The battle wasn't lost

"And a business, too. " He shuffled the papers." The Pour House?"

I looked him in the eye, and though he had pronounced the name as a question, it wasn't. He knew exactly what the documentation entitled him to, and he wasn't asking my permission.

"No way. " I struggled to pronounce the words as I walked briskly to the nearest chair . " I can't pay those debts."

On top of the bills and mortgage payments, and the renovation that clearly needed to be done... an exorbitant gambling debt. My next puff caught in my chest, and for a moment I struggled to release it, as if the air I needed to survive might kill me as easily as it sustained me.

I shook my head at the truth of what Dad had done this time, why hadn't I noticed? Well, this was really the end. Try as I might, my efforts to keep us afloat would never be enough.

"Dad. " My whisper was a sound of pain and censure. Disappointment and disbelief.

His betrayal was a low blow. It was all about to be gone. Maybe this was what it felt like to hit rock bottom.

"Amara " Dad said with his arms outstretched, pleading with his eyes. Listen to me. It's going to be all right. I've been trying to extend my credit. I just need one big win and then I can stop. I can make it all better. I can fix this place up, make it so you don't have to work so hard. You can stop worrying.

"But I'll never stop worrying, will I? " I whispered, too furious to scream. My eyes stung like a beast as I held back tears. None of these men deserved to see my pain.

"I'll fix it. " But Dad was fixing me like a child, and I'd heard that tone so many times over the years that I knew he was just begging for one more chance to screw me over.

"I'm done listening, Dad. " I held out my hand to emphasize my point and looked away, also avoiding Arthur Hollow's piercing gaze

And then, as always, traitorous hope reared its head. Perhaps I was simply seeing it wrong. I didn't need to give up. The battle wasn't lost until I stopped fighting. I clenched my fists, squeezing them until my knuckles glistened and tightened against my skin.

"You need to eat."

I turned my attention to the casino owner, the courier I definitely wanted to shoot, but it seemed as if he hadn't spoken, though his soft words were tinged with unexpected concern.

"I've got to fix this shit, that's what I've got to do," I said.

Hollow's slight smile was mocking with a hint of indulgence, and irritation burned in my veins. I didn't need this guy humoring me. I tensed my jaw and clenched my fists tighter, resting them in my lap.

"I'll fix it any way I can," I said. I couldn't lose everything. I couldn't let Dad take it away from me. Everything I had kept and built..... My thoughts faded into the white noise of static as my gaze met the businessman's. "There's got to be something I can do."

"Well... " Hollow pursed his mouth slightly, as if considering something. Then he passed the paperwork to Dad. "Could you go back to the rider you just dismissed? A recently added rider, I think. Notice the date? Make sure you read it carefully."

"And a business, too. " He shuffled the papers." The Pour House?"

I looked him in the eye, and though he had pronounced the name as a question, it wasn't. He knew exactly what the documentation entitled him to, and he wasn't asking my permission.

"No way. " I struggled to pronounce the words as I walked briskly to the nearest chair . " I can't pay those debts."

On top of the bills and mortgage payments, and the renovation that clearly needed to be done... an exorbitant gambling debt. My next puff caught in my chest, and for a moment I struggled to release it, as if the air I needed to survive might kill me as easily as it sustained me.

I shook my head at the truth of what Dad had done this time, why hadn't I noticed? Well, this was really the end. Try as I might, my efforts to keep us afloat would never be enough.

"Dad. " My whisper was a sound of pain and censure. Disappointment and disbelief.

His betrayal was a low blow. It was all about to be gone. Maybe this was what it felt like to hit rock bottom.

"Amara " Dad said with his arms outstretched, pleading with his eyes. Listen to me. It's going to be all right. I've been trying to extend my credit. I just need one big win and then I can stop. I can make it all better. I can fix this place up, make it so you don't have to work so hard. You can stop worrying.

"But I'll never stop worrying, will I? " I whispered, too furious to scream. My eyes stung like a beast as I held back tears. None of these men deserved to see my pain.

"I'll fix it. " But Dad was fixing me like a child, and I'd heard that tone so many times over the years that I knew he was just begging for one more chance to screw me over.

"I'm done listening, Dad. " I held out my hand to emphasize my point and looked away, also avoiding Arthur Hollow's piercing gaze

And then, as always, traitorous hope reared its head. Perhaps I was simply seeing it wrong. I didn't need to give up. The battle wasn't lost until I stopped fighting. I clenched my fists, squeezing them until my knuckles glistened and tightened against my skin.

"You need to eat."

I turned my attention to the casino owner, the courier I definitely wanted to shoot, but it seemed as if he hadn't spoken, though his soft words were tinged with unexpected concern.

"I've got to fix this shit, that's what I've got to do," I said.

Hollow's slight smile was mocking with a hint of indulgence, and irritation burned in my veins. I didn't need this guy humoring me. I tensed my jaw and clenched my fists tighter, resting them in my lap.

"I'll fix it any way I can," I said. I couldn't lose everything. I couldn't let Dad take it away from me. Everything I had kept and built..... My thoughts faded into the white noise of static as my gaze met the businessman's. "There's got to be something I can do."

"Well... " Hollow pursed his mouth slightly, as if considering something. Then he passed the paperwork to Dad. "Could you go back to the rider you just dismissed? A recently added rider, I think. Notice the date? Make sure you read it carefully."