“Izzy is my family, Isaac. Just like you,” I state, staring into hispainedeyes.
Isaac’s face reddens, and his jaw musclespasms.
“I wanted you to fire me,” I confess, taking a step closer to him, putting myself in the danger zone by moving within reaching distance. “After everything you did for me, I didn’t feel like I could leave your empire of my own freewill. So I took the coward’s way out. I forced you to do itforme.”
Isaac’s stern eyes bounce between mine, but he remains quiet, allowing his eyes to silently demand anexplanation.
“I have a son,” Ienlightenhim.
Even in the seriousness of our conversation, I can’t stop the smile tugging on my lips. Isaac’s strengthen posture weakens, and he eyes me as if he misheard whatIsaid.
“Ava was pregnant before I snatched Roberto from the compound,” I explain, stillsmirking.
Isaac inhales a quick breath before shaking his head. “No, she couldn’t have been. I had a member of my family keep an on Ava the weeks following your disappearance. I wanted to ensure Col wasn’t aware of her significancetoyou.”
I curtly nod. “I know that,” I reply. I know Isaac would have ensured Ava was safe. “Ava didn’t discover she was pregnant until she was nearly six months along. Joel is my son, Isaac. Even without a DNA test, there is no doubt inmymind.”
Isaac swallows harshly and runs his hand along the edge of his jaw. After a small stretch of silence, he paces around his desk and takes a seat in his leather chair. This is the first time I’ve seen him look wholly stumped. He’s not used to being divulged information second hand. He is normally the informant of vital information, not thereceiver.
His leather chair creaks as he leans back and lifts his eyes to me. “If I’d known, I would havenever--”
“I know,” I interrupt, taking the chair across from him. “I didn’t kiss Izzy because I thought you hid my son from me. I kissed her because I didn’t take the time to properly judge the repercussions of myactions.”
The deep V groove in between Isaac’s eyes smooths. “I’ve warned you before. Hastedecisions--”
“Cause unforgiving mistakes.” I fill in, noddingmyhead.
I rest my ankle on my trouser-covered thigh. “I don’t expect you to ever forgive me. What I did to you was wrong, but I need you to understand why I did it. I was hurting as I thought Ava was going to take my son away from me. I let my anger get the better of me… asdidIzzy.”
Isaac shifts his eyes to the side of his office, like he can see Izzy through the wallsseparatingthem.
“I made a foolish mistake, and stupidly threw Izzy under the bus with me. You don’t need me to tell you this because I can see in your eyes you are already aware, but I’m going to say it anyway. Izzy is your Achilles heel, just like Avaismine.”
Isaac returns his eyes to me. The catastrophic storm brewing in his eyes earlier has been downgraded to a tropicalshower.
“I wasn’t man enough to talk to you last week, but I’m man enough to admit I made a mistake. I'm sorry for what I did to you, Isaac. For breaking your trust, and for messing around with the best thing that has ever happened to you. I don’t expect you to accept my apology, but I hope one day, you’ll understand if I had the chance, I'd go back in an instant and fix all the wrongs I’ve done. Not just this week, years agoaswell.”
Isaac inhales a ragged breath as he stands from his chair. He paces around the desk and props his hip on the side. His arms are crossed in front of his body, and his jaw is ticking, exposing his agitation, but the pain in his eyes has eased from myconfession.
“I’m only going to say this once, so you better listen.” His voice is rough, like his throat is raw and bleeding. “I was once told family isn’t the people related to you by blood. It is the people you chose to be a part of your life that makes themfamily.”
I smile and nod my head. I’ve quoted that saying to him numerous times the past fiveyears.
“No matter what happens, Hugo, you will always be my family.” He coughs, clearing his throat of any encumbrance. “But in saying that, I'llfuckingkill you if youevertouch Isabelle again,” he warns, glaring into my eyes to ensure I'm aware his warning is not an idle threat. If I so much as touch a strand on Izzy’s head, he will slit mythroat.
I swallow the brick lodged in my throat before nodding my head. Smirking at my agreeing gesture, Isaac pushes off the desk and takes his original position behind it. After running his eyes over a barrage of paperwork in front of him, he lifts themtome.
“Are you planning on sitting there all day?” he asks with his browarched.
When I shake my head, he says, “Then get the fuck out of my office. Some of us actually have to work for aliving.”
Even exulted by Isaac using part of a quote he said to me many years ago, my brows furrow. I’m happy I’ve repaired some of the damage I instigated between Isaac and me, but I can’t just step back into my old role. My family needs me. But even more important than that, Ineedthem.
Sensing my hesitation to leave, a smirk etches on Isaac’s mouth. It is only small, but it is enough to appease some of the guilt maiming myheart.
“Go back to your family, Hugo” Isaac responds to my silent thoughts. “Mark might have pulled in the female clientele back in the day, but he is shit at operations. My clubs in the New York region are taking a hit with him behind the wheel. Maybe with someone steering him in the right direction, I might not have to firehisass.”
A broad grin stretches across my face. I’m not bragging, but when I was at the helm of operations in New York five years ago, Isaac’s clubs saw substantial growth.Alright, maybe I'mbragging.
