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He sat up again with renewed vigor, spittle drizzling his chin as he screamed at me. “Everything I did was for my son—everything! You don’t know what it’s like to watch your own brother and your son fight over your corpse like dogs!”
I refused to relent the attack though Giacomo’s words had bothered me more than I would admit. “Instead of telling your son you’re doing what’s best for him, you belittle him every chance you get. Why?”
Giacomo’s fist smashed into bed. “Because he needs to grow up! I'm aperson, not a goddamn bank account.”
“You'lldie alone if you don’t mend things with your son.”
The nurse appeared at my elbow. “Miss, you need to leave. You’re upsetting my patient.” The breathy girlishness was gone from her voice.
But the statement only served to further enrage the Pardini patriarch. “I’m allowed to be upset!”
“For the record,” I bellowed over his voice, pushing the nurse aside. “I don’t care whether you put Luke in your will or not. I think it would be good for him if he cut you out of his life. At least, he would never have to deal with you anymore.”
“Miss—”
I ripped my elbow out of her hands. “I’m leaving.” In a fog of rage, I stumbled from the room withoutknowing where I was going. Luke was nowhere to be seen. My pulse raced with all the things he said—all the things I said. I should have kept my mouth shut. I didn’t know what effect my words would have on Luke’s father. What if he took everything I said to heart and cut him off like I suggested?
You’re an idiot. You’re a moron. Luke paid you to do a job, and you blew it!
I stopped midway down the hall. It had been a quarter of an hour and there was no sign of Luke. Maybe he left.Ahead, I saw a sign for a restaurant and bar and followed it.
I found Luke perched on a barstool. It was eleven in the morning, so most of the place was empty. The bar was deserted. He stared down the tiny shot glass, a small row of empty ones beside it. I edged up to him as he stared downwards, not even acknowledging my presence, playing with the drink with his long fingers.
“Three shots at eleven A.M.? Must be some record."
Luke shrugged, and I placed my hand over his to stifle his movements.
“Didn’t expect to see you here.”
I blinked. “Why?”
“You heard my father. I won’t be able to pay you anymore.”
“Luke, I don’t care about the money.”
He gave me a sidelong grin that looked like his father’s. “Right.”
“I mean it.” My heart was beating in my ears as I stole myself to tell him. Luke’s father hadn’t been what I pictured. Luke had painted a dark portrait of an evil, masochistic villain, but all I saw was man full of pain, bewildered by his son’s coldness. He was horribly misguided, but evil? I didn’t think so. Still, on the whole, Luke would be better off without his dad in his life.
“I wish I had your dad,” I confessed.
“Your foster parents must have been pretty terrible if you prefer him.” He looked at me and flinched. “Sorry.”
“No one ever gave a damn about me. If I died, no one would notice. No one except Natalie. I don’t know what being loved feels like.”
“Neither do I.”
“Your mother loved you. I think even your dad might love you in his own sick, twisted way.”
He laughed as he sipped the dregs of his drink. “How would you know?”
“We had a—a talk.”
“‘Bout what?”
I took his hand and set it in my lap, squeezing his palm. “He told me things about you—about your mom. Maybe if you knew them, it might change your feelings about him.”
Luke slipped his hand out of my grasp, shaking his head.
