Dane

His father came out from behind the big desk and used a remote to turn of the television in the corner. It hadn't been loud, but the sudden silence in the room made all the little hairs on Dane's arms stand up. As his father leaned back against the desk, Dane met his gaze and waited. Douglas would explain what was giving him that thoughtful look before too long.

​​

He was right. His father broke the silence first. "You haven't asked me about Lila today," he said.

Dane went very still, but didn't drop his gaze. "I figured you'd be looking forward to telling me whatever else you had, so if you weren't talking, there probably wasn't any news."

"Liar."

Dane forced himself to break the gaze and stare at his hands. He didn't speak, and neither did his father. There was a tense minute where Dane waited him out. Fuck he was tired. He rubbed his eyes, fighting the urge to just close them and go to sleep. When his father's voice broke the silence, adrenalin flooded Dane's system.

"Tell the truth, Dane."

Dane swallowed and rubbed his hands together like he needed something to do with them, then raised his eyes. "The truth."

"Yes. Tell me the real reason why you haven't asked about your wife for almost two days."

Dane looked out the false window in the wall and clenched his teeth so his father would see his jaw twitch. "The truth is… I'm scared of what you'll tell me. And I'm scared you won't believe me, and it will all have been for nothing because she and I will both be dead."

"You're scared of this, even though you know I'm watching everything, and you're assuring me that you're here to stay?"

"Let's be honest, Dad, you aren't exactly surrounded by peace and stability. All it would take would be the right word from the wrong person, and you're convinced I'm plotting against you—and that's not even taking into considering the number of people that want to get rid of me because they want to be closer to you themselves. But… besides that… I worry about Lila and what she's going through and how you might read that. Because no matter what watching you've done, I promise you don't know her better than I do. She's a fighter. And I don't want you to decide to give up on her too early. She does have a breaking point. And once she's found it, she'll never come back."

"You underestimate me, Dane," his father said. "I don't think Lila's unbreakable. Quite the contrary. We had several interesting reports from your brother over the past couple of days. It seems Lila didn't enjoy the video we sent. At all. Not one bit."

He made himself sit still and not react. Made himself keep holding his father's gaze and just wait. He fought a yawn. The adrenalin of the day had worn off and he was exhausted.

Eventually Douglas sighed. "You know, I can use this new control you've found, but it does ruin my fun at times," he said with a warm chuckle, as if Dane had teased him. "Go ahead, Dane, ask me. I'll tell you the truth."

"What happened? What did she say?"

"It seems that the video made her feel that you'd… misrepresented yourself to her over the past months. Tsk tsk, Dane. How are you supposed to build a healthy marriage on a foundation of lies?"

"I didn't lie to her, she just didn't believe me."

"Well, it looks like the Police aren't going to believe you anymore either. They're investigating the video, and once they've verified that it's real—because they will, which you know—then they're going to actively charge you for all sorts of goodies. You're already being reported in the media as armed and dangerous. Imagine when they realize just how skilled you are? You won't be able to set foot outside without me," he purred. Dane was about to respond when his father flashed a smile. "Such a terrible tragedy that your child will grow up without their father."

Dane lost his breath like he'd been punched. "My… what?"

"You're going to be a father, Dane. Didn't you know that?"

In a blink he was back in that vision he'd had…

Lila, glowing, her face plump and stomach plumper, waddling over to give him a piece of her mind then demand he rub her feet as she groaned about what he'd done to her.

Them together, in bed. Him curled around her, who curled around her own belly because they were no longer just two, but soon-to-be-three.

…Dane's jaw dropped and his father chuckled.

"I guess that makes me, grandpa!" he said and clapped his hands.

Dane just felt sick again.

Was it really possible… well, of course it was possible. But…

But it didn't matter. His father was torturing him because it didn't matter. He wasn't going to see Lila—or any child, he reminded himself.

Dad.

Father.

Dane Daniels, father of…

He swallowed hard and cursed the pinch in his throat. He couldn't let this draw him in. It might be a trick. It might be a total lie just designed to test him. So he gritted his teeth and steeled his spine and stared his father down.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "What you're describing… my life is over, just like you wanted. So even if she is… even if we are… I won't be going back."

"No, you won't." Douglas's tone was sharp. "But she might."

"What?"

"A child is a powerful motivator, Dane. For anyone, but especially for a woman who's always dreamed of having a family. No one would fault a woman in her condition for seeking you out, trying to mend what's broken—for the sake of the kid."

Dane blinked and frowned struggling to keep his thoughts in line. "I don't… what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying, that I told you I wouldn't be sure of you, until I was certain you weren't ever going to get her back."

"And it sounds like you're taking great strides in that direction. I'm here now, and apparently I can't even be seen in public. You're taking everything, Dad, just like you said you would, and just like I said you could. I'll stay anyway. There's nothing else I can do!"

His father smiled slowly. "There is one thing."

The hair on the back of Dane's neck stood up.

Then the entire room shifted and his eyes started to drag closed on their own.

Suddenly his exhaustion took on a whole new tone. "Fuck. Dad, did you drug me?"

"Don't worry about it, Son. We'll see you when you wake up."

Fucking barbeque chicken.