“I’m a man of my word.”
“I just want her comfortable. I’m going to see my mother—my birth mother—tomorrow. I hope I can get her to come visit.”
“Maybe you should be asking yourself why she doesn’t visit.”
“You’re a Steel,” Lamone says. “I thought you people were all about family.”
“If that were the case,” Brock says, “we’d be embracing you with open arms. Of course, you haven’t proved anything yet. Only that you’re the grandson of this woman. I haven’t seen any proof that you’re a Steel.”
I widen my eyes. There’s no proof?
“I’ll get proof,” Lamone says. “As soon as I talk to my mother.”
“Doesn’t matter, anyway,” Brock says. “You agreed not to make any claims against the family fortune as long as we take care of the old lady.”
“Too bad we never signed anything.”
Brock chuckles. “I should have known. Anyone who would poison an innocent young girl. You, Lamone, are not a man of your word.”
“I just want to see what my birth mother has to say. I want answers.”
“So do we all. But the answers we need are inside this sedated woman’s head.”
“My mother may know what’s going on.”
“She may. She may not. But I think it’s safe to say that if she gave a shit about her mother, she’d be here. She wouldn’t have left her in your care.”
“She didn’t. Or…I don’t know if she did. I got an anonymous tip that this woman was my grandmother, and as you know, I had our DNA run and it’s true. I’m her grandson.”
“Another anonymous tip. How convenient.”
“Look, Steel, I didn’t ask to be dragged into your family chaos, but I’m here.”
“You certainly are. I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re a direct descendant of Brad Steel himself. You’ll get nothing. Not after you violated Rory and Callie and poisoned Diana. You can burn in hell.”
Brock is angry. I can hear the tension in his voice. I don’t blame him. I’m angry too.
“I was a kid, damn it! And all those photos of Rory and Callie have been destroyed. We’ve been through this.”
“Funny. I don’t feel like it’s over at all. Call me a skeptic, but I don’t trust you, Lamone. I’m pretty sure you’re here to stay, and let me make myself perfectly clear—you will never get a penny of Steel money. I’ll die first.”
Brock whooshes out of the room. “Let’s go, Ava.”
“What was all that about?” I ask as we walk to the elevator. “He took photos of Rory and Callie?”
“It’s a long story, cuz. Suffice it to say that ten years ago, he and Brittany Sheraton drugged the Pike sisters, disrobed them, and took incriminating photos. Then blackmailed them.”
“Why?”
“Because they had proof that he drugged Diana.”
“Oh my God…”
“He’s not a nice guy, Ava. Don’t be getting all soft just because you’re cousins or whatever.”
“Oh, God. I am his cousin. His mother and my father are both children of…” I swallow back nausea.
“Like I said…”
We get into the elevator, and as it plummets, so does my stomach.
Just like the tower.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Brendan
I’m home.
I regard the text from Ava. It’s nearing midnight, and the bar is emptying out.
I text her back.
Do you want me to come over?
She doesn’t respond for a few moments, which troubles me, and then the three dots begin to move.
If you want to.
Women. Why don’t they just say what they mean?
I’m coming.
Then I head over. She’s waiting for me at the back door of the bakery. Her hair is soft and wavy around her shoulders, and the color has come back into her beautiful face.
“Did you eat?” I ask.
She nods. “Tacos. Brock made me.”
“Brock’s a good man.” I enter and follow her up the steps to her place. Once we’re inside, “Do you want to talk? About your grandmother? Or anything else?”
“Not especially.”
“All right. Let me get you some water.”
“I’m not thirsty, Brendan.”
I sigh. “Then why am I here, Ava?”
She shrugs. “That was your choice.”
I grip her shoulders. “Damn it, don’t do this. Don’t play games with me.”
“I’m not.”
“The hell you’re not. Maybe it’s the age thing. Maybe you’re too immature—”
Her cheeks redden with anger. “Excuse me?”
“I’m sorry. You’re not immature, Ava, which is why I don’t understand why you won’t just tell me what the hell you want.”
“I… I don’t know what I want, Brendan.” She balls her hands into fists. “I’m twisted up in knots inside. Everything I’ve counted on, believed in, is a lie. How am I supposed to deal with this? It’s the tower.”
“I thought you were taking a break from the cards.”
“I am. But that doesn’t negate the tower and how it affected, and continues to affect, me.”
“Okay. So you don’t know what you want. What do you need, then? What can I do for you?”
She shrugs. “It’s crazy, but I want you to take me to bed.”
I smile, finger a lock of her pink hair. “Why is that crazy?”
“Because how can I be thinking of sex at a time like this?”
“Easy.”
“Easy for you. You’re a guy. You’re always thinking about sex.”
“Well…”
She shakes her head. “Don’t even try to deny it.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“For what?”
“For…” She sighs. “For…you know. I should have just told you I wanted you to come over and take me to bed.”
“Instead of leaving it up to me. But you knew I’d come.”
“I did. I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be manipulative.”
“Yeah, you were.”
She frowns. “Hey, wait a min—”
“Look, Ava. I love you. You’re the most important thing in the world to me. But I’m not going to use kid gloves with you. I respect you too much for that.”
She plays with her lip ring. My groin tightens.
“So let’s make a deal. You tell me what you want when you want it. I’ll do the same. I understand you’re going through some major stuff right now with your family, and I can’t even begin to understand just how much seeing your grandmother tonight affected you. I’ll talk to you about it if you want. I’ll listen. Or I’ll throw you onto your bed and fuck the daylights out of you. Whatever you want, Ava. All you have to do is tell me.”