Page 55 of Grift

Full stop.

“He owes you an apology for the way he acted and we both owe you an apology for my father. Well, my father owes the apology and probably a fuck of a lot more. But for what it’s worth, I am sorry, and if you want to discuss it, I’m here and will listen,” I say plainly. I don’t know fuck all what I’ll do, but I’ll do something.

Lila’s demeanor changes, and she presses us to the door. “I’ll be in touch, Patrick. Have your lawyer get in contact with me today.”

We’re back in the SUV before I erupt at Callan. “What the fuck was that?”

He stares straight ahead, but when I don’t move, he finally speaks. “He did a horrible thing. Another horrible thing. How do I ever make that right, Patrick?”

He points at the apartment building. “She doesn’t need to be living in a place like this. I offered her enough to buy a condo. Shit, I offered to give her one in one of our buildings.”

We’ve both spent decades in our father’s shadow, and often enough, trying to fix the damage he’s done. Hell, that’s why I’m here today.

But we’re grown men, and at a certain point, our actions speak to who we are – not to what our father made us. There’s an age that’s no longer a viable excuse. It’s long past for both Callan and me.

“I don’t know if you can trust her, Patrick,” he says finally. Callan’s the smartest man I know, but I know people. Lila is a good person. And I trust her with the most precious information I’ve got.

“Just because you don’t get what makes her tick doesn’t mean she’s a bad person,” I say. “You can’t buy everyone off.”

“Everyone has a price,” he counters. It’s a hollow statement that James Carney would make, and I give him a look that say I expect better.

“Maybe so. But hers is clearly not trading some comfort today to erase her mother’s suffering. Doesn’t seem like she’s the kind of woman looking for the easy out, Callan.”

He looks like I punched him in the face. Good.

I start the engine and slide into traffic. I need to go see Seamus Doyle, and then bring everything I have back to this apartment. Personally.

I’m going to find out who is behind this, and then, I’m going to destroy them.

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