11

STRIKER

When the door squeaked, I felt it was her. Her presence just made the room too small for us. “You’re leaving again.”

“I’m not.” I couldn’t even look her in the eye. I was guilty of abandoning her years ago. It was still my fault that her mind and emotions were so volatile and fragile at that time, and it felt like I took advantage of it and didn’t think of the consequences.

When all I wanted at that moment was to reassure her that she would be okay, what I was doing was wrong. I got it now.

“Dad fired you.”

“It’s alright.” I put my gun in the duffel.

“Yet, you can’t even look at me.” I couldn’t stand it anymore when she sounded so disappointed like that.

I dropped what I was doing and stood up to meet her in the eye. “I will take the job offer permanently at the Cade premium. Desk job might suit me.”

“But?”

“No buts.”

“Dad warned you, didn’t he?”

“I’ll sort things out.”

“You told me we would talk after you talked with Dad. What did he exactly say to you, Cade?”

“