Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“Don’t you worry about that.”
“And I’m not taking your money either,” Dad says.
“Did I offer?” Donny continues to examine the paper. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise you.”
“How can you?” I ask. “You work for the city. The city’s your client. Not the Steel Trust, and certainly not the Murphys.”
“I didn’t say you were my client. This is a family matter, and I’m part of the Steel family.”
He marches toward the staircase, Callie following, and then instructs an intern to make a copy of the document while Dad and I wait.
“Did you need anything else?” Donny asks.
“Just your assurance that you’ll call as soon as you find anything out.”
“You have that,” Donny says. “You’ve always had that.”
I haven’t told my father about the Steels paying for my apartment. He definitely would not take that well.
Some way or another, I will repay them all.
But before I can even think about that, I have to figure out how to pay the damned lien on the bar.
And no, I will not take more money from Donny Steel to do it.
“Let’s go, Dad,” I say.
“Yeah. I guess our business is done here.” Dad takes the paper from Donny, nearly ripping it from his hands. “You haven’t heard the last of this.”
“I’m sure I haven’t,” Donny says. “I can assure you my family has no interest in your property.”
“I’d say your family has a huge interest in my property.” Dad points to the paper.
“You know what I mean. No interest in taking your property from you. Whatever the Steel Trust is, I will find it.”
“You see that you do.” Dad turns and heads out the door.
“It’s not you so much he’s angry at,” I say.
“I’d say he’s very angry with me. And frankly, I don’t blame him.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s not you. It’s the Steels as an entity. He’s convinced you guys had something to do with his great-uncle’s death, and now with Wendy Madigan back in the picture, and this long-lost cousin we found, it’s a lot to take.”
“It is a lot to take,” Donny says, “but isn’t your father glad that his uncle has a son? His uncle may be gone, but his progeny lives on.”
“His progeny lives on because of the Steels.”
“Don’t forget, Brendan. Wendy Madigan is not a Steel.”
“She considers herself one, Donny.”
“That may be true, but her reality isn’t actual reality.”
“No, it sure isn’t.” I shake my head. “I sure as hell don’t like this pull she’s got over Ava right now.”
“Ava’s strong. She’ll be all right.”
“She is strong,” I say, “and yes, in the long run, she will be all right. But something’s tugging at her. Something that’s keeping her away from me. And that’s not what I’m most concerned about. What I’m most concerned about is her. Her sense of self. It’s being threatened, and it’s being threatened by her newfound grandmother.”
“Yeah. I’ve talked to Brock about that. He’s worried too. But like I said, she’s strong.”
“I wish I knew how to help her.”
“And I wish I had some advice to give you, but you know my cousin as well as I do. She doesn’t accept help.”
“Yeah, I understand that.”
“Thanks for rubbing some salt in that wound,” Donny says.
“Hey, you can take my words at face value, or you can read into them.”
“What I did was try to right a wrong. But unfortunately, I may have made things worse. Because now, if there was anything else hidden in that apartment, we don’t know what it is.”
“I know,” I say, “and Donny, I don’t blame you. You were trying to protect your family, and I’m doing the same thing. Do I agree with your methods? Hell, no. You obviously didn’t agree with them either. But unfortunately, that one night I was gone gave whoever burglarized my place the chance to take anything else that was there. And I wouldn’t be surprised…”
“Neither would I. Information about this Steel Trust.”
“You got it. And maybe information about my great-uncle.”
Donny nods. “We’ll figure it out, Brendan. Dale, Brock, and I are committed. Uncle Joe and my father are committed. Uncle Ryan as well. In fact, I think he’s more committed than the rest of us all combined because he knows exactly what kind of havoc his mother can wreak. And he knows that as long as she’s alive, the rest of us aren’t safe.”
“Ava’s not safe?”
He shakes his head. “Ryan and Ava. Gina. Probably even Ruby. All very safe. But you see, Wendy Madigan has an ulterior motive, and it’s becoming pretty clear.”
“Right. That deed transfer.”
“Exactly. There is one way that her son and only her son will inherit all the Steel property, and it doesn’t have anything to do with that deed, which was probably signed under duress.”
A shudder runs through me. “I may be angry with you, Don, but I sure as hell don’t wish anything bad on you or any of your family.”