My father cuts through his burger with a knife, juices oozing out. His eyes find mine. “It’s a baby merchandizecompany. Babies would help.” I can’t breathe. “Little Hale babies in little Hale onesies. It would be great goddamn marketing.” He takes a bite of his burger. “You can’t beat that.”
“No,” I say instantly. My blood feels like it’s on fire. I have been coerced into marrying Lily. I’m not going to have children because my father tells me to. There has to be a line somewhere.
“You didn’t even think about it.”
“I said no. Not now. Not in a fucking year. Not ever.”
My father sets down his silverware and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Is this a new development?”
“No.”
“Is something wrong?” he frowns. “Are you sterile?”
“For fuck’s sake,” I snap. I didn’t think I’d have to discuss this with him. “I don’t want kids. It’s not because I can’t have them. I don’t want them.”I don’t want them to turn out like you. Or me.
Ryke stays quiet, but I can tell he’s processing. The only person I told was Lily. That’s the only one who mattered.
“You’ll change your mind,” my father says like he knows me so well. He picks up his knife again. “And it’s okay if it’s not anytime soon. Hale Co. can wait.”
We finish eating and after all the tense conversations, it’s hard to remember why we were here in the first place. One of the servers clears the last dish, and I ask the question. “Who’s the leak?”
“That, I can’t tell you,” he says.
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Ryke growls, saying exactly what I’m thinking.
My father ignores Ryke. “The good news is that I have it under control, and it’s being handled quietly. If I tell you two, I’m sure you’ll cause a fucking mess that I won’t be able to clean.”
I don’t agree with him. I can’t. “I need to know,” I refute. “This isn’t some guy who did me wrong or fucked me over in a small way.”
“You won’t change my mind, Loren.”
“Why’d you tell me to come here then?!” I shout, blindsided by all of this. We sat here fornothing.
“To have lunch with you and to tell you that you need to drop this. Let it go.”
I spring up from the table like my soles are on fire. “Let it go?!”
My father glowers. “Loren, you’re overacting.”
“Lo,” Ryke says, rising and resting a hand on my shoulder.
“Overreacting?” I let out a manic laugh. “I have a girlfriend at home who’s scared to walk out of the fucking house without getting assaulted. And I’m overacting? It took her a month to stop tossing and turning at night.” I grip the chair. “She has men mailing her goddamn plastic penises from prison and alleged sex tapes being rumored every day. This bastard toyed with her for weeks, texting her vile things before he finally leaked it. And you have his fucking name!”
My father is on his feet. “And what the hell are you going to do? Yell? Shout? Stomp your shoes and make noise?” His eyes grow dark. “There is nothing you can do that I haven’t already done. It’s over. Let. It. Go.….please.” His voice has softened considerably, and I pale.
Please. He doesn’t use that word, and I know what I have to do.
I have to trust him.
But I don’t know who he’s protecting—me or himself.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
LILY CALLOWAY
Garth must have beenex-CIA or a stunt driver on some Hollywood lot before becoming a personal bodyguard. He lost the paparazzi tailing us within two minutes. It usually takes me a solid hour driving in aimless circles, and I get so bored that I make stops at The Donut Man for jelly-filled pastries. Now that I think about it, maybe the donuts are the reason it takes me so long.
Lo has tried to conceal the location of his office from the press. For now, it’s the one place void of cameras peeping through windows or gates. Being here makes me feel normal again.
