced up. The smile he gave me made my heart swell.

Stephen dropped the pen as he pushed his chair back. Dropping my bag on the edge of the desk, I moved towards him. He opened his arms for me and I didn’t hesitate to sit in his lap. His arms wrapped around me to keep me in place.

“Are you okay?”

I shook my head as I wrapped my arms around his waist. Something on his belt dug painfully into my hip, but I didn’t want to move away. He shifted slightly.
“Kate has been set free.”

“Oh.” I glanced up at him. “I thought you said they will keep her locked up until she tells the truth.”

“She has an alibi so our hands are tied.”

I sighed, and then dropped my head against his shoulder. His arm around my waist tightened. Stephen started working on the computer again. One of his hands stroked the skin of my back. I relaxed against him and closed my eyes. Our conversation from last night flashed through my mind. I sat up.

“Let’s do it,” I said softly. “Let’s elope.”