I scoff. “I don’t fucking want it.” I don’t even need tothinkabout it. I have everything I need here, and I wouldn’t touch one penny of his filthy blood money.
Pete shakes his head on the exhale. “You might want to think about it. It’s millions.”
“I didn’t fucking stutter,” I bite out just as quickly.
“I’ll admit I was going to do my best to try to convince you. I miss having you with me, the family misses you. I figured you’d be done hiding out here when you learned your father was no longer at the helm.”
I refocus on my uncle’s weathered blue eyes, understanding just how much I’ve changed in the last three years and, more importantly, how much I’ve changed since Olivia came into my life.
“I’m not fucking hiding here. I’mliving.”
Pete takes another draw of his cigarette. “Aye then.” He exhales. “As much as it pains me, I have to respect that.”
He can’t force me, he knows that. I went to jail for the family, staying in is my choice after that, and he knows I’ll take any secrets to my grave.
“This is paperwork.” He nods to the briefcase. “You have to read through it, regardless of whether or not you want to. It’s all drawn up by Cale.” He mentions my father’s longtime lawyer. “His number is there should you want to consult with him.”
“I don’t.” There’s no time to even consider this. My unclecan have it all; I’d rather fucking die than go back.
“Your father was adamant you’d come back, but Cale insisted we put these conditions in during his last days, should you be stubborn.” Pete leans back in his chair, a little more confident now that I’m not going to kill him. “Now I see why you won’t cooperate.”
“Why would he want me to run things?” I ask. “He told me I was dead to him.”
“He changed a lot after he got sick. A man lives with a certain amount of regrets on his deathbed.” He exhales a plume of smoke. “He would mumble for long nights about you, how he treated your mother, how she died, and it was his fault.”
“It fucking was.”
Pete grimaces. “Ipromisedhim I’d find you. It was his last wish and request. And I needed you to know you were welcome back anytime into this family. There’s no ill will here. You and I, we could do great things together.”
I shake my head, my eyes never straying from his.
“For what it’s worth, he was sorry.”
I run my hand through my hair. “I don’t want to know this.”
“I get it,” Pete says, slowly assessing me. “It’s easier to hate him. Hell, I hated him. I loved you and your mother and he was a cocksucker in those days.” He points between us. “But I need you to know that if you sign these documents, everything will be in my control.”
And?
“Which means if things ever went south between you and Red”—he nods to the house, and just his mention of Olivia has me ready to kill him again—“or if you simply decide you wanted the rush of the old life … once these documents are signed, I’m afraid you won’t be able to do that. At least not as the boss? Is that clear?”
I chuckle. “Fucking crystal.”
Pete looks toward the house, the soft orange glow from inside a stark contrast to the snow barreling down out here. Pete looks over at me, a puzzled look in his eyes.
“Never come back. Your mother wouldn’t want it.”
Our eyes lock for a second before I make to stand, moving to pick up the briefcase. It isn’t heavy as I set it down on the table. I don’t care what’s inside. I’ll sign it all if it means I’ll never see him again. If it means the ghost of my father is truly dead.
“You never told me how you found me,” I ask him as I grip the handle and open the briefcase. “And who else from the family knows you’re here?”
Pete stands with me, lifting a boot to put his cigarette out on the bottom of it, tossing the dead butt into the snow out the open door of my shop.
“No one knows. Declan helped me try to ping your number.” He mentions my younger cousin. “I needed him to help me find you. He’s quite the whiz with computers now, but evenhecouldn’t find you. Not really.”
Thoughts of me and Declan playing together as kids flash through my head but I push them away.
“He doesn’t know it was your number I was looking for, on my honor.” He pats his heart, and I know it’s true. His word is his bond.
