Chapter16
Knight
I didn’t want to hear any more. Every word Kennedy told me about the kidnapping made me want to enclose her in a fortress. It was absurd. I knew it the minute I started tallying up ways to keep her safe I was being a dick about the whole thing. She’d handled it. She was handling it. She was clear, she didn’t want me to interfere. But how the fuck did I stay out of something like this when she could have been killed?
We had picked over the rest of our dinner. There was a chocolate pie we hadn’t touched. The candles had melted in giant pools. The bottle of wine was empty.
“So now you know what happened.” Her green eyes seemed steadier than mine. “That’s the story. The mystery, I guess you could call it.”
“And now I should forget it?” I couldn’t help the way the cold seeped into my voice.
“I didn’t say forget it, but you aren’t going out on a vengeance tirade. I will find out who kidnapped me. I deserve that.”
“You deserve more than that.” I strolled across the room. I had been restless while she recounted the story. I crouched in front of her chair. “I’ll make sure you have the names.”
She shook her head. “Not your job.”
I huffed. “If I can use my resources, why wouldn’t you want them?”
“Because I don’t know if it was your father. Your resources are going to be tainted by anything or anyone under the Corban roof. I can’t trust them.”
My eyes widened. “What? My father is on your list?”
She glanced away. “It could have been him. Your mother. Anyone. Everyone.”
“My father was a bastard for what he did to us, but why would he take it that far? I was already in France. He kept us apart. He won.”
Kennedy shrugged. “I don’t know why he would have done it, other than the motives would all be the same. It wasn’t about you and me. It was about taking the power my father had established so quickly.”
“My father wasn’t threatened by you.” I knew the statement was a mistake and not close to the full truth.
Her eyebrows rose. “Oh, really? He was pleased that I bought the Vieux Carre? The most prized asset in New Orleans wasn’t his any longer the day I showed up at the bank.”
I scowled. “Fuck. I don’t know what he was thinking while I was gone.” He was underhanded and ruthless. Vengeful. Vindictive.
“Then you have to assume he is as much of a suspect as anyone else.”
I didn’t like the truth in her statement. I’d hated my father for plenty of his sins. I didn’t need to pile another heinous one on top. Did it matter now that he was dead?
I shoved off the floor. “You’re out of wine. Can I get some more for you?” I offered.
“I’ll just call Bella,” she answered. “There’s no reason you have to leave the room.”
“No. It’s late. Let her sleep. I’ll go to the cellar. I’d like to see your collection anyway.” I needed a second to breathe. Clear my head.
“Knight.” Her voice softened. “I don’t want to argue about your father. Not tonight.”
“We aren’t arguing.” How did I convince us both that was true? “I’m good. I just want to see what you have. I haven’t seen a solid since cellar since I left France.
Her eyes lit up. “You might like what I have then.”
“I’ll bring back my recommendation. Okay?”
She nodded. “I’ll get in the shower while you’re down there hunting for the best bottle you can find. From this end of the house, go through the kitchen and when you turn for the dining room you’ll have to walk through the butler’s pantry. It’s the door on the left. The light switch is inside the door. Pick anything you want.”
“I know my way around wine cellars. I’ll be all right.” I kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll surprise you.” I threw a T-shirt on over my head and pulled it over my chest.
It was the first time I had left her set of rooms in twenty-four hours. I needed air. I needed to think. I needed to reconcile that she might be right about my family. And if she was, what did that mean for us?