Nathan remains distant and doesn't spare a glance for me the entire drive to Victor's house. His disregard pierces me, and I can't even seem to make myself excited about seeing where Victor lives. Kota's trying to keep the air clear by telling me about his dog, Max, but it's not really working.
I'm finally broken out of my despair spiral when he says, "Did any of us ever tell you that Max actually took your father down for the cops?"
I perk up and shoot my gaze toward him. He gives me a devilish smile and nods when he sees my look of disbelief.
"It's true, Ten. Your dad had just punched one of the cops in the face and bolted, and Max didn't like that at all. He ran after him, took him down, and then detained him by holding his jaw over that bastard's neck." He laughs and shakes his head. "Officer Calderone was one of the cops that caught up to Max first, and the look on her partner's face was priceless. See, your father was curled up on the concrete in a puddle of his own urine, and Max was holding him down, tail wagging, and growling whenever that sorry excuse of a man tried to move. Her partner looked torn between screaming and laughing. It was hilarious."
The picture of my father being scared like that gives me a worrying amount of glee, and I hope it's not indicative of my mental health that I hope he someday has another experience like that. I'm distracted by these thoughts for the rest of the trip, and I barely glance at the brooding Nathan in the back. I'm in the middle of a particularly vivid fantasy of my father being taken down by an angry mob of chihuahuas when I catch a glimpse of the manor on the other side of the gate that we've just pulled up to.
"Oh my," I gasp, taking in the enormity of what I'm seeing. Through the trees, I can see at least three stories, and a front entry framed by genuine antebellum columns. There are gilded accents across the front of the building, and at least two other buildings that I can see.
"It's a bit much, isn't it?" Kota remarks at my open-mouthed staring. I blink a couple of times and shake my head.
"Don't get me wrong," I say, still unable to tear my eyes away from the monstrosity while we wait for security to open the gate. "Back in Illinois, my family lived in a very ostentatious house in a prestigious neighborhood, and when I was young, I got to see all of their lavish furnishings. My step-mother was particularly fond of marble statuary and gaudy decor, but nothing they had even compares to this place." I narrow my gaze on one of the smaller buildings on the property. I gesture to it with my hand and say, "That is still larger than their house was. I can't believe Victor lives here!"
Nathan grumbles something rude about me and money from the back seat, and though I think it'd be best if I ignored him, I can't let him talk about Victor like that. I turn around in my seat and glare at him as sternly as I can. "Nathan!" I bark out. "Victor doesn't deserve that kind of treatment from you, and frankly, neither do I!" I feel tears prickle in my eyes, but I refuse to let him see me cry. I turn back so that I'm sitting properly and pull my knees up to my chest.
Kota lays a reassuring hand on my arm as we pull through the gate and onto the estate, and looks at Nathan in his rear-view mirror. "Nate, keep this up and you'll be getting an hour for it."
Nathan doesn't answer, but jumps out of the car as soon as we pull to a stop in the back of the house. He slams the door behind him and bolts into the house without a word, and as I watch him disappear, the tears begin to fall. Kota unbuckles me and lifts me out of the car as I sob into his shoulder. I hate myself for letting Nathan get to me like this, but it's like he's trying to rip the part of my heart that's his right out of my chest. He carries me around the back of the car and sits me on top of the trunk. He pulls out a handkerchief and dabs at my face for a moment while I get myself under control. The pain in my heart is intense, and the tears barely relieve the pressure.
