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Why was it so damn hard to let go then?
I stalked away from the suite, determined not to focus on my loss. It had to be business as usual, but when I left the house and crossed the courtyard to the offices, Rachel’s reproving stare was the first thing I saw.
“Did you send Briar away?” she demanded.
Grimacing, I tried to ignore my assistant and make my way to my own office, but Rachel was not one to be ignored.
“Did you?”
“I make the rules around here. I don’t owe you any sort of explanation.”
“No one is arguing that,” the fae agreed. “I’m just wondering why.”
Sprawling onto my chair, I carefully avoided her steadfast stare and pretended to fixate on my computer.
“Her time here was up.”
“That’s not what you told her, Ash. You told her she could stay as long as she wanted. Now she will go home to that asshole of a father.”
I tensed at the reminder. Briar had refused to take any of my money, and I knew that meant she would return to Barney, who had yet to pay back his loan. The doctor had gone conspicuously silent over the past weeks.
I wondered how good old Barney was going to handle seeing his daughter.
But that wasn’t my problem. Briar wasn’t in danger from me, and Barney had kept her relatively safe for the past quarter century.
“Ash?”
Jerking my head up, I scowled at Rachel.
“What do you want me to say, Rachel?”
“I’m just wondering what the hell you’re thinking,” she replied pleasantly. “I thought you cared about her.”
“I do.”
“But you don’t care if she goes back to a man who would sell her?”
Grinding my teeth, I sat back in my chair and met Rachel’s ashy eyes.
“He didn’t technically sell her.”
“Did he pay the loan?”
I was getting annoyed with her questions, mostly because she was right.
“I have work to do, Rachel.”
She didn’t move. “Fine. What are we doing about Barney Madison, then?”
I stifled a sigh. I hadn’t decided yet. Protocol would dictate that I go and kill him for lack of payment, but he was still Briar’s father.
“Nothing… yet.”
Rachel pursed her lips, and I gave her an exasperated look.
“What, Rachel?” I barked.
“I’m worried about Briar,” she admitted.
