Legacy (Steel Brothers Saga #14) - Helen Hardt Page 0,28

my jawline. “She finds a way out of everything.”

“This is beyond her control.”

“I understand you think it is,” I said. “But she finds ways that others can’t conceive. The woman’s a genius.”

“I’m aware of her IQ tests. That doesn’t mean she can get out of a locked door or past guards. She’s not Harry Houdini.”

Except that she kind of was. How to explain?

“I’ve only seen Wendy completely freak out once, and it was when she had no control over the situation.”

“When was that?” Dr. Pelletier asked.

I looked toward my father. His eyes were questioning as well. Wendy and I hadn’t told our parents about the unplanned pregnancy in high school. She’d gone to the doctor, had the test, gotten the positive result, and we’d been deciding what to do when she miscarried a few days later. I wasn’t excited at the thought of admitting this in front of my father, but I had no choice.

“When she miscarried our baby.”

“Excuse me?” My father wrinkled his forehead.

Hmm. Not the reaction I expected. This was something that should have made George Steel furious.

“Sorry, Dad. It was stupid, and we didn’t use protection. We were horny teenagers. What can I say?”

“This isn’t a joking matter, Brad.”

“I know it’s not. But she miscarried, so there was no reason to tell anyone. It was a blessing at that point.”

Dr. Pelletier cleared his throat. “What do you mean she was out of control?”

“She finds a way out of everything, like I said. She wanted this baby because it was mine. She was—and is—obsessed with me. When she miscarried, she freaked out because she couldn’t stop it. She couldn’t control the situation.”

“How exactly did she freak out?” the doctor asked.

“She went crazy. Screaming, yelling, pulling out a few chunks of her hair.”

“Brad,” my father said, “she acted like this and still you stayed with her?”

Yeah, not my finest moment.

“We hadn’t been together that long,” I said. “What should I have done? Abandoned her after she lost a baby? That’s not my style.”

My father harrumphed.

“Of course you shouldn’t have abandoned her,” Dr. Pelletier said. “But perhaps you should have seen that she got help.”

“I was seventeen. I didn’t realize she needed help. It wasn’t until later that I realized why she’d cracked. She hadn’t been able to manipulate the situation the way she wanted.”

“And you fear she’ll manipulate her way out of the mental health facility?”

“I know she will, if given the chance.”

“We don’t routinely strap our patients down unless they’re a danger to themselves or others.”

“Isn’t that why you were able to put her away in the first place?”

“Yes, of course. She can’t be in society in her current condition, but under supervision, there’s no reason to strap her down.”

“What about electroshock treatment?” my father asked.

I widened my eyes. Had I just heard him correctly?

“For what, exactly?” Dr. Pelletier asked.

“To keep her docile.”

“Mr. Steel, that’s not what ECT is used for, and frankly, its use is declining. It’s contraindicated in this case.”

“How much would it cost?” Dad asked.

I remained wide-eyed.

“I don’t think you’re hearing me.” Dr. Pelletier raised an eyebrow. “If your wish is to make her docile so she won’t be in control and finagle her way out of the facility, ECT will not have the desired effect. Even though it’s a stigmatized treatment, it works well for stubborn depression. It doesn’t make a patient catatonic.”

“What about that movie? One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?”

“It’s called fiction for a reason, Mr. Steel.”

“What will have the desired effect, then?”

“Well…medication would be the way to go.”

“Perfect,” Dad said. “Drug her.”

“Mr. Steel, I’m a doctor. Unless Ms. Madigan shows symptoms of—”

“I’m not a patient man, Dr. Pelletier,” Dad said. “How much is this going to cost me?”

“Putting away a young woman who is stalking a young man and who pulled a gun on another is one thing. I may have overstepped my bounds a little there, but I can live with myself. Drugging her is another thing altogether.”

“You were paid very well for overstepping your bounds. You’ll be paid even better to do what I ask.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Steel. I cannot in good conscience—”

“In good conscience? You took my money in the first place.” My father cleared his throat. “Brad, step out of the room, please. I’d like to talk to the doctor alone.”

Seriously? “Dad, I’m an adult.”

“Brad.” He said only my name, but it was a command.

However, I was no longer a little kid who did everything his father said without question. I hadn’t been that person since I