“Water is fine.” He walked with me to the couches in the living room. Diesel was in the kitchen, out of earshot. “Has he driven you crazy yet?”
“A long time ago,” I said with a laugh. “But he means well, so I let it slide.”
“Yeah.” He sat on the other couch, his arms resting on his knees. “He does mean well. In fact, I’ve never seen him be more attentive in my life.”
Diesel walked out a moment later and handed him the glass.
Vincent took a drink before he set it on the table. “Thank you, son.”
Diesel sat beside me on the couch, his arm resting over the back of the couch while his other hand rested on my arm. His fingers gently brushed against me, and he didn’t seem to care about our PDA in front of his father.
“How are you?” Vincent only looked at me, removing Diesel from the conversation.
“I feel great. Things are getting better every day.”
“That’s good,” Vincent said. “You seem happier.”
I was happy now that I was getting sex again, but I wasn’t going to say that to him. “I am.”
“I know Thorn is handling your affairs right now, but I know we talked about us working together with Kyle. I was wondering if you wanted to get that going. All we need to do is get everything with the distributors and we’re good.”
“She’s not working right now, Dad,” Diesel threatened. “I already said that.”
He raised his hand. “I apologize. I was just going to ask if it was okay if I talked to Thorn about this.”
Diesel turned into the protective bear that he’d become. “She’s not—”
“Yes, you can pass that along to Thorn,” I said. “I think it’s a great idea, and he’ll handle it.”
“Alright,” Vincent said. “That’s all I wanted to know.”
Diesel released a heavy sigh that came off as a growl.
Vincent ignored it like he didn’t hear it. “I’m going to the Founder’s Charity on Saturday night. Will you be attending, Diesel?”
“No.” He didn’t provide a detailed explanation. If I wasn’t there beside him, then he obviously didn’t see the point. The only place he wanted to be was home with me. “I’m sure Thorn is going, though.”
Vincent nodded. “I’ll see him there, then.”
“Are you taking anyone?” I asked, wondering if he was still seeing that woman.
Vincent rubbed his palms together. “I’m going alone. I broke it off with that woman I was seeing…just didn’t work out.”
I wondered if that meant he took my words to heart, that he might try to find something more serious rather than young companions. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Vincent said. “It was never serious.”
Diesel didn’t ask him any questions about it. It must be awkward for him to listen to it.
“Is there anything I can get you?” Vincent asked. “Some groceries?”
“No thanks,” Diesel answered. “I have one of my guys get it.”
Vincent leaned back into the couch then glanced at the TV. He wore an expensive black watch, a midnight color that matched his constant shadow. He was formidable without even trying to be. His silent hostility was similar to Diesel’s. Even at the happiest of times, they were brooding. “This must be hard for you, Titan. I know you aren’t the kind of woman who enjoys sitting around.”
“It’s been hell,” I said with a sigh. “All I do is sit around and eat.”
“Which is exactly what you should be doing,” Diesel said coldly.
“How long will you be recovering for?” Vincent asked.
“Maybe another week—”
“At least a month,” Diesel answered.
I’d go crazy if I were cooped up in this place for an entire month. I’d lose my mind. “Uh, I don’t think so.”
“Until the doctor removes that gauze and clears you, you aren’t going anywhere.” Diesel didn’t look at me as he said it, staring forward at the TV. “That’s the end of the discussion.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stop saying it’s the end of the discussion. You know it’s never the end when it comes to me.”
Diesel didn’t rise to the humor. “She won’t be back at work for at least a month.” He repeated what he’d already said, as if he were carving it into stone.
“Then you need to go back to work,” I said. “You can’t stay here with me for another month. You have a lot to take care of.”
“I agree with her,” Vincent said. “Staying home with her has been the right thing to do, but you can’t do it forever. You have an empire to manage, and you need to check on hers as well. Even if your businesses seem to be thriving without your presence, you can’t trust all the people below you. Some will remain loyal, but most won’t. The second you turn your back, they’ll serve their best interests. She has Thorn, but you don’t have anyone.”
Diesel didn’t say anything, his jaw tensing slightly.
I turned to him, seeing the conflict in his eyes. “Go back to work, Diesel.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” he said quietly.
I knew he didn’t want to leave me even though I was getting around the house well. I could take my medication on my own and shower just fine. My independence was returning, and the pain was starting to dip even further. If I really needed something, he was just a phone call away.
Vincent hung around for thirty minutes before he left. He gave me a hug by the door and a kiss on the cheek before he disappeared into the elevator. I knew he’d come to see me, not as an excuse to see his son. I felt like I had my own relationship with Diesel’s father, and he’d become more than just a father-in-law to me. He reminded me of my own father in a lot of ways.
He looked at me the way my father used to.
Diesel turned to me when we were alone again. “I’ll stay with you for another week. And then we’ll see how you feel
