“Lia…believe me, if I had known, that would have never happened—”
“But it did!” I cry, jumping to my feet. He stands as well, seemingly at a loss as to how to handle my emotional outburst. This is probably a crash course in fatherhood he wasn’t expecting. He probably figured I would be so absurdly grateful that I would be kissing his expensive shoes by now. “My mother hated me because she despised you, didn’t she? She took out all of that anger on me. I was nothing but her punching bag, and then when she got bored with that, she brought in my stepfather and turned him loose on me!” Before he can reply, I hear the door open behind me. I spin around and see Peter, or should I say my uncle, standing there hesitantly. What really catches my attention is the woman who steps in behind him. If I think I resemble Lee Jacks, then I’m almost a dead-ringer for this woman.
She is twisting her hands in front of her nervously while looking at me with equal parts curiosity and sympathy. Peter clears his throat before asking, “Is everything okay in here? We could hear your voices in the lobby.”
I ignore his question as I continue to stare at the woman next to him. “Who are you?” I ask fearing for a moment that I have a sister whom I’ve never met.
She gives me a timid smile before taking a few steps closer. She is dressed in obviously expensive slacks with a silk blouse. I fight the urge to straighten my clothing, feeling frumpy compared to her. I hate that I feel so inferior to these people. She holds out a hand, which I ignore until she finally drops it. “I’m Kara.” She points to Peter, adding, “That’s my father, and Lee is my uncle. I also have a brother, Kyle, who’s away at college right now.
There is a crushing weight sitting on my chest, and I desperately need to leave before I break down. Almost in a panic, I look around frantically until I spot my purse lying on the floor next to my recently- vacated chair. I grab it and am almost at the door before a hand on my arm stops me. I turn to find Lee standing behind me, looking almost as bad as I feel. I’m shaking now and am powerless to stop it. “Lia, you don’t have to be afraid anymore,” Lee says reassuringly, mistaking my anxiety for fear. “I will never let anyone hurt you again.”
I pull my arm free, squaring my shoulders. “Your absence from my life has done nothing but hurt me since the day I was born.” I look briefly at Kara as I pass, noting almost idly that she has a tear streaking down her cheek. Maybe I have the Jacks’ genes to thank for my penchant for crying at the drop of a hat…especially lately. I hear whom I assume is Lee calling my name as I walk toward the elevator at a fast clip. I sag weakly against the wall when the door closes, extremely grateful that no one followed me.
All I can think of is going home and feeling Lucian’s arms around me, until suddenly the reality of what just happened slams into me. He knew. Lucian knew Lee was my father and didn’t tell me. How could he have kept something like this from me? I have a whole family I didn’t know existed. I have a father, and Luc has apparently known it for some time. I walked into that mess today completely unprepared because he kept it from me. His betrayal of my trust guts me more than the revelation of my long-lost father ever could.
Chapter Fifteen
Lucian
I rush into the apartment in a blind panic. I had been in the middle of a meeting at the office when Lee called and dropped a bomb on me: Lia knew he was her father. Through one big, clusterfucking chain of events, she ended up at his office after she’d found out he paid her tuition. He said she hadn’t taken the news well at all, and was upset when she left. He had one of his men follow her back to the apartment, where she was now.
I stand listening until I hear movement in the bedroom. I am terrified when I push open the partially- closed door to find her cramming clothing into her duffle bag. “What are you doing, baby?” She makes another trip to the closet, returning with more clothes before turning to face me. Her eyes are red-rimmed, and I can tell she’s been crying. I want nothing more than to take her in my arms, but her posture is so closed –off, that I know to keep my distance.
“I’m going to stay with Rose for a while. I need time to process everything that’s happened today.”
Feeling fear rise to choke me, I walk over to push the duffle bag away, as if it will stop her from leaving me. “You can do that here. I’ll help you.”
“Just like you helped me by telling me about my father?” I flinch at her words, hearing the hint of betrayal behind them. “I see you’re not surprised that I know. I guess you and dear old Daddy talked about me as soon as I left.”
“Baby…it’s not like that. I didn’t think you could handle anything else right after the attack. I was trying to protect you.”
She picks up the damn duffle bag again and continues to put clothes inside it. “Well, it was certainly better the way it happened today. It’s so much easier to be blindsided than to have someone you love be honest with you, right?” Her calm statements are completely unnerving me. I’d feel better if she were screaming and throwing things. I don’t know quite how to deal with this quiet, disappointed tone she’s using instead.
I hiss audibly, knowing I don’t have a leg to stand on here. Maybe I did it for all the right reasons, but she’s right; I kept something potentially life-altering from her. This isn’t the way I wanted to do this, but I can’t let her leave here without telling her how I feel. My voice sounds rusty when I say the words I haven’t uttered to a woman in so many years. “Lia, I love you. Please don’t leave.”
She freezes in mid-motion. The shirt she had in her hands to pack is suspended in mid-air. She whirls around looking unbelievably beautiful…and furious. Not exactly the reaction I was looking for after my profession of love. “Don’t you dare say that to me now when I’m leaving! I’ve longed to hear those words from you but not when you’re under duress!” Her movements are jerky now as if she can barely control her anger. “I have let you keep your secrets, Lucian, because they’re a part of who you are. I didn’t freak out and run for the door when I found you snorting cocaine in the middle of the night because, in some screwed-up way, I understood the need to escape, no matter what the means. She looks so fucking sad that I prefer the anger of a few minutes ago.
“We’ve hit a roadblock now. Your secrets are tearing us apart.” She picks up her bag, along with her purse, and walks toward me. “If you really do love me, as you say, and want to save this relationship, then I need to know it all. No more walls, Lucian, and no more lies. Please, don’t contact me until you’re ready to do that.” She goes up on her toes and drops what feels like a final kiss on my lips before leaving the room and our home quietly.