Page 96 of Rush (White Lace 1)

He reached out to grab my arm, most likely to pull me aside, but I wasn’t moving. Not until I got an answer.

“How long?” I yelled it this time, my voice like sandpaper scraping over old wood.

With a resigned sigh, my father slumped his shoulder. “She died when you were six months old.”

“So you just decided to steal me?” I wasn’t thinking clearly. That much was obvious since I blurted out words without knowing the consequences of the answers. But I must have family somewhere. Someone who shares the same blood as I do, who would have wanted me.

“We didn’t steal you,” he yelled, but then remembered he was in public, lowering his voice so as to not draw attention. “It was all legitimate. We adopted you.”

“I was just another one of your good deeds, wasn’t I?” I shouldn’t be surprised. My father the savior. But I had never, not once, thought that I was one of his projects.

“Do not mistake our intentions for adopting you, or for helping others.” Anger crept its way to his eyes. “Why do you think your mother and I give back, we’re thankful every day that you came into our lives. We give back because we know this business is harsh, and sometimes people make bad choices. Everyone deserves a chance at a happy and successful life.”

I noticed Everly out of the corner of my eye, far enough away not to be involved, but close enough to let me know she was there for me.

I had just found out I was the product of a junkie mother who fucked for money and that my entire life had been a lie. But I couldn’t let her get caught up in my shit. She had a bright future. And mine had just exploded.

“Who told you about this?” There was a stern look to my father now. Like he was mad that someone leaked his dirty secret. Ironic. Hirsh Levin had spent thirty years making porn, and here I was, the dirtiest thing about him.

“Does that matter? You should have told me years ago.” I pointed, my finger connecting with his chest.

“Max, please let me explain.”

I didn’t want to hear his explanation. I didn’t want to know what could have possibly possessed them to lie to me all these years.

I couldn’t explain it, but something inside me fell out of place. “I might be adopted, but I’m not your son. Not really.” The Levin name, which I had spent my entire life trying to live up to, wasn’t in my blood. So what did that mean for my future?

Everly fell in line beside me, grabbing my hand. She was too good for me, but I wasn’t letting go. I needed something real to hold on to because I wasn’t even real anymore.

I drove her home in silence. She didn’t push me. When she got out of my car and walked to her front door, she looked back once, then walked inside.

I couldn’t bring her into this. I needed some time to think. I needed to rethink my entire existence.

Chapter 28

Everly

I’d spent the last four hours doing online research of White Lace productions. After the nuclear bomb that had been dropped on Max’s life last night, I figured now was the best time to remind him of the man he was. The man I knew he could be.

And there was only one way I knew how to do that—a remodel of the Levin Accomplishment Room.

I was looking for anything and everything I could find that could be seen as an accomplishment worthy of the room. I was surprised when I found so much more.

Under Max’s watch, his films had grossed millions of dollars. Membership to the White Lace website had doubled and it had been applauded on several web design sites and in magazines and he’d been recognized personally by two women who were the recipients of the Ellie Levin Grant through the Phoenix House. Not to mention, three of his films were nominated for multiple adult entertainment awards, and he’d won six—that last bit I’d gotten from Ben. I had called him to cover all my bases. I pretended I was interested in signing up. I didn’t want him to know what I was doing.

But there was one person I had to let in on my surprise.

Hirsh Levin.

I might have been overstepping my boundaries, but I had learned early that the Levin family didn’t have many boundaries. So I’d arranged to show up at Hirsh’s house around lunchtime.

Before my knuckles even touched the door, it flew open, Hirsh standing there with a huge smile on his face.

“Everly. I’m so glad you could come.”

“Thank you for letting me do this. I think, with everything going on, maybe all Max needs is a reminder of who he is.”

I hoped so. I didn’t want to see him crumble. He’d already felt so guilty about not wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps, and finding out his true parentage…I could only imagine that making him feel worse.

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