Page 107 of Believing in a Billionaire
“Yeah,” she choked out. “It’s not good.”
He heard the upset straining her voice, and it tore at his heart. “Okay, tell me where you are.”
“St. Mary’s,” she answered.
“I’ll be right there,” he said. The call ended on her side, and he twisted to face Mike. “We have another problem. I need to get to St. Mary’s.”
“Something happen?”
“Yeah, I don’t know the details, but Julia needs me.” He flicked his gaze to the man sitting in the booth who waved his knife at him.
“What do you want to do about the loan?”
Grant shifted his weight, his instincts screaming at him to get to Julia as quickly as possible. With a shake of his head, he answered, “I’m going to pass.”
“If you do that, we won’t have the capital–“
“I know. I’ll figure out a way. But I’m not comfortable with this.”
Mike glanced down at his shoes, his eyebrows raising before he nodded. “Understood. I can handle this.”
Grant shook his head again. “I’ll do.” He pushed past his corporate security head and approached the table again.
“Trouble on the home front, Mr. Harrington?”
“Yes,” he answered, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut this short.”
“Well, all we need is a handshake, and I can have that money over to you–“
Grant waved a hand in the air with a shake of his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not happy with the terms. Thank you for your time, Mr. Malone.”
Grant spun on his heel to walk away.
“Hey, I thought we had a deal.”
Grant continued forward through the restaurant, the heavy burden of losing Harrington Global hanging around him like a mantel. But at least he didn’t owe his soul to the Malone crime family.
They pushed into the cool, still dark night air.
“That was Mrs. Harrington?” Mike asked as Grant set a hard pace for the hospital.
“Yeah.” His heart hammered in his chest as he recalled her shaky voice, thick with upset. She’d said it was about Kyle. What had happened? Had he misjudged his son?
“And?” Mike prodded.
“And I don’t know much more than that. Julia was nearly in tears on the phone. She said it was about Kyle and that she was at St. Mary’s.” Saying the words out loud shredded his heart. He had to get to her.
As he put more distance between himself and the restaurant, his mind wandered to his business decision. He’d been uncomfortable with it all along, but when Julia called, he made a snap decision.
He knew he might’ve tanked Harrington Global’s future, though. He wouldn’t be able to hide it from Julia anymore. He’d have to admit to her that he’d soon lose the company he’d built.
He imagined the disappointment on her face as she heard the news. He couldn’t even manage to keep his company safe. Or his son, apparently.
Each step closer to the hospital matched his pounding heartbeat. Guilt gnawed at him, a relentless reminder of his initial dismissal of Kyle’s absence.
Julia’s frightened voice echoed in his mind.It’s not good.
He’d failed on every front. He only hoped it didn’t cost him his brand-new marriage.
