AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He smirked. “This doesn’t work that way.”
I pushed out of my seat. “Suit yourself. You’ve just wasted both of our time.”
“You’ll do anything for that girl. You have no job, which I expressed to you on multiple occasions was a total waste.”
“And you know I don’t need the job.”
He flinched at what he knew to be the truth. The one part of our lives he had no control over.
“But you want it.”
I couldn’t deny it. I wanted to be a fireman again. Just because I was fired didn’t mean I wasn’t still one. That didn’t go away.
“Why do you want me to be part of your company?” I still had no answer to the burning question. I couldn’t understand the point of all this pomp and circumstance.
“Sit.”
The command incensed me. “I’m not your dog.”
“You’re about to be.”
I paced to the fireplace and nearly stumbled. On the mantel were family photos of us when Mom was still alive. And we looked happy. There was even a picture of my parents on their wedding day and one in the kitchen, my mother with her arms wrapped around my father from behind.
How could he have this photo there reminding him that he’d once been humane? Capable of love.
“She’d hate who you’ve become.” I didn’t realize my thought had been given a voice until I heard the words in the air between us.
“I’ve tried to get you to do what’s right. There’s nothing wrong with wanting all my children to work at our family business.” When he phrased it that way, the notion sounded innocent enough. Never mind that he’d only been around when he wished to dictate his edicts. At least with me. I didn’t really know how his relationship worked with Beau and Lincoln. Only that they seemed to tolerate him far better than I did.
“Don’t put your victim spin on this.” I planted my palms on the desk and leaned forward. “We’re in this position because of you alone. You hate that I chose to do something other than what you wanted. I’ve been paying for it ever since.”
“Then it’s on you, isn’t it? You chose unwisely,” he said coolly, undeterred I was almost in his face.
The frayed thread of my control was dangerously close to snapping. I couldn’t let him see he affected me, yet I was doing it anyway. It was bad enough heknewhe did.
“You don’t really want to work with me.” My knuckles turned white. What was his end game?
He leveled me with a solid stare. “I very much desire that.”
The words were like a shove, knocking the wind out of me. I fell back into the chair I’d refused to take only moments ago.
He was telling the truth.
“Why?” The question was barely audible, even in the quiet room.
“My reasons are my own.”
The tension amped up again. Why couldn’t he give me a straight answer? Was it so hard to be honest? Whatever the truth was, I wanted to hear it.
But it was useless to press him. He was a stone wall.
“I want you to leave Pepper, Grey Paws, and anything to do with it alone. If you so much as think about them, this arrangement ends. And if you can’t agree to that, this is done.” I was exhausted. I didn’t want to screw around anymore. Being in this house was taking its toll. My father had anticipated that. He was winning.
“I won’t think of them if you won’t.”
“No.” The response was out of my mouth like a reflex.
“Very well.”
