Beg For Me: Chapter 39

My father hits the speaker button on his desk phone, disconnecting the call with Sophia. Then he sits back in his big leather captain’s chair, a gratified grin slowly spreading over his face.

“Don’t look so smug,” I say drily.

“I always look smug when it comes to making money.”

“It’s only a dollar.”

“A bet’s a bet, though, son. Cough it up.”

Shaking my head, I withdraw my wallet from my pocket, extract a single bill, and hand it across the desk. He takes it, gazes approvingly at the image of George Washington for a moment, then tucks the cash into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He pats it, chuckling.

“She’s got a temper on her.”

“Hopefully, it matches her patience. She’s going to need miraculous amounts of it to deal with him.”

Nodding, he makes a soft noise of agreement, then falls into contemplative silence. His smile fades, and something darker clouds his expression.

“You’re surprised she told him about the kidnapping,” I say quietly, reading his mind.

He glances at me with furrowed brows, his eyes full of ancient pain.

“And you’re still blaming yourself that they didn’t find him sooner.”

His voice turns gruff. “I should have given them the money.”

“He’d be dead if you did,” I say plainly, knowing it’s the truth. “The only thing that kept him alive was stalling. It’s not your fault it took Metrix a while to locate him.”

“He doesn’t know that. I don’t think he’s ever forgiven me.”

He tries to look composed, but I see the crack in his armor. His jaw is tense. His shoulders are tight. His hands, so sure and steady in the boardroom, tremble slightly when he rests them on the desk.

I study him. He’s a mass of contradictions, my father. Cold and calculated business man, devoted husband and father, ruthless to a fault but compassionate in equal measure.

Willing to get his hands bloody to do the right thing.

Like me, he’s either a good man who does bad things, or a bad man who does good things, but ultimately, he’s using his power for the benefit of humanity.

Even if it doesn’t always look that way.

“Why haven’t you ever talked to him about it?”

His snort is derisive.

“I’m serious, Dad. It’s long overdue.”

“A father’s job is to protect his children, not make them understand him. I did what I had to do. He feels how he feels. Picking the scab off an old wound will only make it bleed again.”

“Or maybe you’re just worried he’ll tell you he hates you.”

He stiffens, looking as if I’ve just struck him across the face. Then his eyes narrow and his expression turns to something that might strike a lesser man dead on the spot.

He says acidly, “Should I call Sophia back and tell her we have an opening for CEO as well?”

I smile. “Only if you feel like getting another tongue lashing.”

He mutters, “I already got enough of that from your mother.”

I can imagine. Carter’s our mother’s favorite and the most like her, outgoing and popular in comparison to me and my other brother Cole, both the moody and broody types. I’m sure when Mom heard Carter resigned from the company, the first thing she did was chew Dad’s ear off about getting him back.

She’s a saint, but when the she-wolf comes out occasionally, everyone runs for the hills.

“So, your hunch was right. Sophia really does care about him.”

He nods in satisfaction. “The way he spoke about her to me when he quit, I knew it was real between them. Your brother’s never sounded so passionate. So sure of himself.” His voice softens, catching slightly. “I was proud of him.” His faint smile turns to a frown again. “The little ingrate.”

“We’ll find another COO.”

“How? We can’t trust anyone!”

“I don’t know how, but we’ll figure it out. Besides, I think going off on his own will be good for him. Corporate life was never his calling.”

We sit in thoughtful silence for a while until he straightens his tie and turns businesslike.

“Now that that’s settled…let’s talk about how we’re going to handle TriCast. We can’t let this disrespect go unanswered.”

This time, my smile is mirthless. “Carter suggested we give them a taste of their own medicine. I’m inclined to agree.”

“Then by all means,” he says, voice as hard as steel, “bombs away.”