AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Eric's lips turn down in a frown as he steps to the edge of the porch, leaving his daughter and wife at the door. "Where is your father? He was supposed to meet with us at twelve-thirty."
The set of Eric’s shoulders, how straight his mouth is, the little twitch in his right eye, tells me he’s not happy with waiting the—I glance at my watch—three minutes he’s been out here on the porch.
I try for a smile, but it falls flat. “I’m sure he’s up in the attic. I’ll let you in. Were you meeting with him for a specific purpose?” If he says lunch, I’m going to crap my pants. I’m sure Dad hasn’t had lunch delivered or picked anything up. Dad let all the staff go last week. Honestly, based on our financial situation, I think it was a good idea. I need to get a handle on everything, but it’s not happening right now with Eric Gale breathing down my neck.
The front door is unlocked, which for a normal family would be okay, but we’re not normal. Anyone could have come in here. Hell, Eric Gale could have just walked right in. He’s with his family now, so I doubt he would kill my father, but he could have sauntered right in and stood behind his two goons while they drilled extra holes in my body.
The smile I flash Eric, his wife, and their daughter—whoa, she’s not as young as I first thought. Goodness, she’s fucking hot. I catch myself and tamp down the spike of desire. This is Eric Gale’s daughter, the one it’s rumored he keeps locked in the basement. I’m not so old that I don’t hear her college classmates talking about her. The rumors are she’s virtually a prisoner. Everywhere she goes, she has a guard watching her every move. I don’t doubt it because this is Eric Gale we’re talking about. Legend has it that he has killed more than one man who did him wrong.
“I’ll run up and find him. If you’d like, you can wait in the library.” That should be safe. Dad’s office is a mess. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m going to have to do something more rash than cutting the purse strings.
Once I get Gale and his family situated in the library, I head upstairs. Dad isn’t on the second floor, so I race up to the third, disgusted at the dust turning the hall table white. We need the maid to come back. I can’t run the company, take care of Dad’s antics, and keep this house. It’s impossible.
The door at the end of the hall that leads to the attic is ajar. For just a second, I hesitate, not sure what I’ll find. This is taking too long. Who knows what Eric Gale is getting up to in our library? God, I hate having him in my house. Sure, he's a Scorpio Society member, but I remember not too long ago when the society had him take care of the Delilah Eaton problem, and Gerald Eaton ended up shot then burned to death in a house fire. The message was clear: don't fuck around with Eric Gale. And here my dad is fucking around with Eric Gale.
Dad is sitting on an old couch, surrounded by boxes. Sadness slides through me. He’s not the man he used to be. The vibrance he once had has turned dull and been replaced by something that isn’t quite right. Every once in a while, I see a glimpse of the man Dad used to be. Right now, there is no glimpse of that man.
“Dad, Eric Gale is downstairs.”
His head whips up, and he narrows his gaze. "Gale? I know a Gale, don't I?"
Shit, Dad is in a state. He's not fit to meet with Gale or anyone else. I should have seen it coming, but this is bad. He's gone downhill fast. This man isn't the same one I talked to even a week ago. No way can he see Eric Gale right now.
“Dad, you need to go lie down.”
“I don’t want to. You can’t make me. I don’t need a nap.”
Dad’s words come out as a shout. Great, now he’s raving. I need the man who slayed beasts with me today, not this man who smells a little like piss and hasn’t shaved in days. Fast thinking is a must. If Eric Gale sees Dad in this state, it will all be over.
“That’s okay. Just stay up here. I’ll come get you later. Enjoy your time looking through books.”
“Have you seen Lisa? I need to talk to Lisa.”
My heart drops, and I want to throw up. Mom has been dead for ten years. I can't deal with whatever health emergency is happening right now. He'll be fine up here for a while.
“You stay here, and I’ll go look for her.”
“Thank you, young man. I’m sure your parents are proud of you.”
This is awful. I race downstairs, slowing when I approach the second-floor landing. Sweat slides down the side of my face. Great, just what I need. Fuck, this is bad. I take a moment to stop in one of the bathrooms and wipe the sweat off my face. A shiver snakes through me when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. This isn’t how I want to present myself, and I certainly don’t want to look this way with Eric Gale standing in my library.
Eric won’t be happy if we keep him waiting any longer. Already, it has been way too long to keep someone like Eric cooling his heels. Men like Eric get into trouble when their heels cool.
I head downstairs, surprised to see Eric Gale on the first landing heading up. He’s left the library. This is why we had staff. We have to keep people contained when they come for a visit. But few have been coming for visits lately. God, I should have realized it was bad and put my father somewhere he couldn’t do any damage.
“Your father isn’t with you,” Eric says.
“He’s indisposed.”
Anger flits over Gale’s face. We hold our own, but we never would go up against a man like Gale. He’s one of the founding members, and he’s ruthless as a snake. He may not seem like much, but the man is lethal.
“Listen, we had an—”
“Eric, here you are.”
I turn and see Dad at the top of the stairs, his smile wide. He looks like the man I grew up with, not the person I left in the attic. God, this is going to be difficult to control. Dad may be okay some of the time, but he's making mistakes and taking risks we can't afford. One mistake with the wrong account, and we're all dead.
"It's good to see you." Dad sounds like himself, and I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. It's not over yet, but this is a step in the right direction. Now I just have to get Eric Gale to leave before any promises are made. Somehow, I need to inform Gale that my father isn't responsible enough to make decisions. That could go horribly wrong.
