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“Yep. Actually had me escorted off the property by armed security and everything. Kelsey told me Dad then used the whole ordeal to his benefit—told the guy that I’d gone rogue, and he feared it was even possible I’d run off to the authorities to ruin both of their lives. Like any cockroach, the tax guy vanished at the threat of light being turned his way.” I shrugged. “The rest is history.”
Luke was silent for so long I feared he had to be thinking life was too complicated with all this Steadfast drama and that he’d be better off without it. Honestly, I couldn’t blame him. That same thought had occurred to me more than once.
Hesitantly, I touched his forearm. “Are you okay?”
A muscle worked in his jaw. “I’m trying to talk myself out of going upstairs to where your father’s lying in that hospital bed.”
I was almost afraid to ask. “Why would you want to do that?”
“So I can smother the fucking life out of that bastard. Eden, you need to listen to me.” He turned to fully face me and gripped my hands so hard it almost hurt. “You are not to go up there and talk to him. Not now. Not ever again. Do you understand me?”
“Um… not really.” His concern was heart-meltingly sweet, though, so I freed one of my hands to cup his cheek. “My father can’t even sit up on his own right now, baby. He can’t hurt me.”
“You love him.That’show he can hurt you, and he knows it. Don’t,” he pressed when I opened my mouth. “Just listen to me and try to hear what I’m telling you, yeah? He knows you love him. That’s how he’s been controlling you—and hurting you—all this time. But I realize now that he doesn’t actually give a shit about you,at all. Do you understand?He doesn’t give a shit about you.”
“Are you serious?” Abruptly my hand dropped while those poisonous words rang in my ears until they were all I could hear. “Look, I know what I just shared with you sounds bad. For God’s sake, itisbad. I get that. But my father does love me, Luke. Maybe not as much as HEG when he feels cornered and the pressure’s on, but I swear he’s not as bad as you’re making him out to be. My fatherlovesme.”
“No, Eden. Either you love someone—which means you live for their happiness and would sacrificeeverythingfor them—or you don’t. I haven’t been able to see that clearly when it comes to your father until now because I’ve been seeing him through your eyes. But now I know the truth, and I can seeexactlywhat he is. And he sure as shit isn’t a loving father.”
“You’re wrong.”
“From the very beginning you’ve been nothing but a convenience for him, a usable tool. You were the adorable waif who could get away with stealing whatever he told you to, and you did whatever he asked because you loved him and wanted to please him. You were his prop and show-pony when he founded HEG, a pretty doll he put on display along with a neighbor’s cat and a roomful of shooting trophies that polled well in the Southern markets. When PSI first investigated Marvin Pankey, I said that he’d finally found a successful grift because it was so close to the kind of religion that he hated, but I was wrong. That’s not why HEG thrived. It thrived because ofyou.”
“Stop—”
“And as you grew,youbecame the real draw when it came to HEG’s livestreams and podcasts, becauseyouwere the one who gave a damn when it came to being real. The proof of that is when you became an honest-to-God life coach who genuinely wanted to help people, while all your father wanted to do was fleece the fucking rubes. HEG wasn’t built on Tru Steadfast’s back. It was built onyours. That’s the truth that sonofabitch figured out after he threw you away. It may have taken him a few years to get past his unbelievable ego to finally see it, but once he did, he pulled out all the stops to get you back under his control. Not because he loves you—he doesn’t. He just wants to use you,again, to prop up his ego along with his collapsing empire.”
“I know he wanted me back because of HEG’s slipping numbers, I get that,” I shot back hotly while my stupid eyes began to burn. “But… he’s my father, Luke. You’re saying he feels nothing for me, but you’re dead wrong. I know my father loves me, and even though I can see that HEG’s sinking popularity had him doing whatever he could to get me back, I also believe he really did miss me.”
“That fucker missed whatever it was you could bring him,” came the brutal reply. “That’sit, Eden. That’s all your relationship has ever been right from the beginning—just one cold-blooded, uncaring, unloving transaction after another. I can’t believe you can’t see that, it’s so fucking obvious.”
“Well, I guess I’m not the genius you thought I was. So sorry to disappoint.” Pulling away from him, I came to my feet and paced away from him. It was either that or knock his lights out. “I know you probably think I’m too stupid to go upstairs and have it out with my father about his slipping ratings, but that’s what I’m going to—”
“No, you’re not.” He stood up and reached for me when his phone went off. With a muttered curse he reached for it with one hand while keeping the other on my elbow. “What? Wait, Bebe, what?” His scowl flashed with alarm before he looked sharply at me. “No, don’t go outside. Make sure the fire department and police are headed out to your house. I’m on my way.”
No matter how pissed I was, I couldn’t ignore his alarm as he hung up. “What about Bebe? Is she all right?”
“Someone set the garage on fire. She has home security with PSI, so our people should’ve already alerted the proper authorities. Doesn’t matter though, because I need to be there for her.” With that, he thumbed his phone’s screen. My phone, which I’d set on silent for the press conference, immediately began to vibrate. Clearly he’d triggered the panic button app, which was no doubt telling me to shelter in place.
“You’re staying here,” he said, putting his phone to his ear. “I have to take care of this emergency, but I get that I can’t tear you away from where you feel you need to be here at the hospital—” He straightened abruptly and glanced back the way we’d come. “Yeah. Nix, I’m bringing the protectee back to the press conference area so you and Echo can keep her covered. There’s an emergency at my mother’s so I have to go. Be aware that this could be a divide-and-conquer maneuver from our perp, so be on your toes. Right.” With that, he tucked his phone back into his pocket and turned back to lock gazes with mine. “You understand what’s going on?”
I nodded grimly. “This fire could be a coincidence, or it could be a ruse to pull you away from me. If it’s the latter, it means my stalker’s trying to clear the field for a final, no-holds-barred strike.”
“That’s my genius.” He framed my face and brought me in for a hard, quick kiss. “Stay with Nix and Echo. You obviously hit this guy’s buttons, so he’s responding just like we wanted him to—with rage. Don’t forget how dangerous that makes him.”
“Back at you,” I said in a rush, unable to help myself. “I know you’re focused on me and your mother, but don’t forget this asshole might decide to make you a target, too. He could see you as the proverbial other man.”
His sudden grin surprised me. “Worried about me, baby?”
“Damn it, yes, of course I am. Luke, stop grinning like that. This isn’t a laughing—”
“I know what it is.” Still grinning, he kissed me again—harder, longer, and it left me wanting more when he stepped back. “It’s you thinking about me even when you’re pissed off at me, and I fucking love that. We’re going to talk one helluva lot more about that when I see you next.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Peonies and Roses
“You do understand that your stalker took your pops out while on HEG grounds, yeah? And that all evidence points to him coming from HEG? That HEG is his fucking home?”
