Broken Lies (Broken Series) (11 page)

Seth picked up his wine and saluted Daniel. “To the best gyne
-
cologist
in town.” He drank.

Chapter Thirteen

That was fucking it. “I’m ready, let’s go.”

Seth laughed. “Awww come on, don’t be a party
pooper.
Loosen up, have a little
fun.
” He leaned in and whispered to Dara and she blushed.

“Sofia, Dara, let’s go
. Now,” Daniel said, planning to leave the prick.

“She’s staying
.” Seth put his arm around Dara’s shoulder.

“No, she’s coming, you can stay,” Daniel said.

“No, she’s staying with me, you don’t own her. Just because you
paid
me to keep her company doesn’t mean she’s your
property.
You may have been able to
buy
your way through life bro, but this one right here is better than that. In fact you can keep your damn money, I don’t want it.
”

“
I didn’t offer you
that
money, you asked for it, you fraud.”

“Don’t say that,” Dara said
, sounding hurt. “Seth is not a fraud, that’s mean.”

“Daniel, stop this, please
,” Sofia whispered.

Daniel glared at his stupid brother.
“Don’t act like you care about Dara when you asked for five thousand dollars to make her feel liked.”

The second the words left his tongue
, the shit feeling hit.

Dara stared from Daniel to
a suddenly guilty looking Seth then shoved away from the table and hurried off.

“O
h my God.” Sofia stood, angry eyes on Daniel. “Fix this!”

Fix this?

Daniel followed Sofia to the parking lot where Dara paced at Sofia’s car.

“I’m so sorry Dara,” Daniel said, coming up
just as the two women locked in an embrace with Dara sobbing.

“Sorry?” Sofia
speared him with blue orbs. “What the hell?”

Daniel raked a hand through his hair and looked down.

“How could you do this Daniel?” Sofia asked.

The disappointment in her voice stabbed through his chest.
“I just…look Sofia, Seth, he’s not who you think he is baby, he’s lying about everything. That journal of his is full of lies, those pictures? They aren’t even him, they aren’t me, he made that past up, all of it, the schools, the awards, the parades, the Air Force, it’s all made up except part of the family tree.”

Dara and Sofia both star
ed at him now, grievous frowns crimping their faces. “What? No,” Dara said. “I know Seth is good, I don’t know what you think you know about him, but I see his heart, he’s a good man.”

“Dara, he just got out of prison six months ago. He served seven years for identity theft.”

She shook her head and Sofia slowly closed her eyes. “I don’t care,” Dara said, “I don’t care what he served, I know his heart.” Her voice was tiny and desperate. She looked at Sofia. “You believe me? I know his heart. He’s a
very
good man.”

“Yes, I believe you, of course I do.” Sofia looked at Daniel, compassion in her eyes along with a shocking
can’t you believe it too?

Daniel was floored. “What do you mean you believe her? What about what I just told you
, do you think I just made that all up? To hurt him?”

“No Daniel, of course not.” Sofia came to him and stared into his gaze. “I believe you of course. I just…”

“You just?”

“Don’t you think maybe he’s learned his lesson?”

Daniel’s brows shot up. “Really? And if he did, don’t you think he wouldn’t still be pretending with his con-book? Did you know he asked for ten thousand dollars then said he’d disappear before he tacked on five more to make sure she was happy?”

Sofia shook her head. “
Disappear, why would he want to do that?”

Daniel gasped. “Because that’s what cons do Sofia, they steal and they disappear. I can’t believe you’re standing here acting like
my so called brother in there isn’t a psycho stealing nut job. He was in
prison
Sofia, why do you think he’s here to begin with?”

“Because he’s your brother and—”

“And do you not even care that he asked for ten thousand dollars,
ten thousand
Sofia, what kind of a person asks for that kind of money from his own brother just to help him.”

Sofia looked pained. “
I don’t know…did you even ask him?”

Daniel barked a laugh. “Un
-fucking believable.” He shook his head at her. “I’m done with this shit. You want to keep your faith in Seth, you do that.”

“That’s not it, I—”

“Fuck yes that’s it,” Daniel yelled at her. “Ever since the beginning you’ve liked him, believed in him, trusted him, admired him, for
what!
What did he ever do for you Sofia that was so fucking great? I’m the one who sacrificed everything I’ve worked for to give you what you want,
not
him, you love him so much, why don’t you fucking marry him!”

Sofia wiped the tears streaming. “He was
your brother
Daniel, that’s what he did for me. And I thought that would make you happy.” The last word gushed on a sob. “Remember? I’m the stupid naïve woman that loves you and would do anything to see you smile goddamn you! I didn’t ask you to give up anything, I would have never baked another cookie to have you.”

“Now why in the fuck would you make her cry?” Seth said, walking up.
“Does it always
have
to be about you, Daniel?”

Daniel turned and grabbed him by the jacket and slammed him on
to the hood of his car. “Don’t you fucking talk to me you lying son-of-a-bitch.”

Seth grinned then laughed.
“Poor, poor, Daniel, had such a dark life.”

Daniel slammed his fist into Seth’s nose,
oh so happy with the crack it made and the sound of his grunt.

“Stop it!”
Sofia screamed.

“Come on,” Seth breathed, “that all you got?” He shoved Daniel off him and straightened. “Awww you
aint got nothin’ on Uncle John.” He tapped his nose. “That’s how I got this crooked beauty.” He beckoned him to bring it on. “Give it to me good Daniel. Like Uncle John liked to do.”

Daniel shook
the ache from his hand and pointed at him. “You have no clue what I went through—”

“Fuck you!” Seth roared pointing at him. “Fuck you!” His chest heaved
and his body trembled. “It’s
you
that has no clue,
you
were the fucking smart one,
you
were daddy’s favorite.  What was I? I was your cash cow. This car, that house you live in, that fat bank account you have, that was from
me!
” he screamed, his face red with fury. “From the time I was
seven
,” he gasped, “till I fucken ran away from that son of a bitch,” the words barely strained out. “I paid.”

He swiped
the tears from his face with his arm. “I’m a liar, a fraud, a thief,” he choked. “Cause I’m…I’m so sick of the truth…” he shook his lowered head and a loud sob escaped. “I don’t want none of it, don’t want it, don’t want it to be true…” He gasped for air and looked right, his face crimped. “Uncle John paid daddy every month you know?” His voice broke and he turned a tear-filled gaze to Daniel. “Paid daddy just so he could
hurt
me. Come down here Seth,” he mocked in a deep voice, “Come on in here and be a
good boy
or your daddy’s gone come and you gone get double
.
” His lip trembled and he put his hand over his eyes as the voice of a broken little boy came through and stole Daniel’s breath. “All he ever did was hurt me. All the time, he wouldn’t
stop
.”

Daniel
made it to his brother in two steps and pulled him in his arms. Seth’s sobs released and he cried into his chest. Daniel gasped. “Fuck no,” he moaned, “not you please not you.”

Seth embraced him tight. “I wanted
you,” he cried hoarsely. “I
wanted my brother
.”

“I’m here,” Daniel gasped. “I’m here.”

“They wouldn’t let me see you.” He screamed the words into his chest, his body trembling violently. “They wouldn’t let me see you.”

“Oh God, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He held him tight, never wanting to let go. Seth’s sobs racked his body and Daniel cradled his head. “I’m here. We’re together, nobody will touch you, I love you, I love you, I’m sorry.” Daniel’s own sobs came.

Daniel had never heard
so much agony and devastation come out of a grown man, and the sound of it did bad things to Daniel. He could feel an evil vengeance slowly taking root in his soul. It was one thing to have all that abuse happen to him. It was something else for it to happen to his baby brother.

Sofia and Dara wrapped their arms around both of them, crying too. But all Daniel could think
about was how and when, he would make somebody pay.

Somebody would pay.

To Be Continued

Note to the reader:

I hope you’re enjoying Daniel’s story so far. I was going to do an epilogue of what’s yet to come in Daniel’s journey to complete healing, but I think where I ended it does that job well enough. Feel free to email me with comments and suggestions, I always love and welcome input from readers. You can email me at
[email protected]

****

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****

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