Part 26 (1/2)
She shook her head. ”I'm seeing him.”
”Over my dead body.”
”What is it you hate so about him? He's good, and he's kind. He works hard. He keeps up the morale of the others. Is it because of that that you hate him? Or are you still sore because Daddy liked him?”
”The man is a waste.”
”Daddy didn't think so. He wanted to leave him Little Lincoln.”
She scored with that one, if the muscle that twitched in John's jaw meant anything. ”What are you talking about?”
”I heard the two of you talking once. Arguing. Daddy wanted Cutter to have Little Lincoln. Why didn't he get it?”
”The old man must have changed his mind,” John said. He didn't blink, but came close before catching himself. ”He must have realized what a mistake it would have been. Cutter Reid is trash. He's nothing, he's going nowhere, and I'll be d.a.m.ned if he'll have you.”
Pam was infuriated by the insults. ”He already has,” she informed John, uncaring when his eyes grew darker and more vicious.
He was very quiet for a minute. ”Is that true?”
”Yes.”
”I'll get him on rape.”
”It wasn't rape.”
”You're a minor. I'll get him on a corruption charge.”
”I begged him for it.”
”The court won't give a d.a.m.n. You're a minor. He violated you.”
”What he did was beautiful. What you did was the violation.”
John went rigid. Pam had never seen him quite so angry. ”Don't you ever,” he muttered, ”ever say that again.”
But she was fighting for her life. ”I'll say that and more if you bring Cutter to court. I'll embarra.s.s you, John. It'll all come out.”
He gave her a look of pure hatred, and for a minute she wondered if he'd lose control. In the next minute, though, he straightened his shoulders and started for the door.
She had fought fire with fire. Suddenly she wondered if she'd played her cards wrong. Nothing was settled. She went after him. ”Where are you going?”
”Someplace where I don't have to look at you. You disgust me.”
”That's nothing new-”
He whirled on her so quickly that she fell back a step. ”What's new is that I've sold the house.”
She sucked in a breath. ”You didn't.”
”As soon as I heard you were seeing him.”
”To who? Who did you sell it to?” She'd just buy it back.
”It's none of your affair. Nothing about Timiny Cove is your affair anymore.”
”It is!” she cried, her heart hammering wildly. ”I loved that house! It was mine!”
”At my discretion. But you blew it. I gave you fair warning, and you blew it.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears. ”You hated it. You wanted to sell it all along. You waited until you knew it would hurt the most, then you used me as an excuse. You're a s.a.d.i.s.t, John.”
”s.a.d.i.s.t or not, I'm your legal guardian.”
”Not for much longer,” she argued, and the meaning of that hit her. ”I'm nearly eighteen. That's why you did it, isn't it? Once I'm of age, I can fight you.”
”You can try, but you won't get very far. I run things around here. What I say is law.” He raised a finger in front of her nose. ”And I say that you'll keep your G.o.dd.a.m.ned mouth shut and behave. You won't call Cutter Reid. You won't see Cutter Reid. Because selling the house is for starters. If I catch you anywhere near Timiny Cove or Cutter Reid, I'll can him from the mine.”
Pam swallowed the thick knot in her throat. ”You wouldn't do that. He's a leader there. He sticks up for the others. They respect him. Fire him, and you'll have a rebellion on your hands.”
”Not,” he said, punctuating his words with jabs to her chest, ”if I fire every G.o.dd.a.m.ned miner he's ever championed right along with him.” His hand formed a fist and fell to his side. ”And I'll do it, Pam. Times are hard. The old guys are dead weight. For every one of them, there's another able-bodied man dying to work. Don't think I don't control the hiring and firing. And don't think you can sneak off and see Cutter Reid without my knowing, because I'll be watching. I'll have people listening in to his phone calls-”
”That's illegal.”
”Keep your mouth shut!” he roared, then quickly lowered his voice. ”Judge Nowell, in Bangor, is a friend. He'll make it legal with few questions asked. And it's perfectly legal to hire a private investigator. You'll have someone on your tail every time you leave this dorm.”
”You're bluffing.”
”Try me.”
She didn't know if she dared, which made the agony that much worse. ”Don't do this,” she cried softly.
”Don't see Cutter.”
Desperate, she clutched at his arm. ”But I love him.”
He shook her off. ”Then you're a fool. He's only after the name, don't you see? He tried to get what he could from the old man, but he came up short, so now he's shooting for you.”
”That's not true,” she said without any doubt. ”He loves me.”
”He loves who and what you are.”
”He loves me.”
”You're his ticket out, Pam, only you're too stupid to see it.” He was in control again, speaking with the voice of authority. ”I know how guys like that work. They latch on to a good thing, get what they can, then move on to greener pastures.”
”But he hasn't gotten a thing from me.”