he said.
“Honestly?”
“That’s our new thing now, right? I tell you the truth and you stop managing me. That’s Helen’s job. Just tell me the truth.”
“Your father demands your presence next week for a family meeting. I don’t know what it’s about. He basically told me to mind my business. But I am responsible for making sure that you show up in person.”
He flinched slightly and then exhaled loudly. He ran his hand through his hair and stared at the window for a minute. I watched a series of emotions play out on his face. For the first time, it felt like his petulance had meaning. For the first time, I noticed that he wasn’t JUST a spoiled, rich, bad boy. I saw fear, anger, sadness, and then worry.
Patrick was always in conflict with his father, but I’d never looked too deeply into why they didn’t get along. I always assumed that a spoiled son and a demanding father would naturally fight, and if you add all of the excesses that money allowed, it was almost inevitable that their relationship would be strained. Somehow, it only now occurred to me that there might be something else...something deeper to that conflict. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who was guilty of not paying attention. Maybe I had never truly been interested enough in who he really was to find out why he was the way he was. I shook my head. Maybe I was also an asshole.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“I was just thinking, this is going to be one hell of a trip.”
“You’re still coming?”
“I was summoned,” I explained.
“Let Helen take care of it. You’re injured.”
I shuffled over to the bed and sat on the edge next to him.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” I said, kissing him lightly on the lips. “Let’s go see what the old man wants.”
He smiled innocently again and threaded his fingers through mine. He didn’t have to say it but I could tell that he was grateful to have his old wingman by his side as he walked into what would inevitably prove to be a firefight. The one thing that Dunlevys are good at is lying, especially to themselves. But that didn’t mean that everything was a lie.
Chapter Twelve
Pulling up to the gates of my family’s “home” is a little like pulling up to a castle full of monsters. It looks great from the lawn. The new family home was my father’s gift to my mother. She’d always seen herself as a princess, and after nearly two decades of living in the largest house in small-town America, she had earned the right to a proper mansion, somewhere where other people had mansions too.
My father had sent a car to pick us up from the airport. He’d also sprung for a first-class ticket and a direct flight. On the outside, it looked like he was being generous, but really he was just ensuring that I didn’t give him the slip.
I looked over at Marcelo who looked more relaxed than I’d seen him in a very long time. I would have to ask Helen to get me a prescription for whatever he was taking. He met my gaze and smiled. I tried to return the gesture but couldn’t quite manage it. He grabbed my hand and gave it a small squeeze.
“Everything will be fine,” he said. I wanted to believe him. He obviously believed it.
“You decided to slum it today,” I said, plucking at his chinos and casual button-down shirt.
“It’s impossible to look dapper wearing a cast.”
“You managed to pull it off, though,” I said pitching my voice a little lower than normal.
“Pull what off?” His question sounded innocent enough but we both knew he was anything but.
“Isn’t that my line?” I felt some of the tension ease from my chest as he gave me a sly smile. This was what I needed in my life. This was the reason why I couldn’t let him escape. I needed somebody in my world who could make me smile even while I faced my own personal demons. I needed Marcelo.
The car pulled up to the front door and the driver slid out of the front seat without a word. I actually preferred hiring taxis for myself; at least the drivers spoke to you. Other than correctly identifying me as “Mr. Patrick Dunlevy and his assistant” the driver hadn’t said a single word to me or Marcelo. He was probably following orders, but even Uber drivers bothered to