Page 136 of Blades of Obsession

“Glad to hear.”

He’s in a recovery program nearby, twice a week. As soon as John died, I brought him back from Mexico. I might’ve had some guys from the group threaten every bar and liquor store within a fifteen mile radius to never serve him.

But he’s been doing good.

Out of nowhere, a mischievous glint twinkles in his eyes. “Hey, who’s that fine-ass blonde woman gossiping with the cook in the kitchen?”

I blink in surprise, but only long enough to reset my poker face. “That’s… Amelia’s mom, and for the love of God, she’soff. limits.She’s in therapy and she doesn’t need any distractions towards getting better.”

He raises an eyebrow, nodding as if he’s just solved a riddle. “Riiiight.”

“I mean it. I see that look in your eye.”

“Okay, okay.” He holds up his hands in mock surrender. “Also, why didn’t you tell me those two big buff dudes were going to drag me into a clinic and beat me when I refused?”

I give him a hard look. “Dad, you and I both know you needed it.”

He nods, a bittersweet mix of gratitude and resignation written on his face. “Thank you. For caring enough to go through the trouble. And wow, you haven’t called me dad in like…” A small breath escapes him. “Years.”

“Let’s not start getting all sentimental now.”

His shoulders shake lightly as he chuckles. “Actually, in recovery, I learned that sometimes it’s good to be emotional orsentimental. Bottling your feelings up is never good for you.”

“What, are you a preacher now?”

“Maybe just a bit of wisdom from the road I’ve traveled.”

“Well, if this is the new you, I’ll have to get used to it—”

The intercom crackles to life, and a voice fills the room, interrupting my sentence. My dad looks like he’s seen a ghost, and almost jumps out of his seat, cursing under his breath. I can’t help but laugh at his reaction, he looks like a kid spooked in a haunted house.

The voice belongs to Amelia, and I take a moment to appreciate how I got Asher to connect an intercom from the bedroom directly to my office. There’s also going to be one in her fashion studio when it’s done being built here. It’s a small touch that lets Amelia easily call into the office whenever she wants, so she never feels left out or neglected. It’s my way of reminding her that she’s my priority, especially because some nights working in the office will get long.

“Hey, whatcha doing?”

I press the button and reply to the speaker, “Not much. Why, do you need me?”

Her voice is playful. “Well, I don’tneedyou, but I’d like it if you came to the room.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

My dad rises from his chair, stretching. “Yeah, you go handle that. I think I’ll head to the kitchen—heard they’re making brownies.”

I give him a pointed look. “Make sure the brownies are theonlything you’re going there for.”

I stand and give him a quick pat on the back, pulling him into a brief hug. It feels weird, but… good.

I head to the elevator, taking it down to the middle level. The middle level is just a luxury apartment—a living room, kitchen, master bath, master bedroom, walk-in closet, and a couple of extra rooms that we can turn into whatever we want. When you first walk in, there’s an entryway with marble floors that lead into the living room area.

The doors to the entryway slide open, and Amelia is there, beaming, her eyes sparkling as she gestures around the space.

“Hey,” I say softly.

A small smile tugs at her lips. “Hey yourself.”

I cross the threshold and sweep her up into a hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around before setting her down.

“Do you like it?” she asks. “This is what I wanted you to see, the design of this level. It’s finally done.”

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