company?”
“It’s you or no one.” Reno felt
like he was being threatened. “You have Daniela’s, DJ’s and Rhyne’s inheritance in your hands. Issadora’s livelihood too,
and let’s not forget Lisette.”
“Are you serious?” This time the
anger sent Reno out of his chair. “You cannot give me all that responsibility,
only a second after acknowledging me as your son.”
“I had all that responsibility from
the day I was born. The responsibility only grew after the four of you were
born.”
Reno snorted and laughed
sardonically. “Do not try and take any credit for Rhyne and me. You had no part in our upbringing.”
“I think Rhyne is obvious, but who do you think paid for your tuition to private school, to
college? Who paid for your books, your clothes, your food and the jeep you had
on the island? I never forgot you existed—I just wasn’t able to take care of
you personally.”
Reno could feel his mind reeling in
confusion. He always thought that their neighbor, Mr. Harris was the Good
Samaritan who had provided for him. His mother could never hold down a job, and
the little money Reno had been able to earn always went to support Kono and her boyfriend’s drug habits. All this time Dennis
Kent was the man he owed all his good fortune to, but he was also the source of
all his pain, his mother’s pain. Reno believed if Dennis hadn’t left, his
mother wouldn’t have been with that creep.
“You still weren’t there!” Reno
barked. “Money doesn’t make up for what you did.”
“What did you want me to do, leave
DJ and Daniela?” Dennis roared back. “I almost did. When I found out Rhyne had disappeared, and your mother had turned into a
drug addict, I almost did. I loved your mother—I probably always will. But my
love for her destroyed her. If I had left my responsibilities behind my father
would never have forgiven me. Appearance was everything to him. I couldn’t risk
getting disowned, especially since I had four children to support. Believe it
or not, I love you and your sister.”
“Shut up! I can’t listen anymore!”
Reno could feel the strength leave his body. “If you loved us enough, you would
have come for us. Daniela and DJ would not be strangers to me and Rhyne would be here with us.”
“I’m looking for her. I swear I’m
going to find her. I promise.”
“How many promises did you make my
mother?” Tears streamed down Reno’s cheeks as his heart thundered with rage. It
seemed like the absentee parent was the only parent who had taken care of him.
Neither of his parents had given him love, but Dennis Kent had given him
everything else. “I need to get out of here.”
“No, DJ is here. I think it’s time
you met your brother.”
“And
Daniela?”
“She’s too young to understand.”
Reno wiped his face dry and watched
through the glass walls as DJ walked toward the office. What exactly was he
going to say to his baby brother?
“Dad?” DJ looked
at Dennis, his eyebrows joined together in a frown. “Why is he here?”
The contempt in his voice was
obvious. There was no winning this.
“Take a seat, DJ.” Reno watched as
Dennis shot nervous glances between his two sons. “I need to tell you
something?”
“What’s wrong?” DJ cautiously took
the seat Lisette had leapt out of. Reno half expected him to do the same thing.
“Twenty-five years ago I met a
woman in Hawaii. It was before your mother and I got serious and got married.
The woman I met was a native, and she was beautiful—”
“Sweet Jesus,” Reno swore under his
breath. He didn’t think he was able to listen to any more revelations about Kono and Dennis. If he could he would step out.
“Bear with me, Reno,” Dennis said
then went on. “We were in love. I will spare you the details and get to the
point. We had two children, a boy and a girl.”
“Where are they now?” DJ’s tone was
like a whisper and Reno was surprised at how calm he was.
He waited for Dennis to say
“It’s you or no one.” Reno felt
like he was being threatened. “You have Daniela’s, DJ’s and Rhyne’s inheritance in your hands. Issadora’s livelihood too,
and let’s not forget Lisette.”
“Are you serious?” This time the
anger sent Reno out of his chair. “You cannot give me all that responsibility,
only a second after acknowledging me as your son.”
“I had all that responsibility from
the day I was born. The responsibility only grew after the four of you were
born.”
Reno snorted and laughed
sardonically. “Do not try and take any credit for Rhyne and me. You had no part in our upbringing.”
“I think Rhyne is obvious, but who do you think paid for your tuition to private school, to
college? Who paid for your books, your clothes, your food and the jeep you had
on the island? I never forgot you existed—I just wasn’t able to take care of
you personally.”
Reno could feel his mind reeling in
confusion. He always thought that their neighbor, Mr. Harris was the Good
Samaritan who had provided for him. His mother could never hold down a job, and
the little money Reno had been able to earn always went to support Kono and her boyfriend’s drug habits. All this time Dennis
Kent was the man he owed all his good fortune to, but he was also the source of
all his pain, his mother’s pain. Reno believed if Dennis hadn’t left, his
mother wouldn’t have been with that creep.
“You still weren’t there!” Reno
barked. “Money doesn’t make up for what you did.”
“What did you want me to do, leave
DJ and Daniela?” Dennis roared back. “I almost did. When I found out Rhyne had disappeared, and your mother had turned into a
drug addict, I almost did. I loved your mother—I probably always will. But my
love for her destroyed her. If I had left my responsibilities behind my father
would never have forgiven me. Appearance was everything to him. I couldn’t risk
getting disowned, especially since I had four children to support. Believe it
or not, I love you and your sister.”
“Shut up! I can’t listen anymore!”
Reno could feel the strength leave his body. “If you loved us enough, you would
have come for us. Daniela and DJ would not be strangers to me and Rhyne would be here with us.”
“I’m looking for her. I swear I’m
going to find her. I promise.”
“How many promises did you make my
mother?” Tears streamed down Reno’s cheeks as his heart thundered with rage. It
seemed like the absentee parent was the only parent who had taken care of him.
Neither of his parents had given him love, but Dennis Kent had given him
everything else. “I need to get out of here.”
“No, DJ is here. I think it’s time
you met your brother.”
“And
Daniela?”
“She’s too young to understand.”
Reno wiped his face dry and watched
through the glass walls as DJ walked toward the office. What exactly was he
going to say to his baby brother?
“Dad?” DJ looked
at Dennis, his eyebrows joined together in a frown. “Why is he here?”
The contempt in his voice was
obvious. There was no winning this.
“Take a seat, DJ.” Reno watched as
Dennis shot nervous glances between his two sons. “I need to tell you
something?”
“What’s wrong?” DJ cautiously took
the seat Lisette had leapt out of. Reno half expected him to do the same thing.
“Twenty-five years ago I met a
woman in Hawaii. It was before your mother and I got serious and got married.
The woman I met was a native, and she was beautiful—”
“Sweet Jesus,” Reno swore under his
breath. He didn’t think he was able to listen to any more revelations about Kono and Dennis. If he could he would step out.
“Bear with me, Reno,” Dennis said
then went on. “We were in love. I will spare you the details and get to the
point. We had two children, a boy and a girl.”
“Where are they now?” DJ’s tone was
like a whisper and Reno was surprised at how calm he was.
He waited for Dennis to say
Similar Books
