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“Where are Lincoln and Beau?”
I dropped my chin to my chest. Had I not been giving myself a stern talking to about how he’d never change? In my naïve mind, I must’ve believed he’d wake up a different man.
“Not here.” I could’ve told him they’d be here soon but was in no mood to bring him any comfort.
“Because they care about the company. You should take a lesson from them.”
I struggled to rein in the anger threatening to explode. He didn’t deserve to see how he upset me. I had to stop allowing him to do it. At this point, it was on me.
“The company doesn’t care if you die or not.”
“You don’t either.”
I wanted to look away from the challenge in his gaze. Always with the mind games.
“Then why am I here?” I spat.
“You know you’ve been wrong—”
I shot to my feet. “I’ve been wrong?” I lost control of the volume of my voice. “I’vebeen wrong?” I repeated incredulously. “I chose an honorable career and you couldn’t support me. You’re my father. You don’t have to like all my decisions, but you’re supposed to be there.”
“I’ve shaped you so you can survive.”
“You’re furious I don’t do what you say,” I growled, temporarily forgetting we were in a hospital.
“You have a role to play in this family.” He coughed, the first sign of weakness since he’d woken up. Only my father would come out of critical condition swinging.
“You aren’t my family.” It hurt to say those words even though they were true.
“I’ve tried everything. I thought you might listen to your brother and sister, but there’s no reasoning with you.”
I grabbed the bed rail. “You kidnapped the woman I love. You’ve threatened her. Threatened me.” I leaned over him. “There is no reasoning withyou.”
“Sir! Back away from Mr. Hollingsworth.” The kind nurse who’d just brought me coffee was now tugging on my sleeve.
I stalked to the window and plowed a hand through my hair.
“Leave us.” My father’s stern words weren’t to be argued with.
Her shoes squeaked on the linoleum floor as she scurried away. He’d either have her fired for having no backbone or be pleased she did what he said.
I kept my back to the man who had been a looming shadow over everything I did. Sometimes I felt it and sometimes I didn’t, yet it was always there.
“I needed your attention.”
I spun. “Really? There are other ways to go about it. Like pretending to listen to me. Pretending to care.”
He had a way of looking indifferent without being so. What was simmering beneath his surface, I’d never figure out. I could’ve dealt with the coldness if there’d been some grain of caring in his actions.
“You’ve put me in a terrible position.”
I flicked my gaze to the monitors and shook my head. Always blaming me.
I drew in a breath and studied his form in the hospital bed. This was the most vulnerable I’d ever seen him, and he was still terrifying.
I yanked on my hair again. “I don’t know why I stayed.” It was another mistake. At least when he was out, there were no more ugly words and deeds. Now that he was back in the land of the living, the terror would start all over.
“You know I’m right.” He coughed again, and the beeps on his monitor sped up a fraction.
