couple strides. Laying his hands on her shoulders, he leaned down until his image filled her sight. His brutally square face dominated her vision, his gaze commanding hers. “Are you nothing, Kat? The woman who fought back from a devastating injury, is overcoming panic attacks and building Sugar Dancer, is she nothing? What about the woman who saved the terrified kids from death or more serious injury in a car accident, is she nothing? Or the woman who threw herself in my arms to comfort me?”
His demands chased the grayness back, uncovering her resilience. It still hurt, and Kat suspected it would always hurt to know her parents thought she was worthless. But she was building her own life, filling her world with people who cared about her and who she loved. “I’m not nothing.”
His eyes that had only seconds ago glittered with barely controlled rage now warmed until she swore she could see specks of pure sunlight dancing in the light brown depths. “You’re my goddamned everything. And anyone who tells you differently is a pathetic fool.”
In the reflection of his gaze, she saw herself. She’d given it her best shot to reach her parents, but she didn’t have to stand there and be told she was worthless. “Let’s go home.” In Sloane’s home, Kat felt valued. That was where she wanted to be.
But she had one more thing to do and turned to her parents. “I guess I always knew that if it came to a choice between David and me, you’d choose David because he has more to contribute to the true child of your heart—SiriX.”
“That’s ridiculous. We raised you, love you—”
She held up her hand, cutting off her dad. They were going to listen to what she had to say. “I hope you’ll hear this. David is a threat to SiriX. Find out what he’s doing and protect what you can of SiriX, as well as all the people who work for the company and those who rely on the therapeutics discovered and produced by it.” She was done. Kat took Sloane’s hand, heading down the stairs and outside to the huge, curved driveway.
Halfway to her car, she grimaced. “Crap, I walked out without my computer. I suck at dramatic exits.”
Sloane halted, handing her the keys. “Get in the car, I’ll retrieve your computer.”
She tried to catch his arm, but he was already out of her reach. “Sloane, no.” Nothing good would happen if he went back into that house with her parents.
Too late, he’d vanished through the front door, not bothering to knock.
Should she go after him? Stop him? A few seconds ticked by while she remained in place clutching the car keys. Sloane wouldn’t lose his temper with her parents no matter how much they baited him. His self-control was formidable.
Yet he had lost his temper with her, yelling at her when he’d walked in to find her helping Drake after he’d gotten sick. Her lips curved at the memory of his ranting and her getting right back in his face. Because she’d trusted him then.
And she trusted him now to handle retrieving her laptop without making things worse with her parents.
Realizing there was no need to stand there like a mindless statue, she started toward her car while clicking open the locks. As much as she ached from her parents’ reaction, that didn’t mean she had to give up entirely. Reaching to open the door, she decided she’d email Marshall the file of David’s formula and talk to him.
Hearing the soft fall of footsteps, relief rolled through her. Sloane was already back. “Did you get—?”
“Katie, it’s me.”
The hair on her arms stood up. Not Sloane, but David. Kat whipped around to face the man circling the front of the car. Why was he wearing his lab coat? Forget that, she didn’t want him too close to her.
“Stop.” Quickly she glanced at the front door. Judged the distance of maybe ten yards.
She’d never make it with her damn leg.
He hesitated a couple feet away. “I need to talk to you and your parents. I fixed this.”
The low
His demands chased the grayness back, uncovering her resilience. It still hurt, and Kat suspected it would always hurt to know her parents thought she was worthless. But she was building her own life, filling her world with people who cared about her and who she loved. “I’m not nothing.”
His eyes that had only seconds ago glittered with barely controlled rage now warmed until she swore she could see specks of pure sunlight dancing in the light brown depths. “You’re my goddamned everything. And anyone who tells you differently is a pathetic fool.”
In the reflection of his gaze, she saw herself. She’d given it her best shot to reach her parents, but she didn’t have to stand there and be told she was worthless. “Let’s go home.” In Sloane’s home, Kat felt valued. That was where she wanted to be.
But she had one more thing to do and turned to her parents. “I guess I always knew that if it came to a choice between David and me, you’d choose David because he has more to contribute to the true child of your heart—SiriX.”
“That’s ridiculous. We raised you, love you—”
She held up her hand, cutting off her dad. They were going to listen to what she had to say. “I hope you’ll hear this. David is a threat to SiriX. Find out what he’s doing and protect what you can of SiriX, as well as all the people who work for the company and those who rely on the therapeutics discovered and produced by it.” She was done. Kat took Sloane’s hand, heading down the stairs and outside to the huge, curved driveway.
Halfway to her car, she grimaced. “Crap, I walked out without my computer. I suck at dramatic exits.”
Sloane halted, handing her the keys. “Get in the car, I’ll retrieve your computer.”
She tried to catch his arm, but he was already out of her reach. “Sloane, no.” Nothing good would happen if he went back into that house with her parents.
Too late, he’d vanished through the front door, not bothering to knock.
Should she go after him? Stop him? A few seconds ticked by while she remained in place clutching the car keys. Sloane wouldn’t lose his temper with her parents no matter how much they baited him. His self-control was formidable.
Yet he had lost his temper with her, yelling at her when he’d walked in to find her helping Drake after he’d gotten sick. Her lips curved at the memory of his ranting and her getting right back in his face. Because she’d trusted him then.
And she trusted him now to handle retrieving her laptop without making things worse with her parents.
Realizing there was no need to stand there like a mindless statue, she started toward her car while clicking open the locks. As much as she ached from her parents’ reaction, that didn’t mean she had to give up entirely. Reaching to open the door, she decided she’d email Marshall the file of David’s formula and talk to him.
Hearing the soft fall of footsteps, relief rolled through her. Sloane was already back. “Did you get—?”
“Katie, it’s me.”
The hair on her arms stood up. Not Sloane, but David. Kat whipped around to face the man circling the front of the car. Why was he wearing his lab coat? Forget that, she didn’t want him too close to her.
“Stop.” Quickly she glanced at the front door. Judged the distance of maybe ten yards.
She’d never make it with her damn leg.
He hesitated a couple feet away. “I need to talk to you and your parents. I fixed this.”
The low
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