Fuck.Commodore’s lawyer is one of Harrison’s sources of information.
“What are we going to do about it? Mother can’t find out. It actually might kill her.”
“Even better reason to let it go public.”
“Commodore.” My tone is harsh.
“Fine. I don’t want this shit public any more than you do. I’ll have to come up with a response that puts them off a while longer, but it won’t make it go away. And now I have to fire my goddamned lawyer.”
“Offer them a settlement.”
“Never.” The old man’s tone is adamant.
“Why?”
“Because that’ll invite every other bastard of your father’s to come for a piece of the action. If you’d just get down to producing the next generation, we wouldn’t even have to worry about this problem.”
“And if I don’t and the heir is real and older than me? You’re really going to consider handing this company over to someone who knows nothing about it?”
“I’ll do what I think is right.”
“What about protecting and preserving the legacy?”
Commodore doesn’t reply to that, and instead changes the subject. “That Gable girl looks like she might be leaving. Not that I should be telling you. Hope she didn’t drink any of Magnus’s ’shine. She might not make it down the mountain alive.”
Fuck.
I hang up the phone, not waiting to hear another word out of his mouth.
28
Lincoln
The past
My mother walkingin on Whitney and me was basically my worst nightmare, and yet I’d taken the risk all the same. It had been a calculated one, but I’d calculated wrong. Since then, Whitney had refused to see me. I’d tried calling over and over again. The only thing I could do was track her down, because from what I was told, she rarely went out in public anymore.
Because of me. Because I’m a fucking asshole.I had to make this right. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t.
Which meant going to her house. Whitney hadn’t left me any other options, and I was done waiting. I wasn’t going to let this be the end.
Who cared if my mother didn’t approve? When had I ever let that impact my life choices? I was my own man. I was a fucking Riscoff. We didn’t follow orders; we gave them.
I climbed into my truck and turned in the direction of the bridge nearest Whitney’s parents’ house instead of the one that led into town.
When I hit the railroad tracks, I took a left and followed the streets to the little house that Whitney’s dad bought after they were evicted from their family farm by the sheriff. The farm that Commodore bought at auction, and the house and barn burned down the next day. I doubted we’d ever find out the truth of what happened on that subject.
When I turned in to the driveway, I had no idea whether she was home. Whitney didn’t have a car. She borrowed her mom’s on occasion, and sometimes her aunt’s. Most of the time, she walked or rode her bike.
The one time I mentioned getting her a car, I almost blew my chance to see her ever again. Another thing I miscalculated badly. Pride was one thing my girl had in spades.
Although, based on her behavior, she no longer wanted to be my girl.
Which meant today might end with us being over, once and for all.
Just letting that thought enter my head was like a punch to the gut. It almost doubled me over.But if she doesn’t feel the way I do about her ...Was there a point to any of this?
I parked, and the front door flew open as soon as I was out of the truck. Whitney’s father stepped out onto the crumbling concrete stoop. “You turn around and go right back the way you came, Riscoff. Your kind ain’t welcome here.”