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“Is it convenient for a chat?” Edward Eolenfeld asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m sure you’ve heard.”
“I have.”
“How would you and your brothers like to take a vacation?”
Seth laughed and closed the door to his room. “You’d send all of us on vacation to get Clary out of San Francisco.”
“Ressler can’t drive to … Europe. Or Morocco. There’s also an island resort in Singapore. I can make the arrangements.”
As much as Seth wanted to leave, he knew Clary had her reasons for staying. “She’s really hoping for a Christmas miracle—to make things right for the customers.”
Edward Eolenfeld sighed. “Surely you can find a way to convince her otherwise. Make her see that her safety is more important.”
“I’m not sure that’s possible,” he said and sat down in the wooden chair in front of his desk. “And I’m not going to manipulate her into doing things my way just because I’m worried.”
“Don’t you want her to be safe?”
“Yes. But more than anything, I want her to be able to make her own choices. I want her to be happy.”
“So if her choice doesn’t involve you, you’ll let her go?”
Seth ran his tongue under his teeth. “That sounds like a threat. If I don’t do what you want, you’ll force her to leave me?”
“Why are you with her, Seth? Even when you came to me, you could barely stand being in my presence.”
“She’s not an Eolenfeld.”
“She’s like a granddaughter to me. One of the few people in the world I actually enjoy being around.”
And Edward Eolenfeld was family to her.
It’s difficult for me to say no to them. Would she leave at the old man’s request, then?
A stabbing cold pierced his heart, and it took him extra effort to draw a simple breath.
“Please keep her safe,” Edward Eolenfeld said. “She’s family to me, and everything to her Grandma Moretti.”
“Clary is …” Everything to him too.
But Seth didn’t say it. It sounded crazy even to him. He’d barely known her for a week. He’d hated her for at least half of it.
Did he really, though?
He ran his hand through his hair.
“Give me your word that you’re not getting close to her as revenge on me.”
Seth frowned. “Of course not.”
Silence followed. Neither said anything.
“I’ll do everything I can to keep her safe,” Seth said, breaking the heavy silence.
“Thank you, Seth.”
