Chapter Twenty
Josie
Cason’s right,we need to be honest with everyone in our lives, so that we can be successful as a couple and live a long, healthy life together. That being said, I’m still scared out of my mind to talk to my father about what’s been really going on in my life the past couple of weeks.
I’m hoping with me there he won’t try to kill Cason. I reach out to take hold of his hand as we head toward his office. His assistant sits out in front of it at her desk. Her gaze falls to our joined hands and she raises a brow. I don’t know how much she knows about the histories of our families, but the look on her face says that she knows enough.
She presses a button near a speaker on her desk. “Sir, your one o’clock is here.”
My father’s voice comes through the other end. “Send him in.”
So he doesn’t know I’m here with Cason. Well, this is going to be a shock for him.
Cason opens one of the doors for me and allows me through first before he pulls it closed behind him.
My father sits at his grand, mahogany desk. He would never admit it to anyone, but he had it custom-built as an almost replica of the one in the Oval office. I think he had and may still have dreams of being the President of the United States one day. Honestly, now that I know more about him, the thought is terrifying.
He types on his laptop and doesn’t pay us any mind for a minute or so, it’s clear that he’ll pay attention to us on his own time and Cason seems fine with that.
After a moment he finally glances up and does a double-take when he sees me. “Oh, I didn’t realize you would be here as well. It’s nice to see you, Josephine. To what do I owe the pleasure of you being here as well. I can’t say I see the correlation of why you would be here to speak business with Mr. Bancroft and me.”
I hold my tongue. He’s the only person in the world to use my full name, and it normally only when my presence annoys him. I guess he can’t talk mafia shop with Cason if I’m here.
I look at Cason. Not sure if he wants me to take the lead on this or if I should. He clears his throat. “Sir. I haven’t come here on business as I led you to believe. I needed to speak with you about the recent events regarding Josie’s kidnapping. Sacha did not take your daughter, I did. She saw me kill Sacha by accident when she returned to the bakery that night, and as you know we don’t leave witnesses, but I knew she wasn’t a typical witness. So I hid her away until I was certain she would not pose a threat to anyone by going to the cops.”
My father’s jaw clenches and he shifts in his chair. “I see.”
I step forward. “Daddy, I’ve been in love with Cason for as long as I can remember, and I never thought he would give me the time of day until all that happened. I know you want us to keep the promise or whatever, but it’s been broken and I don’t want what I have with him to end.”
He slams his hand down on his desk. “It’s not just about a promise, Josephine, it’s about having integrity!”
I stand straighter. “Well, I’d rather choose love. And I have. Cason wanted to tell you the truth. His father knows about us and gives his blessing. I don’t care if you bless us. I’m going to be with him. We thought we could come by to give you the courtesy of finding out from us rather and hearing it secondhand. And you’ll be the first outside of us to know that I’m pregnant. I’m not going to have our baby be without his father because he happens to be a Bancroft!”
My chest heaves as I say everything I need to all in one breath, but if I hadn’t it would’ve never come out, and I knew if Cason told him that part he wouldn’t have waited to hear him out.
He goes silent as he stares at the two of us. “I guess there can’t be much done about that. However.”
In a flash, he raises something silver, and a shot rings throughout the room, I stumble back as my gaze goes to Cason, he also stumbles and his hand comes up to hold his shoulder.
It’s in that second that I realize my father holds a small gun in his hand. My eyes widen and I rush to Cason. He shot him.
“What is wrong with you!” I scramble to pull my phone out of my pocket. I need to call an ambulance. Tears spring to my eyes.
Cason grunts and holds up his hand. “I’m okay, Joie.”
I look up at him. “Have you lost your mind as well? You’ve been shot, Cason!”
He nods and lets out a breath. “And it’s a surface wound. That gun isn’t strong enough to kill, it just shocks a person long enough so that the one firing it can get away. I won’t die from it, I just need a bandage. Does this pay your price?”
My father snorts. “Hardly, but I can’t kill the father of my first grandchild. You would be dead right now if it wasn’t for that fact. I have more than one gun over here. Welcome to the family, Cason. Don’t break my daughter’s heart.”
I glare at him. There are other ways to get his point across. I help Cason turn and we leave the office. As we get in the elevator I begin looking for the closest hospital. We came here in Cason’s Lambo. I’ve never driven one of those, but I’m about to get a crash course.
Cason reaches over and presses the stop button. The elevator halts in its descent.
I stare at it and then at him. “What are you doing? We need to get you to a hospital!”
He shakes his head. “I’m okay. I just got the wind knocked out of me. Look.” He carefully undoes his button-down shirt and pushes it along with the suit jacket off his shoulder, a tiny hole glitters with blood in the lights of the elevator. A trickle comes from it, but it’s not enough to kill him.
