Page 44 of Enchant Me

“I wouldn’t expect you to.” His phone chimes with a text, and Damien grabs it, obviously expecting it to be from Troy about some important bit of business.

When I see Damien frown, I assume something’s gone wrong at the office. He looks up at me. “I’m not going to see him, after all.”

“No, you should go. You should tell him your theory and then you should watch his face as you do. You’ll know the truth. Hell, take Jackson with you.”

“I mean I don’t need to go. He’s here right now.”

I feel my eyes widen. “Excuse me?”

Damien scowls. “The text is from Charlie. Jeremiah’s at the gate.”

“Are you going to let him in?”

“No. But I am going to go see him.” He looks at me, his head tilted slightly. “Care to change your mind and join me?”

“A walk to the gate, on our own turf? Yeah. I think I can handle that.”

Damien texts Charlie back, telling him to have Jeremiah wait in the parking area that’s outside the property and that we’ll be out shortly. Although I rush to get dressed, Damien takes his time. Soon enough, though, we’ve walked back to the house and then across the circular driveway and down the short road that leads to the gatehouse. All in all, it’s probably been half an hour since Jeremiah texted by the time we finally reach the gate.

We step through the pedestrian gate, closing it behind us, and wave to Charlie. As we do, Jeremiah steps out of his car, a brand new Lexus that I’m certain he can’t afford. Unless he’s been selling the Richter tapes.

The thought disgusts me, and I cross my arms as if to ward off this man.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Damien asks, without giving Jeremiah a chance to speak first.

“I want to see those kids,” he says. “I want to be part of this family.”

Damien scoffs. “You gave that up a long time ago.”

Jeremiah shrugs. “A man’s entitled to change his mind.”

“Maybe. But what prompted the change?”

Jeremiah looks between Damien and me, his eyes finally going to the ground. “More people watching me these days. More people asking questions.”

“What people? Who’s watching you?”

Jeremiah’s shoulders rise and fall. “How the hell do I know? I keep them at bay. I told you. I know that we’re never going to be close, but I’m not trying to hurt you. I don’t know why you won’t believe that.”

“Primarily because of all the evidence that’s stacked up over the years. Again, I ask, what is it that you want?”

“I want those little girls to know me. To call me Grandpa.”

Damien shakes his head. “That’s never going to happen.”

“Damn it, son.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Jeremiah looks to me, but I just stare back at him. This is not a conversation I intend to get involved in, but if it comes down to it, I am one hundred percent on Damien’s side.

Damien takes a step closer to his father. “The Richter tapes. When did you get them?”

Jeremiah’s eyes go completely wide, and I can’t tell if it’s in surprise at the subject or at the shock of being discovered. “I don’t have the tapes. You asked me that before, and I told you. I didn’t submit them to the court. You know damn well that was Sofia.”

“That’s what you said, but how do I know you didn’t have a copy?”

Jeremiah shakes his head. “No. Absolutely not. I never saw those images before Sofia revealed them to the court. I’ve told you that I knew what was going on. I’m ashamed of that. But I never knew that he was keeping some sort of photographic record, the sick fuck.”