Oh shit.
I swallowed hard, tension pulling at the back of my neck.
“…I didn’t know what to do,” he continued. “I didn’t know how to take care of a kid—much less a girl. She needed her mother and all the money in the world couldn’t bring her back, so I just… tried to use it to fill the void instead. It helped, for a while. But I created a big, fucking mess of it.”
“Dillon—”
“I have never asked you for anything,” he cut in sharply, his eyes narrowing. “Not since we took over this company. Not when you decided to stay on the other side of the country. Not when my wife died and you didn’t come to the funeral—I said nothing. Twenty-five years you’ve been away and I’ve never held a grudge. And yet still, you can’t do this one favor I ask?”
His words were like a gut punch.
I pressed my palms flat against the table, my heartbeat picking up. “I’m not the right one for this, Dillon.Please. You don’t want me to handle this.”
“There is no one I trust more.” He leaned forward, his voice heavy now. “You can set her straight. She’s not a monster, Marlon. She has a good heart. She’s smart. She has degrees in business and project management. She’s capable. She just needs discipline and structure, and I can’t give it to her. You can. She’ll listen to you.”
“What makes you think she will?”
“You oversee all our staff, Marlon. Everyone knows you run a tight ship. Just… treat her like any other employee. I know she’ll be in good hands with you. I know you wouldn’t take advantage of her.”
Fuck.
He looked at me with eyes tired but full of hope.
I stared back, my own reflection came back in his gaze.
“Just,” he said softly, “help me.”
Silence stretched. I could feel the no on my tongue but it wouldn’t come out.
Finally, I exhaled, long and slow. “Fuck you for using the Alice card, nigga.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” His shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you, brother.”
“Not so fast. I ain’t in the kidnapping business. If she comes with me, it’ll be her choice. Understand?”
“She’ll go,” he said with finality.
“I need to hear it from her.”
“She’ll be down soon,” he relaxed into his chair. “Let’s order. I need something to fucking eat.”
DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL
Rory.
When my dadcalled me down for lunch, I almost told him no.
My head was pounding,my stomach was flipping, and my mouth tasted like I’d been chewing on pennies all fucking night.
Still, I dressed myself into something halfway presentable and made it to the hotel restaurant.
My plan?
Order something greasy, nod a lot, and survive my dad’s rant about whatever I’d done this time.
Except the second I stepped into the private dining room, my heart plummeted straight into my ass. Because sitting across from my father was Marlon Sinclair.
I froze in the doorway, suddenly very aware of my bare legs under my dress and the smudged eyeliner I hadn’t fully cleaned off.
