Sappy Heartwood

7. Unappealing.

Sometimes, making mistakes is a good thing. In the end, they make us grow stronger.

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Chapter Seven

Unappealing

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My father approached the table, which separated me from the detectives. His grey eyes were not amused. "Why is my daughter still cuffed?" He inquired, now standing beside me. "Uncuff her at once."

"She is a suspect," Detective Harry couldn't stop staring my dear old Dad up and down. "We can't—"

"Do you know what it felt like? Being halfway around the globe and hearing my partner was murdered in cold blood?"

Wait, what does he mean by partner? Dad's not talking about Mrs Smith, is he?

"And then being notified that my daughter was arrested?" Pinching the bridge of his nose, my father stared at Detective Daniels. "I demand you to uncuff her."

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Detective Daniels stood up, staring right back at my Dad.

Dad laughed. "Look, mate, I wouldn't care if you were the fucking King of England. All I know is you have my daughter cuffed; now uncuff her."

Detective Harry cleared her throat. "Agent Summers, that's Mr Finn Daniels."

With his lips straightened, Dad continued to stare at Detective Daniels. Do I call him Mr Daniels now or Detective Daniels? Fuck if I know. All I know is that my Dad looks like he wants to murder him.

"So you're the bastard who got my partner killed?" With no warning, Dad slammed his hands on the metal table beside me, making me jump. No answer came from either detective. "I know orders came from you to have her relocate to this shithole five years ago, then you have my own family sent here. How pathetic."

"Agent Summers!" Detective Harry gasped. "How dare you speak to him that way? Apologise at once!"

My father seemed taken aback by that sentence. Before he could answer, Detective Daniels tossed him a single key, which Dad caught with little effort. "Thank you, sir." He said before unlocking my cuffs and removing them.

"I like you, agent," I felt my mouth fall open as the detective stood up from the chair. I never would've guessed he'd like anyone, let alone my father. "However, do not misread my liking for kindness. You will treat me as everyone else in this department, or I will have you shipped off to a desert in the Middle East with nothing but your underwear."

So much for a man of few words, he spoke an entire paragraph!

The detective should ship my father to a desert; anywhere is good but here. I despise the man for leaving Mum and me. He's been gone for almost ten years, so why show his ugly face now?

"Don't think I've forgiven you," the words flew out my mouth before I could stop them. "Just because you return now doesn't make it right."

"Honey, we'll discuss this—"

"I'm not your honey," I cut him off, standing to my feet. "You're just a sperm donor to me; you're insignificant."

Rude as it may be, it's the truth. This man is not my Dad, even if I call him it. He never has been a father figure and never will be.

"I'm sorry," he said, grabbing my hand.

The moment his skin touched mine, I was bombarded with numerous images, flashes of him with multiple women in bed.

How dare he!

Little thoughts crossed my mind as I slapped him as hard as I could. A satisfying sound of the slap echoed throughout the interrogation room. My Dad cupped his reddening right cheek, and I couldn't help but notice a pink pigment appearing on the rest of his face, including his ears. He seemed confused.

"You're fucking disgusting," I told him before I glanced at the two detectives; Harry looked embarrassed, while Daniels, well, he had no emotion whatsoever. That's no big surprise there. "If we're done here, I'd like to go to my cell now."

"No fucking way! You—"

"She will be coming with me," his eyes appeared darker than usual as they shifted to me. It was as if gates to the pits of hell were hiding beyond the darkness in his eyes.

Dad moved awkwardly on one foot. "She should be—"

All Detective Dangerous Daniels had to do was put a hand in the air. My father fell silent. "Agent Summers, Detective Harry, you are both dismissed."

My dear, old, perverted Dad was pushed out of the room by Detective Harry, leaving me alone with him. "Now what?"

"You will not depart my side until I uncover your secret."

The fuck is that supposed to mean? Geez, Tziporah, it's pretty straightforward. It means you're—I know what it means!

Raising a brow, Detective Daniels walked towards the door. "Must you scrunch your nose in that manner?"

"I'm sorry?"

"That expression, I dare say that it makes you look unappealing."

I felt heat rush to my cheeks. "Well, I apologise if my face doesn't appeal to your taste. Perhaps you should fire my Dad since he helped create me." Now I want to punch the handsome bastard or kick him where the sun doesn't shine right between his legs.

"Would you be so kind as to stop these facial expressions?" He motioned to the crease between my brows. "If you are to be seen with me, you must function ladylike."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is your idea." I copied him by motioning between us with my hand. "You think I'm hiding a deep, dangerous, dark secret." I laughed bitterly. "For your information, I'm just a waitress at a cafe."

"Indeed?"

"Bloody hell! Are all British men like you?"

He's fucking Godlike, handsome and mysterious, and possibly dangerous too, but that just adds to the fun. Geez, I might have to move to England if British men are the same. Don't get me wrong, Australian men can be attractive, too, but not like him. Even if this detective is a major dick.

Guess what the answer I received was?

Sweet fuck all.

Silence.

I decided to change the subject. "When you say I can't leave your side, does that mean what I think it does?"

"Do enlighten me, Miss Summers."

A smirk crept on my face, causing him to narrow those dreamy eyes as dark as hell itself at me.

"Do I get to sleep with you? And shower?"