Page 99 of Cruel Dominion

“My mother is none of your business.”

“I know she’s sick. Cancer, right? Shame. Treatment often buries people under debt. Struggling to keep your heads above water?”

His eyes shone with twisted false empathy.

“What is this? What are you trying to pull bringing her into it?”

“I already told you. But I can see you’ll take a little extra convincing. I can respect that and I’m a fair man. Some people might say I’m a generous man. Your mother? She can get the treatment she needs.”

My eyes stung from the whiplash, going wide.

“What?”

“Surgery, radiation, recovery, everything. Pick the hospital. She’ll have some of the best doctors in the country. Leave my daughter alone and your mom won’t just survive this, she’ll come out stronger than she ever was.”

My throat thickened and I fought past the burn.

The thud in my chest was loud enough to hear in my ears. It hurt. I didn’t think he was lying to me, but it was too good to be true. If he was serious…

I could fix the worst thing in my life, but to do it, I’d have to give up the best thing. I’d have to give up her.

I felt like I was in one of my mom’s dumb movies where a rich guy swaggered up with a bag of cash to bribe someone into doing what he wanted. In the movies, it was kind of funny, it was fake. On set, someone yelled cut, the actors got out of costume and they went home to their normal lives.

No. This was my normal life. When I shut the door, my mom would still have cancer. He would still be a powerful, rich asshole who could use his money to get things no one else could. That suit and money didn’t fool me. I didn’t want his charity, especially when it came with strings.

He didn’t control me with it, and he didn’t control Anna.

She’d hate me if I did this.

And I couldn’t stand the thought of that.

Anger ran in currents up and down my spine, spreading through my limbs.

“No.”

The words came out barely more than a vibration in my chest.

“Are you kidd?—”

“I said no. Your bribes aren’t welcome here.”

His brows came down over his eyes. If they were cold before, they were frozen now. His arrogant air darkened into pure hostility.

“Listen, you good for nothing little piece of shit. What the hell do you think is going to happen with her? Hm? You think you’re good enough for her? You think she’ll marry you? One day, she’s gonna learn to like the taste of the silver spoon in her mouth, and she’s going to leave you.”

“If you thought that was true, I don’t know why you bothered coming here.”

He broadened in the doorway, making himself look bigger, like a wild animal about to attack. His eyes blackened like coal. I didn’t so much as flinch.

Men like him didn’t get their hands dirty. I stared him down, daring him to touch me. I bet he hit like a girl.

“Carter?” Down the hall, I heard my Ma weakly call my name.

I needed him gone before my mom got enough strength to get out of bed. She could not know that this happened.

“Mr. Vaughn. Can’t say it’s been a pleasure to meet you. Now please remove your hand from my door before I’m forced to remove it for you.”

His hand slipped from the battered wooden pane.

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