Page 171 of Mad As Hell

“You know my name?” My heart hammered in surprise, and I wondered briefly if this was some kind of test.

Mr. Harris chuckled but it quickly turned into a violent, racking cough. I grabbed several tissues from the box on one of the end tables and pressed them into his hands. Spinning, I spotted a wet bar and hurried to pour him some water.

The coughing fit had subsided when I returned to his side, but I still helped him take a few small sips.

“Thank you,” he wheezed, leaning back when he’d had enough, the tissues crumpled in his hands.

A woman bustled into the room like she’d been waiting at the door for signs of distress. I squinted as I watched her take his tissues and fuss over him, trying to remember her name from when I’d met her at the engagement party.

Her blonde and silver hair was kept in a short, smooth bob, and she moved around the room with practiced ease to help him.

“Eloise, right?” I kept my voice soft. “Is he all right? Should I get Ryan?”

“He’s fine,” she assured me, the elegant lilt in her French accent setting me at ease. She shot Mr. Harris a stern look. “But you are overdoing it, and we’ve discussed this.”

Mr. Harris grinned at her, looking like an unruly boy. I saw so much of Ryan in his face. He patted her hand. “I’m fine, Lou. And I’ll take a rest before dinner, I promise. Would you mind giving us a few more moments?”

She looked dubiously between us but finally relented. “Very well. But I won’t be far.” She glanced at me. “Please call if there’s an issue.”

“Of course,” I said.

“Just what I needed,” Mr. Harris muttered wryly, “two of you ganging up on me. Although with Vera, I suppose that’s three.”

“Vera?”

“Mrs. Beechum,” he elaborated, then waved a hand at the couch behind me. “Please sit. And yes, I’m fully aware of who you truly are. I had my suspicions when I met you at the engagement party, and Ryan confirmed it when we spoke a week or so ago.”

I folded myself onto the seat at my back. “What kind of suspicions?”

Mr. Harris sighed and leaned back slightly, his face twisting into a scowl. “Beckett Cain has been the bane of my existence for nearly twenty-two years. I keep tabs on him and all of his so-called friends. I was also on the board at the hospital in Los Angeles where you and your sister were born. Your father might have paid people to look the other direction when it came to filing the paperwork, but I was well aware that there were two Cabot heirs.”

He gave me a pitying look. “Although, I truly believed you’d escaped the dour fate that awaited your sister. I’d never considered that you might eventually be brought back into this madness. That was a miscalculation on my part.”

I clasped my hands in my lap. “I mean, why would you have ever thought about me again? If Gary’d had it his way, I’d have never existed.”

He snorted in derision. “I highly doubt that. Gary Cabot may be vile and despicable, but he isn’t an idiot. He knew your worth, and I’d be willing to wager every bottle in my wine cellar that he knew exactly what he was doing, bringing you here.”

“Madelaine brought me here,” I corrected.

“My dear, if you believe that, then we have even more work ahead of us than I thought,” he replied, his tone grave and serious.

I flinched back. “I was there, Mr. Harris. She came to Michigan and made me an offer.”

“I’m sure she did,” he agreed, “but if you think your father was ignorant of it, you’re grossly underestimating him. Your sister was reckless, and it would stand to reason that she ran out of chances with your father.”

“He isn’t my anything,” I replied, coldness seeping into my words. “Gary Cabot is a monster, and he needs to be stopped. And you’re not the first person to suggest my sister’s death wasn’t an accident.”

He shook his head grimly. “It wasn’t. I saw the medical report. She died of smoke inhalation before the fire ever reached her body, and there was a toxic amount of sleep medication in her system.”

My hand drifted up to cover my mouth. “He killed her.”

“That would be my guess,” he answered gently. “After her stunts last year, Madelaine was proving too much of a liability. When Gary could no longer control her, he took her out of the game.”

“This isn’t a game,” I hissed, tears gathering in my eyes. “This was my sister’s life. Now it’s my life, and because I’m with Ryan, it’s his, too.”

“My grandson is well aware of the risks, but I’m not entirely sure you are.” His blue eyes studied me intently. “He loves you. I often wondered if Beckett had taken Ryan’s ability to give his heart to another away, and then you came along.” His gaze drifted to my hand, where the engagement ring Ryan had given me rested. “Losing you might be the thing that breaks him, Madison. I need you to be aware of that when you’re making your decisions moving forward.”

“It goes both ways,” I replied. “Losing Ryan would destroy me. I love him, Mr. Harris. More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life.”

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