His Red Carnation (Forbidden Blooms #1)

33. Sloane

33

Sloane

I didn’t know what my dad was hiding, but I knew he was hiding something. He was acting so strange—too calm, almost like he was trying to keep us from seeing the cracks. I needed to confide in Mom because she would know what to do—she always knew what to do. And if Dad was lying, she’d be the one to uncover the truth.

Callan and I found her in her private office on the second floor of the living quarters. The moment I barged in, she ended the call she was on and stood up quickly, the worry clear in her eyes.

“Sloane,” she said, her voice full of concern. “What’s wrong?”

Callan stepped forward, explaining the call with Sarah, but he paused and glanced at me, giving me the space to continue with how Dad had reacted. Mom’s expression said it all—she was furious.

“ ?Qué co?o? What could he possibly be hiding from me, especially something that Sarah knows and I don’t?” she asked, her frustration clear.

I shook my head and shrugged, unsure of what to say.

“ ?A tomar por culo! ” she muttered under her breath, storming toward the door. “You two stay here. I’m going to speak to your father, Sloane, y lo juro por Dios …” The door slammed behind her and I jumped, my nerves stretched to the breaking point.

Callan turned to me, placing his hands gently on my waist. I could see how much he wanted to comfort me, but we were both too frustrated, too on edge to find any relief in the moment.

“My dad wouldn’t…” I started, my voice trailing off as my thoughts spiraled toward the worst possibilities. “He wouldn’t have cheated on my mom with Sarah, right? That can’t be it.”

Callan’s eyes widened, and he shook his head slowly. “I don’t know, baby. But whatever it is, we’re all gonna get through it, okay?”

I couldn’t hold it back any longer—the lump in my throat gave way, and tears streamed down my face. Desperation took over as I grabbed Callan’s face, pressing my lips hard against his, seeking comfort in the only place that felt safe. He pressed his body against mine, pulling me close as his hands slid around my waist, but just as quickly, he pulled away. His eyes darkened, and his voice dropped to a deep, commanding tone.

“Down the hall. In the bathroom. I need to fuck you right now, Sloane,” he said, his words dripping with authority and raw desire as he took my hand and led me out the door.

He slammed the bathroom door behind us and quickly peeled down my sweats as he pressed his lips against mine. My shaky hands began to unzip his jeans before he took over and let his hard cock spring free. I couldn’t even let my underwear fall to the ground before Callan ripped them off and lifted me up from my ass, walking me over to the counter as I wrapped my legs around him. He plunged his cock into me before he even set me down, and I gasped with relief as he filled me up, my mind going completely blank aside from the overwhelming pleasure.

“Fuck, baby,” Callan whispered in my ear before gently trailing kisses on my neck.

“Fuck me hard, Daddy. I need it,” I whispered back, clawing my nails on his back.

“Yeah, you need it? You need Daddy’s cock to make it all better?” he moaned out quietly, probably highly aware of how easily we could be heard.

I whimpered as he began to thrust harder, my body trembling under his intensity. I bit down on his shoulder, stifling my moans, trying to keep quiet. He let out a low grunt, his hips pounding against me, before he released me, pulling out and swiftly turning me around. He quickly plunged back into me, and I watched us in the mirror as he gripped my hips, his gaze fixed on the curve of my body before his eyes finally met mine in the reflection. A slow, wicked smile spread across his face as he reached for my hair, wrapping it tightly around his hand in a firm fist, pulling me even closer.

“Rub your needy clit, baby. Eyes on me while you come on my cock,” he demanded in my ear as he inched his other hand up to my neck, lightly squeezing.

My hand trailed down to my clit and I began to furiously rub myself, close to climax as I watched us in the mirror. Seeing Callan’s hand around my throat as his body pounded against mine, my boobs bouncing up and down, and his cock hitting just right suddenly had my pussy seizing around him. My eyes involuntarily closed as a wave of pleasure coursed through my core, and Callan’s grip on my throat tightened as he grunted deeply.

“Come on, baby. Get on your knees. I need you to finish what you started this morning,” he growled, his voice thick with need. My eyes fluttered open, locking with his intense gaze, as I slowly pulled off of him and lowered myself in front of him.

He held his cock in his hand as he eyed my body, then put his other hand softly to my cheek. “Open wide, baby girl,” he ordered gently.

My mouth shot open, the sight of Callan’s thick cock in his hand sending a tingle to my pussy. All of a sudden, he rammed his cock into my mouth, taking both hands to the side of my head and fucking my face. I steadied myself on my knees with one hand on my thigh, and I couldn’t help myself from rubbing my clit again, needing more release. The force from his thrusts made it hard to look up at him, but I caught a glimpse of his wild, widened eyes as he stared down at me, his full lips parted and his brows pulled together in concentration. My pussy began to seize again, just as Callan let out a deep, guttural moan and his warm cum shot to the back of my throat. I let out a quiet moan of satisfaction, my eyes locked on his face as it contorted into a look of sheer pleasure.

I swallowed every last drop as my mouth parted from his cock, licking my lips with the mixture of his taste and mine.

“Fuck, baby. You’re my fucking dream girl,” Callan breathed, putting his thumb to my lips and stroking gently.

I smiled as I looked up at him. “Next time, I want you on your knees.”

* * *

We sat restlessly in Mom’s office, the tension thick in the air as we waited for any kind of update. I kept glancing toward the door, itching to join her during the interrogation with Dad, but Callan reassured me that they probably needed to handle this alone. Still, my mind wouldn’t stop racing—Dad and Sarah together? It didn’t make sense. Sure, she was beautiful, but why would he cheat on Mom, who he was desperately in love with? And with someone they both knew, someone they had never really gotten along with. The thought twisted in my chest, making it harder to breathe. I couldn’t imagine what life was going to be like if my mom and dad weren’t together.

Callan held my hand as I stared out the window at the long stretch of grass, my thoughts tangled. Even with him beside me, the minutes we waited felt endless, every second stretching on in torturous silence. Then, when my mom finally walked in, her face sullen, eyes swollen and red from tears, I knew instantly what had happened. The truth I had dreaded was written all over her face.

“Mom,” I said softly, standing up and taking her hand. “What happened? What did he say?”

I glanced at Callan, and without a word, he nodded, instantly understanding that this was something I needed to face with her alone. He quietly slipped out the door, closing it gently behind him, leaving us alone.

“Your father didn’t even have to say anything. Sarah sent me a video of them while I was walking over there,” she said, holding her phone up briefly before tossing it onto the couch in disgust. “And he still denied it. La madre que te pario ,” she spat, her voice sharp as she cursed him in Spanish. The words hit me like a punch to the chest, tightening with a mix of grief and anger.

“Mom, I’m…” I began, but the words caught in my throat. What could I say? Not only had my dad shattered his marriage, but he had broken our family, too. How could he? Why would he do this to us?

“Come on, baby. Pack a bag. We’re getting out of here,” she said suddenly, her voice still thick with emotion as she sniffled and turned on her heel, heading for the door.

I didn’t hesitate or question her. I just followed, feeling the weight of the situation settle in. As we stepped into the hall, I saw Callan waiting, his eyes searching mine as we moved toward him.

“Don’t ask me any questions, Callan. Not yet,” Mom said firmly as she marched past him.

He locked eyes with me, concern written all over his face, but I shook my head, trying to keep my tears at bay. All I could do was take his hand and follow my mom.

A few minutes later, Callan and I sat at the piano in the hallway, waiting for her. After I explained everything that had happened, he shook his head, his gaze drifting down the hall.

“And I thought us being together was bad,” he joked lightly, trying to ease the tension, but I couldn’t even manage a smile. I just frowned, the weight of everything still too heavy to let any humor in.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he added, placing his hand gently on my thigh. “I don’t know what the fuck to say, so I’ll just keep my mouth shut. I’m just…fuck,” he muttered, frustration clear in his voice.

His choice of words caught me off guard, and despite everything, I let out a small giggle. In that brief moment, the weight felt just a little lighter. I was grateful he was there—he was my rock through all of this, steady when everything else felt like it was falling apart. I couldn’t imagine going through this without him by my side.

Just then, a door at the end of the hall slammed shut, and out came my mom with a suitcase in tow. Her steps were purposeful, her expression set with determination as she stopped at the top of the stairs.

“Where are your things?” she asked, already sounding exasperated.

I glanced at Callan, then back at her. “Most of my stuff is at Callan’s,” I replied with a shrug.

Mom nodded, a flicker of relief crossing her face. “Okay, good. Let’s go. Callan, we’ll take your SUV.” She didn’t wait for a response as she headed for the stairs, her focus sharp.

We didn’t even make it out the door before Dad’s voice echoed down the hall, frantic and panicked.

“Ana! Where are you going? You can’t just leave—where are you going?” he demanded, Leo and Julian trailing closely behind him.

“Wherever the fuck you’re not, tramposo hijo de puta ,” Mom shot back, her voice sharp and resolute as she kept walking, not even sparing him a glance.

“At least take Leo or Julian with you,” Dad called out, defeat heavy in his voice as we stopped by Callan’s SUV.

“No,” she replied with disgust, finally turning to face him. The sound of his footsteps echoed on the concrete, and her glare cut through the distance between them. “I have Callan if I need anything. You’ll be getting divorce papers soon.”

Callan looked down at the ground, stone-faced, as he opened the backseat door for my mom. The tension between my parents was unbearable, and I couldn’t stand being caught in the middle of it. Without a word, I walked around the SUV and slid into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut behind me, desperate to shut out the chaos.

Mom climbed in right after me, followed by Callan, and we drove off in heavy silence. Through the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of my dad standing there, watching us sullenly as we left him behind.

“ Mamá, ?estás bien ?” I asked as I turned to look back at her.

Callan quickly glanced over at me, then shifted his focus back to the road ahead. Mom sighed heavily as she stared out the window, slipping on her sunglasses. “Sloane, déjame calmarme primero ,” she muttered, her voice strained.

“Okay,” I replied with a nod. She wanted to be left alone, and I could understand that. I turned back to the road, my mind swirling with questions I wasn’t ready to ask.

“Where are we going?” Callan asked quietly, his eyes darting to me for a moment, as if I had any idea.

“Head east on I-50. We’ve got a lake house in St. Michaels. We’ll figure things out from there,” Mom instructed hurriedly, her voice steady as I stared out my window.

The car fell into silence for a while before Callan rested his hand gently on my thigh, his eyes still focused on the road. I glanced over at him with a small smile, then turned to look at Mom, who kept her gaze fixed on the scenery outside her window, seemingly lost in thought.

“Why don’t you ever speak Spanish to me?” Callan asked quietly, his tone light and teasing.

I snickered as I glanced back at him. “? Hablas espa?ol ?”

He shrugged, flashing me a wide grin. “Nope.” He shook his head, letting out a soft laugh.

I rolled my eyes with a smile, turning my gaze forward. “ Por eso .”

The road stretched out before us, the quiet hum of the tires the only sound filling the car. Callan’s hand stayed steady on the wheel, his other resting on my thigh. I tried to focus on anything but the storm brewing inside me, gazing at the passing trees on the open road.

Without warning, a loud crash shattered the calm. The SUV jerked violently to the side, metal screeching against metal. My body slammed against the door, and my breath hitched in my chest as the world outside blurred into a chaotic swirl of color and sound.

“Callan!” I screamed, but the car kept spinning, completely out of control. Callan’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, struggling to regain control as the SUV fishtailed, tires screeching against the pavement.

The impact hit again—harder this time. Glass shattered, raining down around me like tiny daggers, and the world seemed to move in slow motion. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else. I could hear Mom yelling, but her voice was distant, like it was coming from another world. I didn’t know which way was up or down anymore. The SUV skidded off the road, and everything stopped in an instant with a sickening jolt.

Then there was silence.

My head throbbed, my vision blurry. I blinked, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Everything felt distant, disjointed, like I was floating outside my own body.

Suddenly, hands grabbed me, strong and unyielding. I tried to push away, tried to fight, but my limbs felt heavy and useless. A wave of panic rushed over me, but before I could react, I was being pulled out of the wrecked SUV.

“Callan!” I choked out, my voice barely more than a whisper, but there was no response.

The last thing I saw was a flash of movement, a dark figure looming over me, and then everything went black.