Page 60 of Guarding Zuri
His father noisily breathed in and released it with a heavy sigh. “A couple of months.”
Anger released his shock. Daemon slowly stood, fists at his side. “A couple of months!” he seethed. “Dad! You only have a couple of months to live and you’re telling menow?”
“I’ve been trying to get you to take my place for months!”
“But you never said you weredying of cancer!”
Arthur Knight shrugged. “Minor detail.”
“Minor?!”
“Yes, minor!” he snapped, his dull eyes sparking with fire. “What’s important is the business and learning everything you can from me while I’m still here. My death is a mere detail.”
You still have your father. Talk to him.Zuri’s voice echoed in his head. Daemon inhaled and exhaled slowly, willing his ire to a simmer. He wanted to say that if his father had told him earlier, they could’ve worked on the transition,and I would’ve had more time with him.But his father would’ve countered that he had tried and Daemon had refused to give him an answer about being the next CEO of Knight Industries.All because I was afraid I wouldn’t measure up. That too many lives would depend on me.
Now all he wanted to do was be the CEO. To prove his fear wrong and take care of everyone.
Daemon walked around the desk and extended his arms. He and his father met in a tight embrace. “I don’t want you to leave,” he said quietly. “Thank you for offering me Knight Industries.”
His father squeezed him and then released him. “I’ve made my peace with it. When the last doctor told me he had nothing new to add to my prognosis, I felt such a sense of relief. Light, as if I carried no weight at all. Truthfully, I’ve been longing to see your mother again. My only regret is not seeing you rule our kingdom—or a grandson or granddaughter.” He smiled sheepishly. His gaze went to the ceiling, as if searching for something. “If you want my advice, you should try with Zuri. She’s beautiful and wonderfully built. And she’s about to rule a whole country.”
Daemon rolled his eyes, but he kept silent. Zuri didn’t want to see him again.She’s made that very clear.
“Don’t worry about the money and all the holdings. I’ve set everything up with my lawyer,” his father continued. He came to the desk and held up a black portfolio. “Inside are all the papers. The bulk of my estate will go to you. I have some money set aside for your mother’s charity—which I still contribute to, by the way. I’d appreciate it if you would continue my tradition of giving. Not for me, but for your mother. It was something she really loved and I believe she would’ve wanted it not to be forgotten.”
That surprised Daemon. His father rarely—if ever—mentioned the love of his life. Even after she died, Daemon had tried to get through his grief with his father, but for months, he’d become reclusive.
His father continued. “And you’re the philanthropist, not me. Do you remember how you loved to help your mother with the animals? It surprised me that you went off to war instead of being a zoologist or something like that. You could do so much good with all this money.Youwant to help Bendola.”
Daemon smiled and nodded. When Zuri had asked him about his purpose, he wondered if it wasn’t business and philanthropy. “Those memories are some of the best I have. Zuri and I visited mother’s preserve and memories of her and the work returned to me. I didn’t know you were still giving to mother’s charity.”
“I haven’t reviewed the charity’s donations in quite a while. The board gives me updates, but I didn’t know you still had a hand in it,” Daemon said.
“You’re not the only one. A number of board members were surprised by my involvement.”
“When you stepped down from the board, I just figured…”
“You don’t know how painful it was for me. She was my match,” he said quietly. His gaze moved to the window. His frown deepened. “Running her charity kept her fresh in my mind, but I didn’t want to give up her causes. Oh, son. How could I be so good at business and so bad at moving on?”
“Because you didn’t want to—move on. And no one asked you to or expect it. You loved Mom.”
“I wasn’t much without her. I understand numbers and dealmaking, but she was my rock, my confidence.”
Daemon watched love and sadness play across his father’s face. He believed his father was reliving some memories. Arthur still grieved for his first wife. And he was never going to get through it.
“Your mother was the best thing that ever happened to me. And, of course, you’re the best thing that’s ever come from me. Mostly because of her. Well,” he chuckled, “only because of her. I don’t know how I got her, to tell you the truth. It wasn’t my money or what I could do for her zoo or her art. I think it rubbed her the wrong way that I had provided so much.”
“She didn’t want to feel obligated.”
Arthur laughed. “And she let me know it. I had never met such a beautiful creature so singularly dedicated to her work. I’d thought my discipline was unmatched, but her—she had me beat.” Arthur’s eyes gleamed with the joy of a memory. Color returned to his face as he smiled. “I pursued her like I hadn’t done anything in my life—and haven’t since. She said no to me more times than I could count.”
Daemon couldn’t help but smile. He remembered how his parents cared for one another, doting on each other any chance they got. His mother actually rejected him? “I could see her rejecting you now,” he lightly teased.
Arthur laughed loudly. “Yes, I think you’d be right about that. She wouldn’t touch me for all the animals in the world. But I never gave up—obviously.”
“How did you do it?”
Arthur shrugged. “The old-fashioned caveman way—I kissed her socks off. We must’ve stood there kissing for hours,” Arthur said wistfully. “Being watched by the animals. That was a little creepy, to tell you the truth. But I didn’t care. I had the woman I wanted in my arms, and she finally wanted me back.” He grew quiet, his face lengthening as the color faded. “I just want to be back in her arms, you know? To see her face again. To kiss her lips once more.”
