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“She’s probably not up for company. I’ll just look in on her and be on my way.”
“Loretta will be happy to see you. She asked about you earlier.”
“She did?” My steps faltered. For reasons I’d never understand, she liked me, and I had a feeling she knew just how rotten I was.
“I’ll be in the study if you need me,” Mulaney said.
Quietly, I pushed inside. The blackout curtains were drawn, a little light coming from the bathroom. I blinked a few times to adjust to the dark and scanned the room. The chair beside her bed was empty. There was no one with her except Sam, who was in his place curled up next to her sleeping form.
Almost tiptoeing, I padded over to the chair, trying to sit without making a sound. It creaked as soon as my ass hit the cushion, and I winced.
“Drew?” Her voice was weak.
I found it telling that she expected her son to be here above anyone else. “It’s Sonya. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“That’s okay, dear.”
“I’m just going to sit here with you for a while, if that’s okay. We don’t have to talk.”
“Tell me what’s wrong with my boy. He’s not right today.” It sounded like it took a Herculean effort to get that out.
“I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I think he’s struggling to take the olive branch Easton’s offering. There’s something he’s not ready to let go of, and he’s being an asshole about it. Sorry,” I apologized quickly, but Loretta didn’t say anything. “I’m not one to help others. I don’t know what Drew needs, but I want to be there for him.” I paused, lifting a shoulder. “I also want to kill him the majority of the time.”
That got a little snicker from Loretta, though she remained unmoving.
“Drew won’t forgive or let go of whatever it is that’s bothering him until he’s good and ready. He may never be,” she said.
“I agreed to what you asked me to do before, to look after him, but I’m really not the person for the job. I like you, and I don’t want to let you down.” This truth thing was for the birds, but I couldn’t stop spewing it around her.
“Then don’t.”
After that, she slept, and I sat there, soaking in the silence. I hadn’t been so conflicted since college, when my father had asked me to do something for him that I’d wanted to say no to but couldn’t. That was part of the reason I was who I was. I didn’t get involved in other people’s drama, and I avoided my conscience like the plague. There was no room for that in my business or my life.
I’d been alone for so long, hadn’t cared about anyone but myself in the name of self-preservation. And after Drew’s revelations, weweremore alike than I wanted to admit. He’d been going through life alone too.
I didn’t owe the woman in that bed anything, yet I felt compelled to keep my word to her when, in the end, I wouldn’t be able to. I just wasn’t built that way. I didn’t have the time or inclination to worry about Drew. I had to figure out how to dump that coin, but buyers for that kind of thing weren’t on every street corner. Getting caught selling stolen artifacts . . . I might be making an appearance at the big house after all.
I had things to do. I couldn’t sit here with a sick woman. Hastily, I pushed up out of the chair. As I did, I noticed she wore the shawl I’d made around her shoulders. I ignored the pang of joy and stab of guilt, and held up my finger to my lips when Sam popped his head up. He stayed put, and I quietly exited the room.
As I walked down the hall toward the front door, I heard voices coming from one of the rooms.
“I don’t think he knows we own the mineral rights, Dad. He’s not even doing anything with SPE. Like he doesn’t give a shit if it sinks now that Carter Energy is out of the picture.”
I froze, knowing this had everything in the world to do with Drew. I had no business listening or getting involved, but I couldn’t make my feet move.
“And you said you don’t think he’s aware of your and Mulaney’s ownership of the pipeline?” That was Mr. Carter.
“Not based on a conversation we had a few days ago. He knows it’s held up in legislation, but he definitely believes it’s his.”
“So where are we on that?”
“We’ve shored up the LLC, made it iron-clad so there’s no way for him to control it.” Mulaney was speaking. They were their own little club, sorting everything out under Drew’s nose.
“Good. How bad off is SPE financially?” Mr. Carter again.
“They’ll be lucky to make it another six months, especially without those mineral rights.”
“Serves him right.”
