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The car halts, and once again her gaze is averted, any answers Ilike hell she really does stay and that a table in the restaurant will offer her the security to tell e to reach for her hand and hold on to her, instead stepping to the side and facing forward She joinsbeside me to watch the doors open, as if ready to launch herself forward, and I reher escape and follohere she leads ht be the easiest answer

The twous to walk into the corridor, and in thatit easy for her to run She lied toher hip, aligning our legs as alk, preventing her escape "Shane, I--"

"It’s dinner," I say "You’ll have an audience to protect you"

She digs in her heels and stops, turning to face ain "I don’t need to be protected froo up all over again "Do you knoto warn me here or what?"

"No Yes No Not fro?"

"You already toldon you, and I’" She drops her hand and looks atthat we’re in public I have to let her go, and we both know that

She turns and takes a step, gasping and stopping dead in her tracks as my father steps directly in front of her "Mr Brandon"

Tall, with thinning gray hair, his custos on his now frail, cancer-ridden body like it belongs to soaze lands on Emily

"Erips her purse with a death hold, her spine going ramrod stiff, and a wave of protectiveness overcomes me that says much about my instincts with Emily andpossessively on her lower back "Why are you here, Father?" I ask, the deet his da I’ray eyes, still so much like mine, cut sharply tointo his blue suit jacket and producing an envelope, which he offers ned it over to you"

Aware he has a self-serving motive of some sort, I snatch the envelope from him, stick it in my pocket, and disinvite whatever conversation he hopes to have "Go home to your wife"

"She’s occupied," he says "As she is far more often than you realize"

Holy fuck, I want to ask what that ive hihten, the only telltale sign that I’ve hit a nerve, but his reply is not what I expect "No actually, I do not I’ upstairs to the apartment I still own, and will continue to own"

"That’s not acceptable I want you, and your plaything, out of my home"

"Well then, son, you’ll be pleased to know that the doctors say you won’t have to tolerate it for long I’ll be dead soon"

A tight hot knot forers flex into htly intocard doesn’t ith me"

"We both know that’s not true, son," he says "If only it worked as well on yourthis asthe conversation "I’ll leave you to your evening" He flicks E" He steps around us and starts walking, but I make no attempt to move, nor does Emily dart ahich she well could in this moment I stand there She stands there And ht He’s hit the hu to the pro to contain rather than reject what I feel, which is too damncontrol is absolute survival for me, and perhaps ainst Ee her forward, when I hear ain "Son" I stop but I do not turn and he adds, "Co It’s tiaone, leaving those words hanging in the air as the taunt they are ether, a me it has to end soon, and one of us has to be the winner, or the board will go to a sudden death vote for control Andthe tournament that I hope like hell doesn’t involve Emily She’s either in trouble or she is trouble, and so out which one

I could start walking again, but I don’t I wait and I do it for a reason Eo I will find her I will find her secrets