“Took care of him?”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” I tell Trent when I see the look in his eye. “This isn’t your problem,” I say, turning back to my mother, but it’s too late. She has the hard set to her brow that means trouble.
“Of course, it’s my problem. Anything involving you and that man is my problem.” She sits up further, struggling for a moment with the change in posture, then looking directly at me. “I know I’ve been sick for a long time, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re my daughter. I’m the one meant to coddle and protect you, not the other way around.” She turns her stern gaze on Trent. “Until I draw my last breath, you can ask me anything you want, and I’ll answer honestly.”
“Thank you.” Trent abruptly lets go, moving to the door. “Since you’re willing, I’ve got an investigator waiting outside who’ll ask them a lot better than me.”
CHAPTERTWENTY
TRENT
“What’sshe doing in a retirement home, anyway?” I ask as we leave the home, Edwin already enroute to Caylon with the scant information we could get from Rosa’s mother. “Shouldn’t she be in a hospice?”
“They don’t have beds available.” Her face is set in lines of displeasure. No guesses needed to work out who she’s upset with. “I’m in constant contact with the district health board but they haven’t found her a space.”
“Please let me drive home,” Finley calls from the vehicle, giggling with excitement, her cheeks flushed. “And if anyone sends you a ticket in the mail, it wasn’t me.”
“Sure,” I say, bundling Rosa into the back and trapping her when I get into the passenger seat. “You’ve got a valid licence, don’t you?” I belatedly check.
“Yep,” Finley says, not meeting my eyes and I fasten my seat belt just in case.
The drive home doesn’t lessen Rosa’s irritation and once there, I send Finley into the entertainment room to find something for us to watch with dinner while I pull Rosa aside, desperate to talk some sense into her.
“Do you really think your mother is better off not knowing?”
“She’s not well. Today was a good day for her and now it’s ruined. She mightn’t get many more of those.”
“She won’t get any if you wind up dead. Did you ever think of that?”
Her hand goes to her throat, hiding the bruises, and I flush with shame. It’s been a long day, a terrible day, and yelling at her won’t disable the self-protection mechanisms she has in place.
I pull her into my arms and wait until some of her stiff muscles soften. “Both me and your mother just want to keep you safe. It’ll be easier if you stop fighting me at every turn.”
“I don’t want her worried about things she can’t control.”
“That describes just about everything.” I sway her from side to side, one hand moving from her waist to her cheek, cradling it against me. I close my eyes and let my forehead drop to rest against the top of her head. “Please let me take care of you. I don’t want every interaction to be an argument.”
“Then you should’ve picked someone to boss around.”
I snort out a laugh, relaxing my grip when she struggles free and gives me a curious stare. “What was that for?”
“I’m amused by the idea that Ipickedyou rather than you just hurtled into my life at a million miles an hour.”
“I didn’t.” She folds her arms. “I’ve been minding my own business all this time.”
I put her in a quick head lock, kissing her on the top of her hair a dozen times before setting her free. “Well, now I’m minding your business and as the son of an astute investor, expect to double your returns.”
She laughs, immediately becoming more pliable.
“How about we find out what Finley’s got in store for us?”
We walk into the entertainment room arm in arm, and I’m shocked to see my father and Sashe in there with her.
“Sorry,” Finley mouths at me and I wrinkle my nose at her.
“Anything you want to tell me about?” Dad asks in a jocular tone that sounds a hundred percent forced. “Or don’t I warrant an introduction to the people you invite to live in my home.”
“This is Rosa,” I say, keeping her firmly tucked beside me. “And you’ve already met Finley, I guess.”
