As I replayed the phone conversation in my mind my blood turned cold. “I will be in New York tomorrow,” he said with his thick deep voice. “I have a meeting there and then you will come home with me. You had your time to play the last couple years. Now your family needs you. You will not let them down. And Luc, I know you have a girl again,” he said with a devilish tone before hanging up the phone. My breath hitched once his words processed in my mind.

That motherfucker.

Shit, my father was coming. I stood up and raked my fingers repeatedly through my hair and he knew of Vicky. That is why I had to push Vicky out of my life. I had to keep her away from the demon that created me. I went for my meeting with the Japanese, but I couldn’t go back to the office after. My head was spinning. Instead I got drunk and pushed Vicky away. I knew how stubborn she could be. I feared if I told her the truth she would never leave me alone. We had grown close, but I knew she was still broken. She was still scared of placing her heart in my hands, and she was still vulnerable where her own life was concerned. As good as things were between us, I knew she wouldn’t abandon her daredevil ways overnight. If I had told her the truth, she would have wanted to stand by my side and confront the demon with me, she was tough and fearless like that, but I could never jeopardize her life.

Dammit, the asshole had been watching me the whole time. He knew Vicky’s full name and everything about her. He knew I was spending time with her. He knew she slept in my bed every night. The sick fuck waited for me to fall in love and then used it against me all over again. I was transparent to him, he knew my weakness and he fed on it each time, but I messed up too. I should have never called the family contact. I should have found a thug not related to my family. I wanted to protect Vicky from Scott Wellington and at the end; my actions had brought evil into our world.

My father would never let me have a normal life, the wife and children I always wanted. Instead he was asking me to sign my death certificate.

I went to Bryce’s office once I sobered up. He had become a good friend and I looked up to him.

“Bryce, I need to leave for a while,” I admitted not able to look him in the eyes. He stood up from his desk. His forehead creased, he could read people well and he immediately knew there was something very wrong.

“Why, Luc? What’s going on?” he asked then he waited patiently for my response. I didn’t know how to answer. I had told him the truth about my identity and my father, and he still welcomed me into the Tyson family. How could I admit that I was being summoned back into that life?

“Luc, is this about my daughter? I know you two are seeing each other, and it’s okay with me. You are a good guy,” he said, patting my shoulder. I stared up at him with round eyes. Of course he knew there was something between us. He had eyes everywhere around here. He knew what was happening in all departments, but what really resonated with me was that he gave me his blessing to date his daughter. That did things to my insides. It made me feel accepted. I had always wanted acceptance and coming from him it meant everything.

I was speechless what could I say now?

“The truth is, Luc, I am a little surprised you’re still here.” He continued throwing me off.

“What do you mean, Bryce?” I asked perplexed.

“Vicky. Luc, her father passed away in Thunder Bay, she took my jet there today. I assumed you would know all this.”

I suddenly felt light headed and dizzy. That is why she showed up to my apartment in the middle of the day. She was looking for me… she probably wanted to tell me what happened and I acted like a drunken psycho. Poor girl, what must she be feeling? What must she be going through?

“Bryce, I didn’t know about her father,” I said, swiping my hand hard over my face. I felt numb right now. “My father called me this morning and then I met with the Japanese…” I paused. You need to come clean, Luc, or else how would you explain leaving like this? After everything this man has done for you, you owe him at least the truth. “My father is coming to New York tomorrow. He says he has business here and then he wants me to go with him. My middle brother was murdered and he wants me to go back into the family. I don’t have a choice. He’s been following my moves, he knows that I am with Vicky.”

“He’s threatened my daughter?” Bryce asked with his hands fisted at his sides.

I blinked. “Yes, I love her, Bryce…but I’ve pushed her out of my life. I can’t let anything happen to her. I love her, but my destiny is not mine. My father will determine my end and so I can’t go to Vicky. I can’t be there for her now. I need to take care of my father,” I answered knowing what it is I needed to do. The only act that will ever truly set me free.

“I’m sorry, Luc, should I call the FBI? Do I need to warn, Vicky? She just came into my life, Luc, I can’t let anything happen to her…” Bryce trailed off.

“I know, Bryce, I can’t let anything happen to her either. I don’t think the FBI will be effective. My father has been evading them for years. This is something I have to take care of on my own. Maybe you can place Channing Price as head on the car plant for now. He knows the ins and outs, and he sat in on my meeting with the Japanese. He knows what’s involved.”

“Luc, you will come back,” Bryce asserted sadly.

“I don’t know, Bryce, my family is at war with another family. Those things never end well. For now, I am waiting for my father’s arrival tomorrow. It is better that Vicky is far away in little Thunder Bay, away from this mess.”

Bryce huffed. “I guess so. I just spoke to her and she sounds like she’s a mess.”

Hearing that made my insides turn even more. She needed me now more than ever, and I couldn’t be there for her. I left Bryce’s office and began to set up my plan.

Chapter 24

Vicky

I woke up the next morning, and for some sick reason I checked my phone again to see if Luc tried to contact me, but he hadn’t. I figured he’d given up on me, on us. I trudged out of bed, dreading the day that awaited me. I made my way into the bathroom and relieved my bladder then I brushed my teeth. As I brushed my teeth I began to gag from the taste of the toothpaste. I didn’t even have time to register what was happening and I found myself on my knees vomiting into the toilet.

Moments later Joe was banging at the door. “Open up, Vicky, what is going on in there? Are you okay?” he was hollering loudly.

I slowly lifted up off my knees and took a piece of toilet paper to clean off my mouth then I opened the door to a wide-eyed Joe. “Do you want to tell me what is going on with you? Are you bulimic or something?” he asked with concerned brown eyes.

He isn’t wearing a shirt and my eyes drifted to his shoulder where he had a new tattoo printed on his skin with my mama’s name. I sucked in a breath. He looked down at the tattoo and then back to me with sympathy.

“This way I will always remember her, Vick,” he explained sadly. “But don’t change the subject, what is wrong with you? You have been getting sick since yesterday,” he asked with a deep, stark voice, crossing his arms over his broad chest. I didn’t respond to him because I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I figured with the all the hurt I was feeling between Papa's death and Luc pushing me away, this was my body’s way of reacting or overreacting. “Dammit, Vicky I am calling Dr. McCall. I’m going to see if he can come by and check you since we have to be at the funeral home at eleven,” he said, turning around and heading back into his room before I could answer.