“Honey,” he murmurs. “No way am I letting you go out there alone, and I need to be here for the transfer that’s about to happen in just a few days.”
Pressing my lips together, I nod. I understand that he wouldn’t want me to go, but this is my mom. “I have to,” I insist.
He grunts. “You don’t. Let Hansen get over there, check shit out. As soon as the transfer is all finished, we’ll load up on my plane and head that way.”
I open my mouth to argue, but freeze with my lips parted. “Your plane?” I ask.
He chuckles. “Mine.”
“Wow,” I breathe.
He lowers his head, his lips brush mine right before he gathers me in his arms and pulls me against his body. He cocoons me, his strong arms hold me and for a moment, everything feels right again.
But only for a moment.
LANDRY
Yesterday, I spent the rest of the day and all evening attempting to keep Tennessee’s mind off of her missing mother. It didn’t work, but we were both satisfied before we passed out in sleep. Now, I’m flicking attention from my computer to my phone, wondering when Hansen is going to call me with an update.
I need to know what’s going on before tomorrow. I need to be on my A-game for tomorrow. I can’t believe that it’s finally here. I’m not only announcing the takeover of Astor Investment, but also, I’ll be announcing the beginning of LoneSTAR Investment Bank.
Laurent is sitting across from me in my office, we’re about to go over details for tomorrow, along with details about the new venture. All of my major clients have already been notified, personally, by me. The rest will be notified and given the option to switch this week by their case managers.
“You’re distracted,” he announces.
Clearing my throat, I lift my gaze to meet his. “I am. Tennessee’s mother is missing. I’ve sent Hansen to Oklahoma to check on her, I haven’t heard an update yet.”
“Missing?”
Nodding my head, I lean back in my chair. “Missing.”
“Maybe she just took a few days off?”
Pressing my lips together, I move my head from side to side in a shake. “She missed work, something Tennessee says is completely out of character, also her boss was worried as well. It doesn’t sit right with me, especially after all of the stuff with paternity and custody.”
“You don’t think that Mom did this, do you?”
I shrug a shoulder. “I wouldn’t think that your mother would hunt down a rapist and pay him to take a woman to court to gain custody of his child conceived from that rape. But she did.”
“She did, didn’t she?” he mumbles. “She’s not doing well, Dad. Not at all and I’m not blaming you or anything, I totally get why you left and thought you should have a long fucking time ago, but she is spiraling.”
“Tennessee said the same thing, about her spiraling. I think you’re right. I just can’t help her.”
Saying the words makes me feel like a failure. I should be able to help her, I was married to her, I loved her, but the fact is I can’t. She is not the person she was, and I don’t know this version of her and can’t help her.
“Maybe after all of this settles, I’ll see if she’ll talk to me.”
I watch my son for a moment, wondering if she’ll talk to him at all after this. I open my mouth to ask him, to give him an out to my plan, but before I can say a word, he lifts his hand, his palm facing me.
“I know, Dad,” he begins. “I know without a doubt that she is going to be angry with me. She is going to feel betrayed. She is going to feel a lot of things, but I also think that once everything settles, she will see that I am still her son.”
Nodding my head, I lift my hand and run my palm over my face. “I hope you’re right, Laurent. I am still going to give you an out though. It wouldn’t change anything about your inheritance on my end. Not a single thing if you wanted to stay at Astore Investments and run it with her.”
Laurent lets out a snort. “She wouldn’t let me do shit, and you know it. She’s going to try to single-handedly do what you do. I’m sure she assumes that since this is a well-oiled machine for you, it will continue to be