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It’s been a week. I haven’t been at the track. Jesse and Cason have been handling anything job-related. That’s fine with me. I’m sure I’ll have a hell of a mess on my hands when I get back, and the crowds will probably be out of hand but I can’t bring myself to go. I’d never before missed a day of work since starting this job. Leave it to Niko to bring me to my knees.
I didn’t take his advice. I didn’t call Nathan. I stare at my brother’s number—well, what I assume is still his number—but I can never push the button to call. I heard their conversation. The old man is in his grave.
I chuckle into my beer. Even in death that asshole is causing chaos in my life.
There’s a knock at the door and I sigh. It’s probably one of the Callaways coming to check on me. Like my shit matters. They’ve got more going on than I do, but yet here they are, showing how much different from their father they can be.
I tie my robe and grab my beer as I head to the door. I don’t look out the window because it’s been the same game for the last few days: I open the door and find either Jesse or Cason standing there with an amber liquor.
I swing the door open and automatically begin turning around but I see the shiny shoes catch my attention before I can walk off. I pause and I follow the shoes up to the pressed pants to the jacket until I’m staring into my father’s eyes. But not my father’s--my brother’s.
“What the hell are you doing here? Are all of you gonna make a habit of showing up at my doorstep now?” I sneer.
“It’s good to see you too, sis.”
“I’m not your sis,” I say, and grab the door to shut it. But his hand shoots out and catches the door before I can slam it shut.
I sigh and down my beer before walking off to get another. I feel like I might need it.
“We need to talk,” he says seriously. God, he sounds just like dad.
“We don’t need to talk about anything,” I tell him as I plop into a kitchen chair.
“Well, I need to talk and you need to listen and not be so damn stubborn,” Nathan growls.
I wave a hand towards another wooden chair as I roll my eyes. “What, Nathan? What do you want? To tell me about Dad? Well don’t bother—Niko already broke that news, whether he knows it or not.”
“I figured you probably already knew. He had a heart attack a few months back,” Nathan says, swiping a nervous hand through his hair. I knew how he died. It didn’t take much research to find out how and when the big bad wolf croaked.
“Then what?” I ask.
“Laura, Dad had a will. He left half of everything to you, which has done nothing but cause problems since the old fucker dropped.”
I had my beer mid-air and freeze.He did what?
“You’re lying. He wouldn’t have given me a dime,” I say.
“I wish, because then I could actually do my job. But everything is held up right now because, well, I’m not you.”
I get up and walk to my counter, staring out the window as I try to process what he’s saying. “What do you mean?”
“I mean half the assets are in your name. Half the company. I can’t do anything without your agreement or . . .” He stops.
I turn to him. “Or what?”
“Or I buy you out. I have to be majority holder to continue to do the job I’ve been doing for the last four years.”
“You can have it. I don’t want it,” I tell him.
He watches me warily. “What?” I ask.
“Laura, do you understand what I am saying?” Nathan replies.
“Yeah, the old man lost his fucking mind. That’s pretty clear,” I snort.
“No, this means . . . Laura, you’re a millionaire now.” I feel the nausea start to churn. “Look, maybe just think on it. I know this is a lot. But eventually, you will have to deal with this,” he tells me.
“There’s no thinking on it. I’ll sign whatever to give it to you. I don’t want any part of it.” I make my way to my front door and open it up, clearly signaling it’s time for him to go. “Just do whatever it is you need to do and mail it next time.”
Nathan gets out of his seat and walks over to me. “There’s one more thing.”
“What now?” I hiss out under my breath.
“It’s about Niko. I promised him I’d tell you this because he threatened to kick my ass if I didn’t. He’s kinda scary when he’s mad.”
“What about Niko?” I open the door just a bit wider so this asshole can find his way out.
“I . . . When he told me he found you, I may have blackmailed him. You see, I helped him get out. He didn’t have enough collateral to get the loan for his shop, so I helped him. Not with Dad’s money—it was my own personal savings. And recently he made the offer to buy me out. I told him if he got me what I wanted I’d sell him my portion of the tattoo shop. But he didn’t want to be the one to tell you. He refused to bring all this back into your life and begged me to find a loophole around it all.” He sighs. “There just wasn’t any other way. That night you heard him on the phone, I was threatening to come down here and tell you myself if he didn’t. He was trying to preserve whatever life you’ve built for yourself here. He’d rather continue to own only half of the shop than do that to you. Laura, he’s done nothing but try to protect you. He took the job all those years ago because Dad was threatening to send you away if he didn’t leave you alone and focus on his internship. But you left. After that, he walked away from Dad too. He’s been looking for you ever since.”
Nathan’s admission burns deep. I’m not sure what do with this piece of information, but I do know one thing: he said he chose me, and maybe he meant it.
