She sagged her shoulders and pushed out a deep breath. “It’s not like that.”
“Not like you looking me in the eyes and not saying anything about Banks being your father? Even after I told you all the shit about my dysfunctional ass family?”
Disgusted, I tossed the photo back onto her desk carelessly, causing a few of the files to spill onto the floor.
“Luke, I was going to tell you. I tried to tell you.”
“You should’ve tried harder.” I paused before saying, “He told me he had a daughter.”
Her mouth clamped shut.
“He told me he hadn’t seen her in years but that was it.” I stepped back from the desk, shaking my head, and started for the door.
“Luke, where’re you going?” Syd demanded, running in front of me, placing herself between me and the door.
“The fuck outta here.”
“Please, don’t. Look, I know—”
“Know what? That you’re a lying, scheming, conniving…” It was on the tip of my tongue to call her out of her name, but I held back. God only knew why.
“I didn’t lie.”
“Lie of omission is still a lie.” I started to move around her to get to the door again, but Syd stepped to the side, blocking my path.
“I just wanted to find out more about him. To somehow get to know him.”
“So, you thought fucking Banks’s championship fighter would, what? Bring you closer to him? Kind of a fucked up way to mend your daddy issues, sweetheart,” I snarled.
Pop.
The stinging on my left cheek was immediate. I curled my hands into fists as my entire body filled with tension. The sting of betrayal and radiated throughout my chest. It had more of an impact on me than the slap she’d given me. I narrowed my gaze.
“Stay the entire fuck away from me.”
“Luke, don’t walk away.”
I damn near dislocated my arm, pulling out of her hold when she reached for me. “Keep your hands the fuck off me. And don’t bother showing up to my gym on Monday,” I informed in a lethal tone, looking back over my shoulder. “You’re fired.”
Chapter 26
Brought This On Yourself
Syd
Frowning, I stared at my phone, my thumb hovering over the call button, daring myself to call him again. Yet, as my thumb began to lower, the sound of my office door opening pulled my attention away from the screen.
“You’re still in here staring at that damn phone?” Tanisha asked in an annoyed tone as she pushed her way into my office, moving to the chair across from me and plopping down in it.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” I tossed my phone onto my desk before planting my elbows on it.
Tanisha looked over her shoulder toward the now opened doorway and shrugged. “No one’s here. You didn’t have any meetings on your schedule and your phone line wasn’t lit up, so I knew you weren’t on a call. Figured you’d be in here pouting. And look at you,” she said, disgusted, looking me up and down. “Just as I suspected. Bags all under your eyes.” She shook her head.
Frowning, I tossed her a middle finger. “Aren’t you supposed to be my support system at a times like this?”
She blinked and placed both hands on the arms of the chair, pushing herself to sit up straight. “I’ve always got your back. You know this. Which is why I told your ass to tell that man the truth from the beginning.”
“I was going to tell him,” I defended myself.
