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“He was a hard man who knew the value of earning everything by your own power, not just gifted to you because you were born into privilege. My brothers were soft. Which is why, in the end, I took over the business and not them.”
“Where are they now?” I asked to keep him talking.
There was little about my father in the news outside of current events. I had no idea how many siblings he had or even his mother’s name.
“Buried.” There was just a hint of a smile and I took that to mean he’d been the one who put them there.
“Your father?” I asked.
“Next to the pompous assholes.”
“Your mother?”
“Why are you really in here, Daughter?”
There was something there. His mother was a trigger. I couldn’t tell by his avoidance of answering the question if she was alive or dead.
“I told you I wanted my phone,” I said.
“And you thought you would find it in my papers.”
I didn’t answer because I didn’t have a plausible response.
He stalked forward, leaving me to feel like a caged animal. “There’s another lesson you need to learn quickly.” I waited as he stopped two feet away from me. “I don’t take kindly to betrayal. There are no second chances for that. You are my blood, but so were my brothers.” He held my gaze a long hard moment until he continued. “Self-preservation is of course a natural human reaction. So is revenge.”
My blood chilled as his cold stare left me no reason to doubt him.
He was right about self-preservation. I felt it too. In a soft, subservient tone, I said again, “I was just looking for my phone.”
That, of course, was partially a lie. But I would say what I needed to in order to survive.
“Good.” He pushed the papers away from my hand. “I’ll be without a wife soon. It’s time I reconnected with your mother. Don’t most kids want their parents together?” He spoke as if it was a far-gone conclusion that he would marry Mom.
I swallowed trying to think what to say. “I think maybe you should start fresh.”
His laugh chilled me more. “When you’re married, your mother will need looking after.” He walked to the other side of the desk as my heart raced. The last thing I wanted was Mom in his clutches forever. It seemed more of a tactic to continue to control me than his alleged love for her. “Anyway, your Liam called. It seems my meeting with the infamous Royce King will happen on schedule.”
Somehow, I managed to conceal my shock. “And you didn’t believe him?”
“I’ll believe him when it happens. Go pack a bag. We are leaving for New York.”
Finally, my limbs worked. I scrambled for the door, taking a wide berth around where he stood.
“And Daughter?” I stopped dead. “If I ever catch you in my office again, we won’t just have words.”
He threatened my life twice and I would be stupid not to believe him. I fled the bully, and I was grateful to be leaving Chicago. I packed everything I had. One way or another, I didn’t see myself coming back.
Nineteen
Liam
My phone vibrated in my hand and the display came up as unknown. Last time I was with Natalie, she’d mentioned she didn’t have her phone. I answered without delay.
“Hello,” I said.
“Is this Liam?” a woman asked.
If not for Natalie potentially in danger, I wouldn’t have responded without hesitation. “Yes.”
“Oh, thank God. Is Natalie with you?”
“Who’s asking?” I was willing to share some things, but at this point in the conversation I needed answers of my own before I gave up any more information.
“This is her mother. She used your phone a few days ago to call me. I’ve haven’t heard from her since and I’m frantic.”
“I think she’s fine,” I said, honestly.
“Think? Have you seen her?” There was an edge of panic in her voice.
“I left Chicago a few days ago,” I admitted.
“Left? Will you go back? She needs you.”
What had Natalie told her? “I’m doing everything I can. I swear.”
“I’m so worried. I can offer you money to help me.” The poor woman sounded frantic. It reminded me of Dad telling me about how my mom worried about me.
“No, ma’am. You don’t need to do that. I do have a plan to get her away from her father. If all goes well, I’ll see Natalie in a day or two.”
She blew out a loud breath. I thought about how Natalie said her mother was dealing with a lung disease. “Thank God. This is all my fault. If I’d figured out who he was before—”
I knew where she was going with that and squashed the thought before she finished it. “Then, we wouldn’t have Natalie. That’s the one good thing that man has done. Little does he know it.”
“You’re right,” she said, sniffling. “She’s my reason for being. I’m glad she’s found you.”
