Soft |K.TH✅

NINE

I woke up in a comfortable bed with a warm blanket over me. I sat up too fast and made myself dizzy, I flipped the blanket back and slid off the high sitting bed. I was still dressed in my own clothes, nothing torn or removed, and I felt okay physically. I looked around the room and noticed a bathroom so I went to use it after I finished I looked myself over in the mirror noticing my eyes were red and puffy but I still looked like me. I also had a slight bruise on my arm from being grabbed but nothing serious.

"What kind of shit did Deena get me into?" I questioned quietly. I threw some cold water on my face and patted dry with a nearby towel.

It doesn't seem like these people want to hurt me so that's good but I'd rather not be here. I just wanted to go home. I went back into the room and sat on the bed unsure of what to do when a knock rapped on the wooden door

"C-come in" I stammered, the man with the deep voice pushed open the door with a tray of food, only then did I notice I was hungry when I smelled the meat

"I figured if you were awake you'd be starving by now, I must apologize for earlier too" he set the try on the bed and stood back "My name is Dominic" he extended his hand and I barely shook it

"How-how do you know my name? You didn't even know my mother had a child" I blurted out. He sighed deeply

"I've known you mother for a long time"

"How? What kind of trouble is she in? We don't have any money but I can try to make payments to-" he snorted, cutting me off in surprise

"Zuri... I'm your father" I suddenly went deaf, I couldn't hear anything and I began to panic again. His big hands gripped my shoulder and shook me a little "Zuri are you okay? Can you hear me?" My eyes locked onto his face and I took a sharp breath

"N-no. No, no, no... that's not true... sh-she told me she didn't know who my father is... you can't be. You're lying!" I screamed pushing his hands away

"I don't expect you to believe me, I'm a stranger to you. For 22 years Deena has been lying to you about me and she lied to me about you too, we both know what kind of person she is" He explained moving the tray of food to the dresser so he could sit on the bed with me "She told me she gave you up for adoption when I threatened to take you away because she was an unfit mother. I tried looking for you, I really did, but she gave me false information so naturally I didn't find you. She told me she named you Madison and gave me the wrong birthdate ensuring I'd never find out about you"

I stayed silent, this definitely sounded like something Deena would do. She was a naturally horrible person and would do anything to save her own butt regardless of who she would hurt, lie to or step on in the process; case in point this very moment. I didn't want to believe she was that evil to keep my father away from me when she didn't even want me but it makes sense. If what Dominic is says is a true then my father has probably been right under my nose my entire life

"How can you be so sure I'm yours? She could've been lying about that too"

"She could have been but I know you are. We can get a paternity test if you like" I didn't know what to think or believe or what was truly going on

"Boss we found Deena" one of the big men that I had the displeasure of meeting earlier in the day came panting in

"Great, where?"

"At the police station. She stole a car and crashed it"

"Can I go to her?" I asked, leaping from the bed

•••

Dominic and I rode in the backseat of a town car as one of his men drove us to the police station in silence. Although I had a ton of questions for him I didn't know where to start