She met his challenge, chin in the air, praying he wouldn’t call her bluff...and sighing quietly with relief when, with the ghost of a smile, he finally let go.
Imagine that. Apparently even he had limits.
Roman turned to her father, exasperation and impatience oozing from his pores. He clearly was not there by choice. “So let’s cut to the chase, Sutton. Why am I here?”
Sutton sat back down, his movements slow and precise to lessen the profound pain he suffered on a daily basis now, then gestured to one of the two chairs opposite his desk. “Relax. Have a seat.”
One dark brow rising slightly, Roman folded his arms across that ridiculously wide chest, as if to say, Yeah, right. “Just tell me what you want. You said you have important information regarding a client of mine. Who?”
Gracie couldn’t deny being curious herself. What was her father up to? And why hadn’t he run it past her beforehand, so she didn’t feel so left in the dark? Did it maybe have to do with something other than business? Something personal?
“I understand you’re still looking for the natural father of Graham and Brooks Newport,” Sutton said.
Unimpressed, Roman shrugged. “I am. So what?”
“I may be able to help you.”
“Help me?” Roman said, with a deep and incredulous laugh. One that Gracie felt deep in her bones. “Is that some kind of joke? You’ve repeatedly fought me in my investigation, throwing up roadblocks every chance you could. Now you’re saying you want to help? I don’t buy it.”
“I don’t blame you for your hesitation, Roman, but for the sake of your clients you should listen to me. I have information that could help them.”
Looking skeptical, but intrigued, Roman narrowed his eyes and said, “All right, what information?”
“I can’t tell you.”
One of those laughs rumbled in Roman’s chest and he shook his head. “I’m finished with your games, Sutton.”
“It’s not a game. I can help them, but I have to speak to them directly. I’ve been thinking a lot about this since they came here with Carson.”
“So why am I here?”
“I’d like to set up a meeting with them. As soon as they’re both available. Together.”
Gracie blinked with surprise. He wanted to invite his mortal enemy here, into their home? And they’d actually already met once before? Had the cancer treatments begun to compromise his brain?
“Graham and Brooks aren’t on the best of terms right now,” Roman said. “As Graham’s future father-in-law you should know that.”
“I do. That’s why I called you. I’m confident you can make them see reason.”
Roman didn’t look so confident, and Gracie had to side with him on this one. Graham’s secret relationship with Gracie’s sister Eve had made things very tense between the brothers. Now that Graham was going to have a child by Eve, he’d eased up on the Winchesters, but Brooks continued to pursue his vendetta against them, leading to fights between the brothers. And Brooks was trying to drag Carson into the mix by insisting he fight for what was rightfully his: a full quarter of the Winchester fortune. However, if Graham and Brooks knew Sutton was now willing to talk regarding their real father, whose identity had eluded them for years, perhaps they would put their differences aside.
“Why not tell Graham and have him pass the information on to his brother?” Roman asked. “If it’s legitimate, Brooks will listen.”
“No,” Sutton said. “I have to do it here, in my office, with both of them.”
“Why, Daddy?” Gracie hadn’t meant to say that out loud and the sound of her own voice surprised her. It seemed to startle Roman, as well. He looked her way.
Sutton gazed up at her with what could only be described as tenderness, and said quietly, “It’s just something I need to do.”
The vulnerability in his eyes melted her. And forced her to do something she’d thought she would never have to again. Talk to Roman.
She met his icy gaze and swallowed past the lump building in her throat, struggling to find the anger and resentment she’d felt before he walked through the door. Did he have to look so hard and cold and intimidating? Maybe he’d learned that in the military. Because the Roman she knew had never looked at her like that before. She could barely remember him even raising his voice to her when they argued, which they hadn’t really done all that much come to think of it. Their relationship had been pretty easy. Right up until the moment it wasn’t. When she learned of how he’d betrayed her.
She had screamed at him then, and the worst part was that he never screamed back. He had only stood there looking remorseful, taking full responsibility for what he had done.
Though he had never actually said the words I’m sorry, his remorse had been clear on his face. And it wouldn’t have made a difference if he had. There were no words to make up for his betrayal and all the hurt he caused. And if her father wanted this meeting, he was going to get it.
She could be snarky, but she knew Roman well enough to know that attitude wouldn’t work. She shoved down her pride as far as it would go and tucked her tail firmly between her legs. She was doing it for Daddy.
“You know that my father isn’t well. If this is something he needs to do I want to get it done. What will it take to get you to help?”
Her father touched her arm and said firmly, “Thank you, Princess. But let me handle this.”
Princess?
Really?
Roman resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Gracie pleading Sutton’s case. She always had been, and always would be, a slave to her father’s demands. A dedicated daddy’s girl. Roman had learned that one a long time ago, the hard way. When it came to her loyalty, Sutton and her two sisters always came first.
Though it did look to Roman as though the old man didn’t have much time left. The weight loss, the gray pallor. Roman had watched it happen to his own father when he was only fifteen, then five years later to his mother. Roman could see that Sutton Winchester was knocking on death’s door, and didn’t doubt that the man’s excessive lifestyle had ultimately been his undoing. The skirt chasing, heavy drinking and high-stress business dealings had taken their toll.
Which was why Roman didn’t feel a bit sorry for him.
Sutton turned to Roman and asked, “Will you arrange it?”
Yeah, right. Who the hell did Sutton think he was, asking anything from Roman? He didn’t owe the man a damned thing. “Um...no. I won’t.”
“I’ll pay you,” Sutton said, and Roman’s hackles went up.
The idea of taking the old man’s money made him sick to his stomach. He shook his head and said, “Not gonna happen.”
“What do you want? Just name it.”
He opened his mouth to tell the old geezer that he had nothing to offer that Roman could possibly want, when something stopped him. He glanced over at Gracie, who was doing her best not to look at Roman. He remembered all the times in the past that Sutton had tried to sabotage Roman’s relationship with Gracie, because he never considered Roman—a military brat—good enough for his precious daughter. But Roman had come a long way since then. Now Sutton needed him, and clearly he had nothing to lose.
He glanced over at Gracie, casually eyeing her up and down. “How