"And yet, here I am."
"Not by anyone's choice, but by accident."
Sighing, she rolled her eyes. "You know, I've never liked the term accident applied to children. We had sex without protection. It's not like you expected a big screen TV to come out of the deal and accidentally got a baby instead."
Despite myself, I laughed. "What term would you rather use?"
"Unplanned."
"Well, Kinsley, Finn might have been unplanned, but he's loved very much."
Unsurprisingly, tears formed in her eyes. "I know I love him."
"I love him too."
At that thought, my tie constricted my blood flow. What if I tried to love Finn's mother? Not so long ago, I might have believed it was possible. She'd changed, though; exactly as I'd known she would. The life I led didn't leave room for soft, kind women.
Abruptly, I stood, tugging on my tie. "Thanks for talking with me. Do you need anything?"
Shaking her head, she watched me leave.
Downstairs, I loosened my tie, storming into my office to fix a drink. Those types of thoughts would get me nowhere. My head needed to be in the game at all times. I had to be ruthless, or the other Families would be all too happy to take me out. There was no room for someone who didn't understand my way of life or wanted things to change. I couldn't change.
Kinsley needed to stay tucked away to remain safe. Nothing we did would alter that basic fact.
When my desk phone rang, I snatched it up without thinking about who it might be.
"What?" I snapped.
"Burke?"
My mother. With a deep sigh, I sat down with my whiskey. "Why are you calling?"
"To ask you to reconsider cutting off your father and me. It's not right, son—"
"I'm going to go ahead and stop you right there. You and that man you created me with had plenty of warnings."
"But—"
"He caused me injury and nearly got himself killed. You lied for him time and time again." Though I tried never to raise my voice to my mother out of respect, I was losing patience fast.
"Burke—"
"You know what, Ma? I'm not even angry. I'm just disappointed."
I set the receiver on the base and drained my glass, rising to pour another. I'd lied just then. There was no doubt I was disappointed, but I was also very angry. As far as I was concerned, my parents were directly responsible for Kinsley's new attitude. If I'd known about my baby all along, who knew how our relationship might have developed? I could have had time to ease her into this lifestyle, to propose properly. Maybe then we wouldn't be at odds with one another.
I looked up at the knock on the door. "Yes, Noah?"
"The first candidate is here to be interviewed."
"Fine. Will you ask Kinsley to come down and join me?"
"Of course." Noah walked away, and I stood up, straightening my tie and smoothing my suit jacket.
I heard her before I saw her, and what I heard was not good.
"I don't care what the hell he wants!"
