The shock of it hit him like cold water, and itshouldn’thave been so surprising, heshouldhave expected some bullshit like this, but he hadn’t. He’d been lulled into sympathy for this man, and he’d been a fool.
“Fuck you,” Damon said clearly. “That’s not a thing I’m going to negotiate.Cainisn’t a bargaining chip.”
Shaw smiled, but shook his head slowly. “Bravo, Mr. Fitzpatrick. Bravo. That was an inspiring performance.” He turned to look at Cain, and shrugged. “I don’t blame you for falling for it, son. He’s extremely convincing.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Cain demanded, looking from Damon to his father.
“You two. This…thingyou’ve got going on. Let me guess - it started conveniently right around the time Mr. Fitzpatrick realized he’d need leverage over me? So, he gets you to agree that I’m an evil mastermind, so you’ll help him on his little witch hunt.” He waved a hand around the office, at the papers strewn everywhere. “And if there’s nothing to find here, no matter. Of course Mr. Fitzpatrick knows how much of a scandal it would be for me if my son were to be outed in the newspapers. It would only be a matter of time, Cain, before you two were seen in public. Then I’d lose face, lose financial backing, lose my Senate seat, and Mr. Fitzpatrick’s revenge plan would be complete. Did I miss anything?” he asked Damon.
“Everything. You missed everything.”My God. It seemed as if the man really believed what he was saying. What a fucked-up bastard.
“You’re wrong,” Cain said staunchly. “What’s between Damon and me is…”
“Oh, Cain,” Shaw shook his head sadly. “There’snothingbetween you andhim.Nothing except him wanting to get his life back, and you being his best shot at getting what he wants.”
“No!” Damon shot back. “Cain and I, our relationship has nothing to do with this.” He turned to Cain, who looked stunned and maybe just a little bit worried. “You know that, don’t you? Cain?”
Not after the previous night, not after all that had been said and done between them. There could be no doubt anymore, could there?
Cain didn’t look convinced, and that was its own form of heartbreak right there.
“Cain, you have to believe that I would never…”
“Oh, you would,” Shaw said, supremely confident. “You certainly would. You’re using him, and you’re not the first.” He looked at Cain. “I know you’ve never forgiven me for the way things ended with that boy back in high school. Puppy love is strong, and you were more than willing to believe I’m the manipulative parent keeping you from your one true love.” He sighed. “That’s not how it happened, Cain.”
“Oh, no? How did it happen then?” Cain demanded. “How did it happen, if it wasn’t you threatening to get rid of Jesse’s scholarship, to ruin his life? How is itcurrently happening,if it’s not you threatening to take it all away unless I stay in line?”
“I never threatened you. I reminded you about Jesse because your judgment is singularly terrible when it comes to romance. You get stars in your eyes and you miss what’s really happening. Jesse knew the score, Cain. He knew you had money, had connections. He was using you. I made him a similar offer to the one I’m making Mr. Fitzpatrick here. I’d give him what he wanted - his tuition paid for, the employment contacts he wanted when he graduated. And in exchange, all he had to do was walk away from you, pretend you’d never happened.” Shaw shook his head sadly. “He didn’t hesitate. And neither will Mr. Fitzpatrick.”
Cain made that same shocked, wounded noise he’d made before, and he stared at Damon, misery clear in his eyes.
“Especially,” the senator continued, “if I told you that there was no way I could guarantee Mr. Fitzpatrick’s sister’s safety, or his brother’s, if you don’t agree to my terms.”
God.He made it sound so reasonable, so obvious. Damon could not believe how handily he’d been manipulated by this man.
“The answer is still no.” No way inhellwould he trust Chelsea or Cort’s safety to this monster. No way would he ever allow this man control over any aspect of his life.
Shaw smiled. “And what if I told you Cain would be cut off forever if you refuse?”
At that, Damon hesitated. “Cut off how?”
“Financially, socially. In every way.”
At this, Damon hesitated. The senator was not a master manipulator for nothing. Lose Cain, or see Cain hurt by losing his family? No matter how much tension there was between Cain and his parents, how could Damon make a decision that would sever that tie?
He was pretty sure Shaw was bluffing, but he couldn’t take that risk. He looked at Cain’s ravaged face, and knew that whatever happened, it had to be Cain’s choice.
“I’m not going to make the same mistakes you’ve made,” Damon told Shaw. “I’m not going to decide for him.” He tugged on Cain’s arm. “I’m not Jesse, and I’m not walking away unless you tell me to.”
“You have to,” Cain whispered, pulling his arm away. “Don’t be crazy, youhaveto.”You,notwe.Shocking how badly that one word could hurt. And Cain wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“No, I don’t. We don’t.” He put his hand on Cain’s chin, tilting his head up, and forced himself to continue. “Unless that’s your choice. And Cain, I understand, if that’s the case. Your family...”
Cain did look at him then, eyes wide with horror. “Not because ofme.God, no. But your sister!Molly.”
Damon inhaled, his relief more profound than he could have imagined. “Let me worry about that, Cain. We can worry about that together.”
Cain looked away again, focusing on his father. Disgust and anger were plain on his face. “I want to hear about how you’ll protect his sister.”
