Page 38 of Denying Davis
“I don’t like that you’re sleeping here.”
“Well, I’m not leaving anytime soon.” I stretched my neck to one side then the other. A crick had formed in the muscles thanks to the odd position I’d been in during the nap. “You need me here, so I’m staying.”
“No, Samantha. You need good, decent sleep, and you’re not getting it in this place.” She waved her right hand, the one attached to the IV. “They’ve got it under control. I’m at the hospital, and that’s exactly where I should be.”
I moved some in the chair, trying to get comfortable, but not taking my eyes off her. Mom might have been right, but that didn’t make me feel much better. “I think I should stay with you, just in case.”
“No, honey.” She shook her head. “Don’t you have work tomorrow, anyway?”
“Yes, but I don’t have to be at Royal Palm until noon. I figured I can stay here overnight, head back to our apartment around ten, shower, and get to work in plenty of time.”
She took a few deep breaths. “I think you should go home and get some sleep. If anything happens to me—”
I held up a hand. “The last time I left, everything went wrong. It was—I’m not going to allow that to happen again. If you need me, I’ll be right in this room.”
“Please, Samantha.” She moved around in the bed until she sat straighter. “I’m not asking you to do this. I’mtellingyou. You need to take care of yourself too. You’re no good to me if you’re exhausted, and I know you are. Don’t make me order you to go home.” Her jaw tightened. “Just do it, okay? Please.”
We stared at each other, and I knew from her expression she wouldn’t back down. She wanted me to go home, and she’d nag me about it until I did. Stubbornness ran in our family, and she had three times what I did.
“Fine, I’ll go,” I muttered. “But only because I want to please you, not because I want to.”
“You know I’m going to keep insisting you leave until you do.” Mom let out a small laugh. “Like mother, like daughter.”
I stood from the chair and glanced at the clock. She was right. I was operating on fumes and wouldn’t be any use to her if I stayed at this level of exhaustion.
When was the last time I slept for more than a few hours at a time? How can I when I can hear the rattling of my mother’s chest as she tries to breathe? Fuck, I hate this for her. I hate this for us.
All I could hope was she would be monitored closely, and because of that I could possibly sleep peacefully. “As soon as I’m off work tomorrow, I’m coming back.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” she replied, and I heard the triumph in her voice.
I’d made demands on Aaron before, and I could be a persnickety client. Both traits were part of my DNA. But even I was impressed when he called me the following morning and asked me to meet him at his office near the center of town.
Aaron didn’t often work that fast.
“Please, have a seat,” he said as I followed him into the crisp, clean office. He’d decorated it with a lot of modern furniture and straight lines, all of which ran in sharp contrast to Palm Beach’s Mediterranean vibe. “We have a few things to discuss.”
“All good things, I hope.” I slid into one of the two black leather chairs located in front of his wide desk.
“I think you’re going to be pleased.” Aaron closed the door. He sat down in his chair and folded his hands on the desktop. “After we finished our game yesterday, I came straight here and did some digging.”
I settled into my own seat. “I already like what I’m hearing.”
“As you know, I have access to many of the Armstrong accounts, simply because of my position with your family. This means I can see a variety of income sources at any time.”
“I think you have better visibility thanI do,” I admitted.
Aaron smiled at the joke. “I don’t like to exploit my position.”
“Still, sometimes it must be done, and this qualifies as one of those times.”
“Exactly.” Aaron picked up a pen and waved it at me. “And because you don’t ask me for very many favors, Davis.”
“Well, you’re the one who said I’m going to like what I’m about to hear.”
“You will. You’re going to like this very much.” He cleared his throat. “I went over your grandfather’s personal accounts, and I found a few interesting things. He doesn’t keep his money in many places, but I found an old Wells Fargo account I’m not certain you’re aware of.”
Wells Fargo?Interesting.
