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“You need to rest.” I pulled her out of the chair.
“I hate this, Kavner. I thought I knew these people. They’re my friends and colleagues.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Sometimes, life sucks.” I met Reath’s gaze over her head. Find whoever’s behind this.
He got my mental message and nodded.
With a goodbye to Reath and his team, I led London back downstairs. It was a quick walk to Ignis Tower.
We’d just stepped off the elevator and into my place when London’s cellphone rang. “It’s Viv.” She turned away and took the call. “Hey. No, I’m fine.”
I pulled out my phone and checked my emails. Austin was fending off most of my work and I made a mental note to give him a big bonus.
“I know it’s BS, Viv. Calm down. Keegan will sort it out. Yes.” London paused and her voice softened. “Thanks, Viv.”
“Everything all right?”
“Viv is so mad on my behalf. She’s on the warpath to find out whoever is framing me.” London’s phone dinged again, and she smiled.
“Still Viv?”
“No, my sister. Lex is having a great time on her job in Arizona. She’s planning an early night because she has an early start tomorrow. She’s going to send me a desert sunrise picture tomorrow.”
“Did you tell her that you were attacked?”
London turned away. “No.”
“You two are close. She’d want to know.”
“I’ll tell her once she gets back.” London wandered over to my piano. “Do you play?”
“No. I just really wanted a piano.”
She smiled. “My dad played. He was pretty good.”
“Where is he now?”
“Shreveport.”
“Not too far away.”
“It might as well be the moon. I haven’t seen him in years.” She ran a finger over the glossy surface of the piano. “After he got out of prison, he remarried. He’s got a new family now, with two young sons. He’s never reached out. He never came to my mother’s funeral.”
I moved closer to her. “You can’t let that anger fester.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I try not to, but it isn’t always easy.”
“I know.” I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. When she leaned into me, warmth filled my chest. “Sometimes you get so angry that it seeps into everything. Some of my earliest memories are of being furious at the shitty hand life dealt me.”
“My mom never got angry. When Dad went to prison, and we had nothing, but she just picked herself up and kept going. I know deep down she was hurt, but she never got angry. She used to tell me, ‘When the storm blows in, then you should open the windows, London. Just let it blow right through.’”
“Sounds like a wise woman.”
“She was.” London tipped her face up. “You weathered the storm, Kav. You proved life wrong, and you won. Look at the life you’ve made for yourself.” Her lips tilted. “And I don’t just mean the money and fancy cars.”
I tightened my hold on her. “Thanks. And you need to do the same. The job you do, how much of it is driven by anger at what your father did?”
She sighed. “More than I want to admit. He left. I could mostly forgive him for being weak and greedy, but he left us. And then my mom left. I know it wasn’t her choice, but it still hurt.”
