Page 13 of The Hottest Daddy
“Lindsey, it would be my honor, my privilege, and my absolute responsibility. I hate that you feel you have to ask. Of course …of course…”
Lindsey’s shoulders slumped and she let the tears fall then. “I cannot tell you how relieved I am. I was so scared that she would be left alone.”
“Never. Neverever,” River said with feeling and drew Lindsey into his arms, hugging her tightly. “We are a family. An unusual one, yes, but then I don’t know what normal is. You have my word, Lindsey. Berry will want for nothing, especially love.”
They talked for hours. Lindsey told him the doctors had given her a few weeks. “If I’m lucky. I need to go say my goodbyes to everyone, but I don’t want to traumatize Berry. If I may … I’d like us to be together at the end.”
“Of course. Look, I could travel with you. Take care of Berry. Then we can all be together the whole time.”
Lindsey looked at him in surprise. “You would do that?”
“Of course. I understand why you want to protect her from the worst but believe me, she’ll figure it out later and wonder why you went away when you could have been together. Trust me, honey, we can do this.”
Lindsey started to cry again. “You are a remarkable man, River Giotto.”
Later, when Lindsey and Berry were taking a nap, River called Carmen and explained the situation. “Can I ask you to pack me a suitcase and have it brought here? I don’t want to waste a moment with them both.”
“Of course … oh, it’s just so sad. Listen, don’t worry about anything. And I’ll … get a room ready for Berry when you come back.”
River closed his eyes. “Thank you, Carmen. I know this is a strange situation. I hate to say it, but I don’t think we’ll be away for long.”
After he hung up, he glanced over at his ex-lover and their daughter sleeping. There was no question in his mind that he would go with them to say goodbye to Lindsey’s loved ones. He would make sure they traveled in luxury and were spoiled rotten by everyone. He had no idea how they were going to tell the child that Mommy wouldn’t be around for much longer. How the hell did you make a five-year-old understand?
His heart throbbed with pain and he stepped outside the hotel room to smoke a cigarette on the balcony. Man, he felt like life was just running away with him, as if he had no control. Work, family, his failing eyesight.
And his father’s diaries and the woman who was transcribing them for him. Sunday Kemp. Even her name made his cock harden. He’d watched her leave his home a few times, known she’d sensed him there, seen her shy wave. He’d even heard her tell him to come talk to her.
If only she knew …
But for now, he had to concentrate, and maybe being away from Colorado for a few weeks would help clear his head. Maybe she would have finished transcribing his father’s journals by then, found out about the horror of his family history, and would have left by the time he got back with Berry.
Maybe he would be able to stop thinking about her.
Maybe …
New York …
Angelina Marshall rolled over and slipped out of bed. Brian Scanlan watched her with a critical eye as she shrugged into a silk robe and headed for the shower. “You’ve lost more weight.”
Angelina ignored him. It was true, she had lost weight, but she didn’t see it as a negative. She could fit into every high-end designer sample and looked good doing it. Her high cheekbones were perhaps more prominent that she’d like, and the constant battle with the gray pallor of her skin was a nuisance, but otherwise, she knew she was a beautiful woman.
If she wasn’t, then how was it that Brian kept bedding her? And the rest of them. Angelina didn’t particularly enjoy sex; she just enjoyed the power it gave her over men.
“So?” She went to the table where six lines of fine white powder lay scratched out on the glass. She snorted two lines then nodded at them. “It’s good. Enjoy.”
Scanlan was already getting dressed. “Not my scene, but thanks.”
Angelina smirked. “Since when? You’re the biggest cokehead I know.”
“Not anymore. I need a clear head.”
“Ah. Is this the missing journalist skank?”
She didn’t notice his eyes turned from gray to ice white. “She’s not a skank. But yes, I have to keep my concentration if I’m going to find her.”
Angelina sat back on the couch, crossing her legs and letting her robe fall open. “Surely her leaving town was a clear message. She’s not interested. And why on earth would you still pursue after you tried to kill her?”
“I did not try to kill Marley,” Brain hissed. “That was an error.”
