“But I’ll compromise,” I said before he could hang up.
“What?” Gabe and Liv said at once.
I put my hand up to silence them. “You give Gabe the information he needs, and I’ll give you a chance to prove yourself.”
“Such as?”
I looked at Gabe and Liv, the two people this man had shaped with abuse but never neglect. They had everything they needed, everything but their father’s love. Had wanted for nothing, and in the end after all he’d done, he had given them his fortune and a company he would have handed to them if they hadn’t stolen it from him first.
I picked up the phone and took it off speaker, walking out of the office.
“Tori,” Gabe called.
“Stay and let me talk to him.”
His brows knitted, his eyes questioning.
“Trust me.”
I closed the office door and returned to my office, closing the door behind me.
“You repair the relationship with your children, right your wrongs, make amends for the damage you sowed.”
“I don’t need to repair anything, and I regret nothing I did in raising them.”
“You beat him. Pushed him through a glass window. There’s a history between the three of you, especially you and Gabe, thatneeds to be fixed before I will let you step foot in my son’s life. He is innocent and naïve about the wickedness of this world. Like I suspect Gabe was before you laid your hand on him. I won’t let you hurt him, too.”
Silence. Long and nerve-inducing. This wasn’t my business, but he had made it mine by demanding to see Reid.
“You really love my son, don’t you?”
“Yes, and I hate what you did to him. I hate that he still carries it with him. You prove to Gabe and Liv that you're worth letting back into their lives, and I’ll consider letting you into Reid’s.”
“Until then?”
“You stay away from him. I’ll allow a Christmas present if Gabe agrees, but no visits, no phone calls. Not until you show us you’re worthy of it.”
“I can see why my son loves you. Why he was willing to give so much up for you.”
“If you hadn’t interfered, he wouldn’t have had to.”
“But then he wouldn’t be the man he is today.”
“No, he’d be better. Without the scotch habit, without the guilt he carries, without having missed so many years of his son’s life. He’d be happier.”
“I don’t strive for happiness, Miss Hent. I strive for ambition and power, and that’s what he has. Now put me back on speakerphone. We’re done talking.”
He was frustrating, and I didn’t know why I’d offered anything to the man. Why I’d thought Gabe or Liv would care to have any relationship with him. But when I stepped back into the office, their worried hazel eyes met mine, and I knew it had been the right thing.
“I see we’re keeping our own secrets now,” said Liv, feigning indifference.
I put their father back on speakerphone. “They’re here.”
“Good. Bradman kept you on board for three years. Longer than any female officer he’s had. The rest lasted as long as he kept his dirty hands to himself. He keeps his affairs quiet, and when he’s done with them, he slaps an NDA on them. Now, I’m not saying all his advances were unwelcome, like I imagine those made at you were, but he plays the power card with promises of promotions and favors.”
“How do you know all this?” Gabe asked.
“Because I’ve known Carl since he was an aggressive, spoiled brat in college. His parents let him get away with everything and covered up his mistakes with money. There’s a reason I was hard on you two, and you turned out nothing like Carl Bradman for that reason.”
