“It’s true that she wants neither. So show her you can give her the one thing she doesn’t have that she wants more than anything.”
Turning, I asked, “Which is?”
“A family who loves her.”
His words stabbed through my chest. It was obvious Sailor needed that connection to other people she’d been lacking for years, and I saw that she’d formed an attachment to my father pretty quickly. But it felt disingenuous to pretend that I wanted to marry her and give her babies because I couldn't live without her. I had never been interested in a family outside the one I had, but I was supposed to make her think I wanted to give her that?
I sighed. “Are you setting a timer?”
Dad chuckled. “As long as you’re actively working toward my end goal, then no.”
“You’re really trying to make me hate you, aren’t you?”
He sounded genuinely surprised when he responded. “Hate me? I’m only doing what’s best for you and the family.”
“By manipulating both me and the doctor? Playing God with puppets in His hands?”
“No, by ensuring you are happy, and that the business continues to thrive after I’m gone. To make damn certain you’ll have heirs to carry on what we’ve spent decades perfecting, Nero.”
“Please,” I scoffed. “You’re not dying, and you can’t use that as your reasoning anymore. I’ve seen through you and your disguise.”
With shaking hands, I snagged my keys and left his room. Heading downstairs, I sat at the bar in the lobby and tried to calm my racing heart. Suddenly, I couldn't stand the sight of the man I loved.
The more answers we found, the more questions I had, and the more my father tried to change the subject. I was past wondering if he knew something and simply didn't want to tell me. He was guilty of something egregious, I could tell, but he kept pretending he’d never lied to me.
It hurt more than I could describe. We’d always been close, and had grown closer when I lost the woman I looked up to more than anybody in the world. I’d shifted my love and devotion to him, heaping it on top of his grief to help him heal from his monumental loss. And this was the end result.
Mom had disapproved of me killing our adversaries, but was resigned to it. She knew it was the life she signed up for, and never went so far as to tell me she was disappointed in me. But I felt it radiating from her heart every time I returned late at night with figurative blood on my hands. I’d heard her and Dad fighting about it one night, and he promised I wouldn't do it again. We had men for that, after all, and I’d long since made my bones.
I’d been the one to take out our biggest nemesis for my first kill at eighteen. Dad had been proud, but Mom was saddened bymy bloodlust. These days, we didn't resort to killing anyone. We had made peace with the worst of the local families, and used money as punishment—or the lack thereof.
But now, I had to consider the real possibility that we’d need to use deadly force against the Lombardis if they were behind the attacks. They’d killed one of our men and tried to kill me and Dad. There was no easy punishment for such major crimes.
For once, I wanted to push all that away. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I searched for a low-key place to take Sailor for dinner. I could have had a personal shopper pick out a cocktail dress and sent it to her so we could go toLe Bernardin, but she wouldn't have appreciated the exclusivity. It wasn't her style, and she would have been annoyed at me for spending so much money on her. Satisfied I’d found the perfect place, I sent her a text with a time, asking if she was okay with me picking her up. Lord knew she was independent to a fault.
Her response came quickly enough that I smiled. At least she wouldn't make demands of me and break my heart with her words. I had to go back upstairs to change, but I avoided the adjoining door to the suite beside mine. There would be time later to deal with my feelings about him.
Instead of using a driver, I took my own car from the garage and headed to the address she’d sent me. She lived in a nice part of the city in a pretty little building that looked as if it used to be a single-family home a long time ago. She had the bottom unit, and as I knocked on the door, I suddenly wished I’d had the foresight to buy her flowers.
She opened the door, her hair down past her shoulders, and a purse in her hands. I’d almost always seen her with her doctor bag and a bun, so it was a nice change.
“I hope this is okay for where we’re going,” she said, indicating the long-sleeved dress and boots.
“If you’re comfortable in it, then it’s perfect.”
“You’re, um, not wearing a suit.”
For the location I’d picked, I thought it best to put on jeans and a polo shirt. I was still probably overdressed, but it was a date, after all.
“Neither are you.”
She giggled, and I grinned. I’d never heard such an easy sound coming from her before.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, just let me lock up.”
Her loose security ran through my head as I waited for her to close the door and engage the deadbolt. At some point, I’d have to suggest she get an alarm system, but for the time being, I kept my mouth shut and led her to the car. I’d kept it running since it was still chilly out, and remembered to open her door for her before getting in.
