Chapter 6
I did not cancel the council.
Ryan expected me to.
Claire did too.
That was why I kept it.
“You're not medically cleared,” Nathan said.
I looked at him.
“Am I conscious?”
“Yes.”
“Can I stand?”
“Barely.”
“Then clear enough.”
He stared.
I softened slightly.
“Nathan.”
His face changed.
“You kept me alive.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“You did that.”
“Help me finish it.”
He nodded.
Ryan laughed.
“This is pathetic.”
I turned.
He sat on the visitor bench between two bodyguards.
“I built your recovery schedule for twelve days.”
His voice became contemptuous.
“I held meetings. Calmed crews. Stopped panic.”
“You also discussed my brake line.”
“That wasn't leadership.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“That was survival.”
I stared.
“For who?”
He didn't answer.
Claire crossed her legs.
“Emily, stop pretending your absence didn't create a crisis.”
“My absence?”
“You crashed.”
“Because you sabotaged my car.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Always the victim.”
I almost laughed.
She continued.
“You were heading toward disaster anyway.”
“How?”
“You had started refusing people.”
“Yes.”
“You thought motherhood gave you moral superiority.”
“No.”
“You brought Ethan into decisions.”
I stared.
“When?”
Claire scoffed.
“You moved a warehouse meeting because he had pneumonia.”
“He was hospitalized.”
“You canceled a dinner because he was afraid of thunder.”
“He was three.”
“There.”
She pointed at me like she'd proved a theorem.
“You don't hear yourself.”
“I do.”
“You think every emotion he has deserves action.”
“Yes.”
Claire smiled cruelly.
“He'll own you by ten.”
Ethan looked down.
I stood.
Pain ripped through my side.
I did it anyway.
“Look at me.”
My son did.
“You don't own me.”
He nodded uncertainly.
“You don't make Mommy weak.”
His eyes filled.
Ryan groaned.
“Jesus Christ.”
I turned.
He laughed.
“Family therapy now?”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“Correcting your damage.”
His smile disappeared.
Ethan whispered:
“Daddy said you didn't wake because you didn't want me.”
Silence.
Every person in the room froze.
I looked at Ryan.
His face did not move.
“What?”
Ethan repeated:
“Daddy said Mommy sleeping because work tired her and Ethan made too much noise.”
My stomach turned.
Ryan shrugged.
“He needed an explanation.”
“You blamed him.”
“He kept asking.”
“So?”
Ryan's voice sharpened.
“So I needed him to stop.”
There.
Need.
Pain.
Fear.
All inconveniences to him.
“You told our son I didn't wake because of him.”
Ryan leaned forward.
“He was crying in hallways. Interrupting doctors. Asking every twenty minutes if you loved him.”
My hands curled.
“He is four.”
“And now he knows the world doesn't stop because he's sad.”
Claire smiled.
“Finally.”
I stared at both of them.
Ethan pressed himself against my leg.
Ryan noticed.
“See?”
He laughed bitterly.
“Twelve days and you're already training him to hide behind you again.”
I took one slow step toward my husband.
He stopped smiling.
“Ethan.”
“Yes, Mom?”
“Go with Dr. Mercer.”
Ryan said:
“No.”
I turned.
He stared at me.
“He stays.”
“No.”
“He's my son.”
I almost smiled.
“You remember that now.”
His face hardened.
“Don't start.”
I looked at Nathan.
“Take him to the family lounge.”
Ethan held tighter.
“You coming?”
“Yes.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
Ryan laughed under his breath.
Claire whispered:
“He always needs reassurance.”
I looked at her.
She smiled.
“Exhausting.”
I stared until the smile disappeared.
Nathan took Ethan out.
When the door closed, I turned back.
“No more child in the room.”
Ryan leaned forward.
“You think that changes what happened?”
“No.”
I picked up the phone.
“It changes what happens next.”
I selected recording nine.
Ryan's voice.
“Ethan keeps asking for her.”
Claire:
“Then use it.”
Ryan:
“How?”
Claire laughed.
“Tell him Mommy wakes when he behaves.”
Silence.
Present-day Ryan looked at his sister-in-law.
Even he looked uncomfortable.
Interesting.
The recording continued.
Ryan:
“That's cruel.”
Claire:
“And cutting brake lines is what?”
Pause.
“Don't become sentimental now.”
I stopped the recording.
Ryan stared at Claire.
She shrugged.
“What?”
He whispered:
“You said that?”
Claire laughed.
“You shoved him today.”
“Not the same.”
“No?”
She smiled.
“You only like cruelty when you're the one choosing it.”
There.
The alliance cracking further.
I looked at both.
Then the suite door opened.
A bodyguard stepped in.
“Boss.”
Not Ryan.
Me.
Ryan noticed.
So did Claire.
The man continued:
“Malcolm Shaw is downstairs.”
My signet felt heavier.
“Alone?”
“No.”
“How many?”
May you like
“Seven senior capos.”
Midnight had arrived early.
