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Through spending time with him the past weeks, Raven had reached her own conclusions about their parents But Dalton never had the chance Maybe if she gave him an opportunity to talk about her father, he’d understand more She needed to convince hi de Al stayed while she locked up, refusing to budge, and finally she got in her Jeep and drove ho down the raw urgency to reach hi to clear her mind Please, God, let his stretched out in front of hiht, turning to old, and his face remained carved from stone when he finally looked at her

Her heart sank

"I want to talk"

She nodded, leading hi, she waited for hiry insults, but he stood in front of the wall, staring at the paintings she’d put up "Are these your father’s?" he asked tightly

"Yes I had the ti"

"Poetic Maybe if I’d seen these before, I would’ve known Or asked questions"

"Maybe I don’t think it would have changed what happened between us, though I put the, you know I always planned to tell you"

He res Then he turned his back on them and sat down on the couch

Nerves attacked "Do you want coffee?" she asked politely

"No, thanks"

She sat in the opposite chair The distance between the and deep as the Grand Canyon, and there was a terrifying silence she didn’t kno to breach "Did you get my voice mails?"

"Yeah I listened to theet involved with et married Was that a lie, too?"

"No I may have eainst you It was a way forter around and intended to look for a e and a fa to process her states with a er acted like he cared about her She kept telling herself the man she loved was still there, he was just buried underneath a ht now

"You said your tattoo was a symbol of justice Care to elaborate now that all our skeletons are out?"

She refused to wince Her fingers caht your mother had ruined my father Your family forced me to question his love and loyalty, and it was easier to hate I got the tat so I’d never forget the day I lost him I wanted to be reratulations How does it feel to scratch soirl I was and how I felt, Dalton I won’t even try I can only say I see things ive That’s the real justice I was looking for all along"

He see another question "What e your mind about my mother?"

She took a deep breath and clasped her hands in her lap "The stories you told me The way you loved her The way she loved you They didn’t add up to the wo to me recently She said Papa told her about a woman he’d fallen in love with, but who needed tireed it sounded like a married woman I think it was your mom"