Page 51 of Contempt

It was second nature … just a slip of the tongue. “My dad—cancer.”

“I’m sorry.”

She frowned. “Yeah, me too.”

But probably for entirely different reasons.

• • •

“Daddy?”

Lucian looked up from where the nurse was readying his port to take the line, and smiled at Lucia standing in the doorway of the hospital room. “Lucia, come sit with me, sweetheart.”

She stayed where she was for now.

Her father didn’t miss it.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

She gave the nurse a look, and her father seemed to understand. It was only when the nurse had finished her work, and the treatment had started that they were left alone to their peace and privacy. Once the door was closed, Lucia came to sit beside her father. She could feel him watching her, but she could only stare at her hands in her lap.

She felt too much.

She thought too much.

It was all way too much.

Renzo had walked her into the hospital, but then he said he had to go. He didn’t explain anything else, or say when he might be back. He just left, and she was left more confused and hurt than ever.

She didn’t want to feel like this.

“Did you know Renzo’s back?” she asked, giving her father a look from the side. He said nothing, but maybe that was how she knew that yes, her father was aware. Lucian was quick to deny when he didn’t know something—he wouldn’t bother if he had to lie about it. “You know, I always wondered what happened to him because … he just disappeared after he was transferred out of Rikers, and removed from the state’s custody for his other set of charges. It was like he didn’t exist—it was all gone.”

Lucian still stayed quiet.

Lucia didn’t mind.

“But he’s back, and it seems like he’s probably been somewhere for a while. He said … I should ask you, Daddy. Something about a deal, I guess.”

Her father cleared his throat. “Did he now?”

“Yes. You don’t sound surprised.”

“That he found his way back to you? No. That he couldn’t stay away? No.” Lucian smiled when Lucia’s head snapped up, and her gaze slammed into his. “Things always find a way—life has taught me that.”

She had so many questions.

None of them came out, though.

“Renzo is not the same as he used to be,” her father said, “and that’s partly my fault. That deal he mentioned … it has to do with people in Vegas and something that happened while you two were there five years ago. Someone died, Lucia, and he had to answer for it.”

She blinked, realizing …

“Do you mean Tucker?”

Her dad tipped his head to the side, saying nothing.

“Daddy, that wasn’t Ren—”