He grabbed his glass and finished it, leaving only a single drop behind.
“Why did you bring the money last night?” Now it was my turn to ask questions.
“Because I knew your men were doubting your leadership.” His hands were together at his lips, his eyes on the table, his words clear even with his knuckles in the way. “When I found out what you did for my sister, I owed you.”
If he owed me, I wanted something else, not bags of money. “If you want to pay me back, give me what I really want.” I waited for him to look at me, but he never raised his gaze. “And you know what I want, Damien.”
He lowered his hands then looked at me head on. “Vox came to my office a few days ago. He was the one who told me everything about Catalina.”
My eyes narrowed.
“He’s been following you. He pieced together that Catalina is the woman from the basement…and that you changed all your rules for personal reasons. Then he wanted to know why I wasn’t paying you, to use that against you too. So, I lied and said I was still paying you…I just didn’t have the money last time.”
Now I understood how he’d known all of this.
And I knew I had to kill Vox.
Fuck, Balto was right…and I hated it when he was right.
Damien grabbed the decanter and refilled his glass, his eyes suddenly aged by ten years, like the knowledge about Catalina had changed his entire foundation. “You need to kill him, Heath. He’ll never stop coming for you.”
“I will.” I didn’t need to be told what to do, but I swallowed my pride because of the situation. “Thank you for telling me about his visit.”
“I did it because he knows who my sister is to you. He might use her against you. So, either kill him, or I’ll do it.”
“I said I’ll handle it.” Like I would ever let some piece of shit near my woman.
Now, it was quiet—for a long time.
I didn’t know if I should leave. Or if I should push him to fold.
He interrupted the silence as he cleared his throat. “Thank you…for what you did for her.”
“I’d do anything for her, Damien.”
He bowed his head and gave a slight nod.
“If you really want to show your gratitude, you’ll put our past behind us.”
He wouldn’t look at me.
“We both know you wouldn’t have been able to save her. By the time you figured out she was gone—”
“Shut up.” He raised his head and looked at me, livid and disgusted by the reminder. “I know, Heath. I fucking know.”
“Then you owe me.”
“I paid you back—”
“I don’t want that,” I snapped. “I want her.”
He looked away again, like he was still opposed to the idea.
“Even if I was willing, my father may not be so open-minded.”
“Catalina seems to think so.”
“Because he’s a harmless old man. But when it comes to his children, he’s a grizzly bear. If he knew everything you’ve done to both of us…it might be different. Catalina only knows him as a loving father. I know him as a man.”
I wasn’t going to let that man say no. If he didn’t like me, I would force him to. “Then you can convince him.”
He shook his head. “If I am supposed to convince him with facts, I doubt it.”
“Damien.”
He sighed before he looked at me again. “I need to talk to my sister. I just wanted to know everything before I spoke to her.”
“Honestly, the last thing she wants to do is talk about—”
“I don’t need your permission, Heath.”
I bit my tongue.
He rose to his feet, like the conversation was finished. “Just give me a couple minutes.”
“You’re going now?”
“Yes. And I’d appreciate the privacy.”
I couldn’t even give her a warning, and that felt like a betrayal. “Alright.”
He moved to his desk and grabbed his things before he walked to the door.
I got to my feet. “Damien?”
He turned back to me, his expression hard.
“I know I did a lot of fucked-up things to you. But I’m not that man anymore.” I stared him down with sincerity in my eyes, needing him to understand my soul had been cleansed once Catalina came into my life. She took my hand and pulled me onto the right path, made me into a man I’d never thought I could be. I didn’t even remember who I used to be anymore.
He held my stare for a few seconds then walked out.FourteenCatalinaI never ate my lunch because I was too nervous about Heath’s conversation with my brother.
He didn’t text me.
An hour passed—nothing.
I still sat at the kitchen table, our untouched food in front of us. My foot had been released from the cast so I should be excited this day had come, but now a black cloud blocked all my sunshine, all my triumphs.