Chapter 37 - Lily Draws the Line
Victor immediately doubled Matthew’s security.
Matthew immediately fired half of it.
They argued in the brownstone kitchen.
“You have a credible threat.”
“I have twelve patients tomorrow.”
“You can cancel.”
“No.”
“Matthew.”
“Dad.”
Victor’s eye twitched.
Lily entered halfway through the argument.
She placed her hospital bag on the counter.
“Who is winning?”
“Him,” Hannah said.
“Me,” Victor said.
“Neither,” Matthew said.
Lily opened the refrigerator.
“Great.”
Victor pointed at his son.
“Tell him he’s being reckless.”
Lily closed the refrigerator.
“He’s being reckless.”
Victor smiled triumphantly.
Then Lily looked at him.
“And you’re being controlling.”
Hannah laughed.
Victor stared at all three of them.
“This house has become hostile.”
Lily took Matthew upstairs.
Inside his childhood bedroom—preserved mostly because Hannah refused to let Victor turn it into a cigar room—Lily shut the door.
“You’re scared.”
“I’m fine.”
“Matthew.”
He sat on the bed.
“I hate that everybody keeps getting dragged into my family.”
“I walked in voluntarily.”
“You came to dinner.”
“And stayed after your father interrogated me about my retirement accounts.”
“He was trying to make conversation.”
“He asked whether my malpractice coverage was adequate.”
“That is his love language.”
Lily smiled.
Then became serious.
“I’m not leaving because things became complicated.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“No. You’re doing something more annoying.”
“What?”
“You’re emotionally packing my suitcase for me.”
Matthew looked away.
Lily sat beside him.
“My father died when I was fourteen.”
Matthew knew that.
Heart attack.
Unexpected.
“My mother became terrified something would happen to me too,” Lily continued. “She tracked my phone until I was twenty-three.”
Matthew smiled faintly.
“She and Dad should form a club.”
“I hated it.”
Lily took his hand.
“But I also understood it came from fear.”
Matthew looked at her.
“Victor spent half my childhood confusing protection with control.”
“And now?”
“He tries.”
“Then give him the same room to try that Hannah gave him.”
Matthew laughed softly.
“You sound like her.”
“Terrifying compliment.”
They kissed.
Downstairs, Victor pretended not to notice when they returned holding hands.
The compromise was simple.
Matthew would continue seeing patients.
One discreet federal protection officer would remain nearby.
No convoy.
No armed men inside therapy rooms.
Victor agreed with visible suffering.
That afternoon, Matthew returned to the clinic.
His first patient was Caleb.
The escaped Northstar boy.
Caleb sat cross-legged on the sofa.
“You look tired.”
Matthew smiled.
“Reverse therapy is expensive.”
Caleb shrugged.
“Your dad outside?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
Matthew looked toward the window.
A black sedan sat across the street.
“Technically, federal agent.”
Caleb grinned.
Then his expression changed.
“I remembered something.”
Matthew leaned forward.
“At Northstar, Adrian Mercer visited.”
“You saw him?”
“Twice.”
“What did he say?”
“He talked about legacy.”
Matthew’s stomach tightened.
“He said kids inherit things.”
“What things?”
“Fear. Anger. Debts.”
Caleb looked down.
“He said parents pretend they protect kids, but really they just teach them what to be afraid of.”
Matthew thought of Victor.
Not entirely wrong.
“What else?”
“He said sometimes the only way to free a kid is to make them see their parent clearly.”
Matthew felt cold.
“How?”
Caleb shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Then the clinic fire alarm went off.
Matthew stood.
Staff began evacuating.
No smoke.
He moved Caleb toward the stairs.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Victor standing alone outside Romano’s.
Taken seconds ago.
Then a message.
ASK YOUR FATHER WHAT HAPPENED TO NATHAN MERCER.
Matthew stopped.
Caleb looked up.
“What?”
Matthew called Victor.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Then Hannah called.
Her voice was panicked.
“Matthew, your father left the house.”
“Where?”
“He got a message from Adrian.”
Matthew ran down the stairs.
“What did it say?”
May you like
Hannah’s answer made his chest tighten.
“Come alone if you want your son to know the truth before I tell him.”
