Breaking Cosmos - A Midnight Mafia Novel

SEVEN

"A cop Charlie? A cop?"

I blushed, I'm almost sure it was only slightly. "It's not a big deal Dad."

"A big enough deal for you to lie, to skip school, to put on, whatever the hell monstrocity you were wearing. Where did you get an outfit like that? I checked the credit cards I know you didn't buy it yourself."

Because trusting me with cash was too easy. "I borrowed it, I returned it, it was a skirt Dad not a teddy chill."

That must have been the wrong thing to say, because he now looked appalled and furious that I had the audacity to even know what a teddy was. "I'm sure I know where this all came from." His tone turned cold. Lia's extreme distaste for Dad? It was a mutual feeling. "I've told you before how I felt about you talking to that girl Charlie."

"I have like, two friends. I'm not going to stop talking to one just because you don't like her."

"Because I'm telling you to." His tone remained cold, flat, the tone I had heard him use with business dozens of time. I hated this tone! It was like everything he said was a one way statement, a question was not a question, every statement was a demand and rebuttals wouldn't even be heard, like his words were law or something.

It made me so angry I rose to my feet. I wasn't just one of his lackeys I was his daughter, and I wasn't being paid to choose to work for him, I hadn't taken any oath, I had no choice in all of this and it infuriated me! "And I'm telling you no!"

His eyebrow twitched. It was the only sign of emotion his face revealed and it was gone in a second. His words came out in a calm placid tone but every word seemed to be heavy and pointy. "This thing. With you and that cop-"

"There is no thing."

"What is his name?"

"There no thing with a cop!" I argued passionately and he sighed. It was one of those sighs that said I was being difficult, that he didn't need me to tell him the name but was rather allowing me to. It was a chance to redeem myself, but I couldn't. There was no telling what he would do, the very thought had my eyes stinging. "Daddy no."

"Is likely not his name."

"Don't hurt him."

"Oh, so there is a him? How interesting"

"Dad." I groaned in a plea and crossed the room. I sunk to the floor in front of him on the bed and put my hands on his knees. "Please Dad if there's ever just like one thing you could give me a pass for and let go. There is no thing, none. He was just, I don't know, insanely cute and I was just being a stupid girl. I don't even like him, it's not worth like, hurting anyone over."

"You've a history of poor decision making, I'd say that's not a call you should be responsible for making. A name Charlotte, this is my last time asking."

I dropped my hands. "But he didn't do anything. I did, don't punish him because of me."

"This is a discussion for your mother and I to have, no longer you and I. I am through discussing with you, clearly, the talks we've had don't reach you."

"They do!" He didn't answer at all. He stood and I did too. "Dad, Daddy." I nagged him a few more times as I followed him out of my room. I took only a single step into the hallway before stopping. "Officer Morgan." I relented.

He stopped, for the briefest of seconds and then kept going without looking back my way.

There were dozens of times hiding outside of Dad's office had gotten me in trouble. Mostly when I was younger and he had other men inside with him. Mom would get especially mad. She had delusions on keeping this part and that part separate. Like we could all be together and be one happy family but only keep the parts of us we liked involved and try to pretend the ugly, the scary, the true parts weren't there at all.