Fractured by N.O Darling

Chapter 280

**Deacon’s POV

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ch Josie talking with her father, and Pin Mching to get there. It takes a great effort not to fill her mind with all the

questions | want to ask him. I want to know everything about Cornelius. If | can understand how Cornelius! brain

worked, then maybe | can work out where the rogues are hiding and where they have Harper, and for what

reasoll.

When he mentions he might know where this spark-bonded Journal could be and all Cornelius‘ notes | break. |

need to get my hands on that kind of Information as soon as possibl

“I'm coming in,” | tell Josie through the mind link.

“Okay,” she responds.

“The rest of my bonds are going to cin now. They're very interested in what you have to say,” | hear Josie

say as | walk out of the room and into the next one.

Robert looks up atas | enter, and then his eyes shift to each of the men who follow me. | see a glimpse of

recognition in his eyes when he looks at Theo and Mason.

“I'm sorry | didn’t stop Cash from...” Robert starts.

“I'm not interested in apologies, | want my daughter back, and either you agree to help us or we are done here,”

Mason snaps, cutting him off.

“I have already said | will help, like it or not, | am her grandfather, and | protect what is mine,” Robert says,

straightening in his chair.

“Let's get something straight right now. You have absolutely no claim over my daughter or my bond. Blood

means nothing, actions do. So if you want to earn the right to be anything to them, this is your chance,” Mason

growls.

“I understand,” Robert nods.

“Do you consent to being compelled?” | ask, drawing Robert's attention to me.

“Yes, although I do not doubt that if I didn’t, you'd still do it anyway. | have absolutely nothing to hide,” Robert

nods, but his eyes are on Josie.

“Do you want to stay for this?” | ask Josie through the mind link

Josie stares back at him for a moment, assessing him. | feel her resolve before she responds. “I'm staying. Ask

him everything.”

“Robert, please look at me,” | say, and he gives Josie a small smile before shifting his

“Go ahead,” he says.

eyes to mine.

“Answer all of my questions with nothing but the truth,” tell him, weaving my gift into my words. Robert lets me

in easily, there is not a single ounce of resistance from him.

“Did you ever force yourself on Penny Banks?” | ask.

“No, never,” he shakes his head with a look of disgust.

| feel Josie’s relief and regret flow through the bond. | pull up my shields, | direct my questioning

‘t let her emotions distractor

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“How did you meet her?”

“She worked in a café close to where | was staying when | first arrived in the human realm. She servedthe

first t| went in. | was instantly captivated by her smile and her friendly attitude. She was the first female that

ever took an interest in me,” Robert says with a wistful smile.

“Did you compel her at any point to engage in any kind of relationship with you?”

“No,” he frowns.

“Did she know what you were?”

“Not at first, no, but when she toldshe was pregnant and suggested we get married, | quickly agreed. | was

so happy. Penny and the baby were all I'd ever wanted. They were a dream ctrue. Then | found out |

couldn't marry her because | didn’t have any legal documents that were required for us to marry. | had to tell her

the truth. | couldn't lie to her any longer, but it didn’t go well. She refused to believe me, so | showed her. |

brought her to our realm and showed her the plans for the house | wanted to build for my future family, and she

freaked out. It broke her somehow. | tried to compel her to forget, but | was never very good at it, and it only

seemed to make things worse. She forgot all of our love. She becterrified of me, she calleda demon and

said I'd taken her to hell and implanted my demon spawn in her womb,” Robert explains, casting a remorseful

glance at Josie.

“So what did you do next?”

“After weeks of trying to fix what | had done to her, | knew had to give her up for her sanity. | watched her

though, making sure she didn’t try to harm the baby. It was so hard. | had to watch my little girl grow up from a

distance, and | never once got to hold her or tell her how wanted she was and how much I loved her. | told

Cornelius I'd lost them and | warned Penny that my kind might try to cfor the baby one day and that she

should run with her and keep her hidden. Penny hated me, but she loved our daughter, and | knew it was wrong

to leave a Grey to be raised in the human realm, but | couldn't take her from her. | knew it would destroy her if |

did. So | let another man raise my daughter as his own and protect my family,” Robert says, wiping tears from

his face.

“Why didn’t you go to Josie when her gifts started to awaken and Penny was admitted to a mental institution for

voice. telling everyone her daughter was a demon?” | demand, working hard to keep my anger out of my

Robert covers his mouth to muffle a cry. “I didn’t know, | swear. Cash started to get suspicious of where | would

disappear to when | would go to visit Josie. I'd go to watch her dance performances, keeping hidden at the back,

so Penny wouldn't see me. One time, when she was fifteen, he followed me. He questionedabout who | was

here to see because he had apparently followeda few times. Ilied and told him | was simply there because |

enjoyed the dancing, and then | never visited again. | was so scared he’d work out who Josie was and take her to

join Cornelius‘ cause. | don’t think he believedthough. | never saw Penny again, and | didn’t see my daughter

until the day | was caught.”

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