Harkham's Case (Harkam's #1) (35 page)

And then what?

Where would she stay tonight?

Tears blurred her vision, but she drove anyway. The ring kept blaring at her.

What if they did use this ring? What if they did it—went to Vegas as soon as possible and went ahead and got married?

They could figure out where to go after that. He said he owned his car.

She’d obviously have to give up the Jeep, but they could do with one vehicle.

Oh my God! What a mess.

She drove home and stiffened her spine.

Screw it all. She’d pack and not say a word. Her mom didn’t deserve it. After all, she was the one that sent Mari back to that fuck-hole where her dad lived without so much as a “Sorry, kiddo. I know you hate it there, but I can’t do anything to stop this.”

Mari went inside and lay her large duffel bag on her bed.

She started emptying out drawers and stuffing items in the bag she wanted to keep with her.

It wasn’t like she had a whole lot of things anyway, so leaving behind half her stuff wouldn’t be a big deal.

“So, you’re back. Should I be surprised you left early?” Her mom stood in the doorway.

“Shut up,” Mari muttered.

“Excuse me?” Her mother sauntered inside. “Who’d you kill now? Your dad?”

“No, but if I had, it would’ve been in self-defense since he pulled a loaded gun on me,” Mari retorted.

Her mom laughed. “Oh, Will . . .That man.” She wiped away a tear of laugher. “He did that to me the day I was leaving him, too. Though, he actually took a shot at me as I drove away.”

Mari stopped packing and turned to her mother in a slow, methodical way. “Are you telling me you knew this about him and never warned me?” The tendons in her neck were standing out, and her entire face heated.

“I knew he would never hurt you. Just like I knew he wouldn’t actually hurt me that day. He was out of options. When he gets that way . . .” Her mom shrugged.

Mari stomped over to her.

Whaaaaack!

Mari punched her mom in the face and laid her out.

“You are the shittiest mom ever!” she yelled. “I hate that you never really took care of me or gave a damn about my welfare.”

Her mom strained to get back up, and as Mari pulled her arm back to do it again, her mom’s hand jutted out and snatched her wrist.

Her mom’s eyes went wide and she hissed, “Why are you wearing my ring?”

“You gave it to me, remember? It’s mine, and I took it away from dad’s house that’s filled with crap, because I’m never going back there again.” Mari snapped her wrist back to free it.

Her mom let go. “That’s mine!”

“It’s not yours anymore. You gave it to me when I turned ten. You said to use when I got married to somebody I loved since you never loved Dad.”

Her mother’s eyes went to slits. “I never said that.” She backed away.

“No . . . You said, and I quote, ‘This ring should go to you and only be worn if you love the man, since God knows, I’ve never loved anybody.’ I may have forgotten a few of the other things you said after that about sex, because, honestly, Mom, it was repulsive. I never wanted to hear about how many guys you’ve laid.” She went back to packing her bag. “They don’t love you either—by the way. They won’t ever really make you whole, because you’re too broken. Worse than me. You need help.” Mari shoved in a book she had been reading, then zipped the bag shut.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m leaving. I’m eighteen, and I can’t live here anymore.” Mari gripped her bag strap tighter.

“Dad won’t take you back,” her mom said, monotone.

“Like I’d ever go there for refuge? Both you and Dad have been threatening me for the last few weeks to send me back to him permanently, knowing full-well it was an idle threat. You can’t keep me against my will.
Neither
of you—I’m legal age, and I’m not staying here another second.” Mari snorted. “I’m gonna get a job and live on my own. I have some money saved up.” She sighed. “I’m going to graduate, marry Adam and find a way to make a difference in this world by helping people.”

“That boy will never marry you. He’s way too good for you, and he’ll figure that out soon enough.” Her mom’s arms were crossed over her chest, and her cheek was red where Mari had decked her.

Mari heaved her bag up onto her shoulder. “Maybe he will, but until then, he’s mine. Don’t come looking for me, because I’d rather not see you again until you get yourself sorted out.” She stepped past her mom into the hallway, then turned for a moment. “I’m serious . . . Get some therapy. If not for me, for you, because you’re a mess.”

Mari tossed her mom’s Jeep key on the couch right before she stepped out.

The fresh air hit her, and instead of breaking down, she walked down the street with steady feet.

How long could they carry her, though?

How long could she be strong?

Chapter 18

Mari had left his home at Adam’s request, even though he knew she was heading home to something probably just as bad. But he had to remove her from this tenseness in his home so he could have a little more control of the situation. It was his responsibility as her boyfriend to protect her. And he could see the conversation they’d been having with his father wasn’t going well.

Adam walked into the home office and waited for his dad to take his usual spot at his desk where he could either scowl or look at him with a blank expression.

Didn’t really matter. Either way, Dustin Latham was going to hear his son out.

Adam closed the door and took a seat in the leather recliner a few feet away from his dad.

“What do you expect me to say?” his dad began.

“Nothing at all. I expect you to listen to a grown man with all the answers. If you’d stop thinking you know everything for a minute, maybe you could learn something.”

His dad’s fingers drummed on his desk. “Mmm,” he grunted and his eyebrows popped up for a moment like he was skeptical.

“I mean it. I have the answers.” The numbers swirled, but he could beat them. He knew he could.

“Such as?” His dad’s fingers stilled, and his jaw snapped shut. “I can’t wait to hear this.”

Adam ran his sweaty palms down his thighs to absorb the moisture. “First of all, you need to realize what she means to me. She does things to me.”

“Yeah, I’ve gotten that. Thanks.” His dad paused and gave him an assertive look. “That’s called lust, Adam—not love. I’ve seen
exactly
what she does to you. Walking around here with your erection larger than life. I don’t need you to explain anything because the proof’s in front of me all the damn time.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyone can see you’re attracted to her.”

“Stop it,” Adam gritted through his teeth. “I’m not talking about that with you, and being hard for her is
not
a bad thing. I won’t let you make me feel guilty about it.” He slapped his hands on his thighs. “I’m talking about how she makes me feel about myself. I feel normal, I feel good, and I know I can succeed at anything, because she knows I can do it. I’m gonna graduate this year, and it’ll be because she was cheering for me.”

His dad’s jaw tightened.

“Do you know how hard it was for me each time I went back to school to think Mom would be disappointed if she found out I was kicked out again?” Adam’s left eye twitched.

His dad stared, motionless.

“She’s not keeping tabs on you kids, she doesn’t—”

“I wasn’t done,” Adam said. He rammed his fingers through his hair. “Please, don’t interrupt me. You never listen, but this time you’re going to. I have lots to say.”

His dad nodded. “Continue . . .” He extended a hand in the air and motioned for him to keep going.

“Thank you.” Adam swallowed and closed his eyes to straighten his jumbled thoughts. “Mari’s the best person I’ve ever known, and I . . . I know you can’t see it. But let me tell you what her dad told me when I was there.”

His dad stood up and shoved off from his desk. “Don’t you think for a second I didn’t have a lengthy discussion with her dad about who she is. I watch out for you. Do you think I’m stupid? Have you lost all respect for me? That willful girl is disobedient, and she chooses to screw up her life on purpose.” Adam’s eyes went wide. His dad continued on. “No, Adam. You’re the one not seeing things clearly. Her parents are fed up with her. She’s caused nothing but trouble since before she even got her period!” His face rushed with redness, and his eyes went black. “Drugs? Killing people? Or even being suspected of it? Selling her body to get high? Come on. Think! I need you to
think
!” He paused with a grimace. “Those are not the actions of somebody that is a ‘good person.’ There’s a difference between somebody that’s nice and good. Dammit, son. I thought you understood this by now. I’ve been working with you for years on this concept, and here you go—getting sucked up into her web of lies because she smiles at you, kisses you and lets you eat sugar.” His hands went to the back of his neck as he groaned.

“I do too know the difference between somebody that’s good and bad. Do you know how long she’s suffered, thinking she hurt a little baby? It wasn’t her fault. And everybody blamed her, including her own parents. Nobody ever stopped to comfort her. Of course she took drugs to forget about it all. I would, too.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.” His dad shook his head in disbelief.

“I do, too. Sugar makes me happy. That’s why I went nuts over it so many times. It made me forget in small ways. She had way more problems because no one supported her—not the way I had with you—so she needed more than sugar.” Adam huffed.

“Support is something you get when you’ve earned it and actually want help. She didn’t want help. Her father told me what she did each time she went to rehab.” His dad pointed out the window. “She relapsed more than once.”

“Yeah, and she learned that wasn’t the right thing to do. She’s been clean for a long time and without anyone’s help! Why can’t you give her credit for that?” Adam’s emotions caught in his throat, making it hard to speak clearly.

“Credit?
Credit
? Are you serious? Listen to yourself. I don’t know this girl, and at this point I don’t want to. She should be in prison as far as I’m concerned with the kinds of horrific things she’s done.” His dad walked back to his seat and sat down.

“She’s leaving her mom’s house. She’s eighteen. And when she goes, she’ll have nowhere to stay. If she leaves, I go with her.”

His dad’s eyes flashed with a wicked ferocity. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“You’re not my real father! I can do whatever the hell I like. I’m an adult!” Adam said, his voice pinching his throat as it hissed past his windpipe.

“Are you going to start calling me your
guardian
again? What the hell was that all about back there when she was standing next to you? Are you trying to be vindictive now? That’s not the son I know. That’s the boy she’s molding you into being!”

“You
know
what it was about. I know what you are. You never adopted me. And I can report you,” Adam said, his back and chest heating.

“For what?”

“Abuse. You’re holding me back, and part of the deal of my staying with you is that you see to my progress.” Adam stood up and paced. “We have an extra bedroom here. She’s not going to cause any trouble at all. I’ll see to it she behaves. You can give her the guidance and support she needs.”

His dad’s head cocked. “And what about you? I can barely understand you at all anymore.”

“I’m not a child.”

“Sure as hell could’ve fooled me. Running off late at night and convincing your brother to put you on a plane. Those are the actions of a petulant toddler, throwing a tantrum. She was only going to be gone a week.” His father’s left arm dropped on the desk, and his forearm slid, knocking off a few things.

Adam’s brow crinkled. Did he do that on purpose?

Since his dad left it all on the ground, Adam figured it was calculated when he did it.

“One week too long. My heart breaks when she’s gone. Can you understand that?” Adam’s voice went soft.

“Yes, I can, but you’re not the same with her.” His dad’s glare intensified.

“No, you’re right. I’m
better
with her. Watch. Let her stay here. See how much happier I am. How the numbers stay away completely.”

His dad’s mouth twitched. Adam could tell he was considering it.

“She’s amazing. I’m sure you’ll see it as well. Give her some time. Watch how she is with me, too. Stop judging her for her past and allow her to show you how wonderful and sweet she is. She cares about me—all of me. I love how she speaks to me and looks at me like I’m the sun, warming her soul. It’s about the . . .” Adam was breathless. “It’s like I have a world I belong in. Finally.” He was glowing inside and out. Just thinking about her warmed his soul and made his mouth smile so big it almost hurt his face.

“You belong here with us. We love you. We take care of you.” His dad’s face fell.

“I know that’s what you want to believe, but I want a wife someday. A life of my own. Maybe even children. I want her. And if you’re going to stand in the way, then I’ll have to leave. I’m not going to budge on this. I know what I want and what I deserve.”