Ruthless (17 page)

A tear slipped down Nathan’s cheek as he drew a harsh breath. “Wish I... could be there... to see you get... married.”  

Luc gripped his father’s shoulder. “I do too, Dad. More than you know.”

“About Nikki...”

“I’m glad you got to know her, Dad.”

He smiled briefly and shook his head. “Me too.”

“I’m gonna do my damndest to make things right with her. I promise you that.”

Nathan raised his hand to reach out to Luc. “See that you...do, boy.”

Luc gripped his father’s cold, trembling hand. “I love you, Dad. I should have said that more often.”

Nathan’s mouth quivered. “I’m the one...who should have...said it more. Sorry I didn’t. I...love...you, son. You were...my greatest...accomplishment.” He paused to draw a breath. “Not the...power or money...you.”

Luc lowered his head to the bed, and his father raised his hand to stroke his hair. “Thanks...for being...here today. I didn’t...deserve it.” He drew a last, gasping breath.

Luc felt the sharp pierce of the machine reverberating through him. He leaned over to kiss his father’s forehead, brushing his hand over his face to close his eyes. “I love you, Dad,” he whispered.

Marisa set aside the magazine she was skimming when a mother and her teenaged daughter approached the nurse’s station. Something was vaguely familiar about the girl, making Marisa question whether she’d met her somewhere before.

The girl’s mother exchanged a few words with the nurse behind the desk before leading her daughter to a bank of chairs across from Marisa.

Marisa smiled at the pair, but only the mother offered a tight smile in return. The girl was clearly upset; her blue eyes seemed swollen, like she’d been crying. Once they sat, the woman put her arm around her daughter, who laid her head on her shoulder.

“Why can’t I go in and see Grand-dad?” the girl whispered. “I don’t wanna wait, Mom. If I do, it might be too late.” She bit her quivering lip, her eyes filling with tears. “I wanna say good-bye to him.”

“The nurse said your dad is in there with him. Just give them some time together, Nikki.”

The girl sat up straight, swiping at the tears staining her cheeks. “That man is not my dad; he was just a sperm donor. Liam is my dad.”

The woman looked mortified as her eyes scanned the room to assess who might have heard her daughter’s outburst. Finally her eyes settled on Marisa. “I’m sorry about that.”

Marisa raised her hand, shifting down a few seats. “Please, don’t apologize. I’ll give you two a little privacy.”

The teen crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t care who knows that I have a dead-beat dad.”

The girl’s mother gripped her knee. “Nikki, please stop it. You’re embarrassing me and yourself.”

Nikki turned her head to glare at her mother. “Why? You don’t want people to know you got knocked up by some loser who skipped town, never to be seen or heard from again?” She shrugged her shoulders.

“It happens, Mom. It’s not your fault.”

Marisa watched the heat creep up the woman’s neck, the color staining her fair cheeks. She was very beautiful, with light blonde hair and eyes. Her daughter, on the other hand, had dark hair, sun-kissed skin, and light eyes, making Marisa question whether she looked more like her “dead-beat” dad.

Marisa felt sorry for the girl. Her own father was such a strong presence in her life that she couldn’t imagine what kind of man would walk away from his own child. In Marisa’s opinion, men like that didn’t deserve to have children.

A piercing beep cut through the silence, causing a small group of nurses and doctors to rush into Nathan’s room.

Marisa closed her eyes, trying to imagine how difficult it was for Luc to watch his father slip away. She wished she was in there to hold his hand, just to let him know he wasn’t as alone as he felt.

The girl, who was watching the commotion, began to sob. “Oh God, they’re going into Grand-dad’s room. Does that mean... is he gone?”

Her mother pulled her into her arms, stroking her hair. “I don’t know, honey.”

“Oh no.” She sobbed, fisting her hands against her mother’s back. “Mom, I never got to say good-bye.”

Marisa leaned forward, anxious to ease the girl’s distress. “No, sweetie, I think you’re mistaken. The man in that room didn’t have any grandchildren.”

Both women turned to face her. “What are you talking about?” the girl asked. “The nurse said my grandfather was in that room.”

“She must have been mistaken,” Marisa said gently. “What’s your grandfather’s name?”

“Nathan Spencer.”

Marisa must have looked as shocked as she felt because the other woman leaned forward, asking, “Miss, are you all right?”

Marisa shook her head, trying to process the girl’s words. “I don’t understand. I thought Luc was an only child.”

“He is,” the woman said, looking confused.

Marisa’s head shot up. “How do you know that?”

She put her arm around the girl at her side. “Because Nikki is Luc’s daughter.”

Marisa heard the words echo through her head like a sadistic mantra. “No, that’s not possible. Luc would have told me if he had a child.”

The woman glared at her. “I can assure you Nikki is his daughter. And you would be?”

“I’m...” she paused, unsure how to define their relationship. “I’m a close friend.”

The daughter snorted. “Obviously not as close as you thought if he didn’t mention the fact that he had a kid.”

Marisa looked into the young woman’s eyes and suddenly understood the sense of familiarity that struck her earlier. Nikki looked so much like Luc it was haunting. Had she known he had a daughter, she would have recognized the resemblance immediately. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I had no idea.”

The woman’s features softened. “You must be shocked to learn that your boyfriend has a child he never told you about.”

“I didn’t say that Luc was my boyfriend.”

The woman smiled. “You didn’t have to, honey. You’re obviously in love with the guy. I didn’t see a ring, so I just assumed you weren’t married to him.”

“No, we’re not married.”

The girl dried her tears with a tissue. “Lucky for you. He’d probably walk out on you like he did to me and my mom.”

Marisa looked from mother to daughter. A million questions were vying for attention in her mind, but she knew Luc should be the one to answer them.

The woman extended her hand. “I’m Shana, by the way.”

Marisa accepted her outstretched hand. “Marisa.” She looked at the teenager. “And you’re Nikki, right?”

The girl nodded.

“Can I ask, when was the last time you saw your dad, Nikki?”

She rolled her eyes. “Luc Spencer’s not my father. I have a dad, a great dad. I don’t want anything to do with that man.”

Shana drew her daughter against her, squeezing her shoulders. “Luc left when Nikki was a baby. We haven’t seen or heard from him since then.”

“Yeah, all we know is that he’s some big-shot in the country music business,” Nikki said.

Marisa looked up to see Luc walking out of his father’s room, looking aimless. Her first impulse was to go to him, put her arms around him and offer her condolences, but one look at his daughter reminded her that this man was a complete stranger to her.

Chapter Fourteen

Luc stepped out of his father’s hospital room thinking he’d hit rock bottom, but watching his two worlds, past and present, collide proved it was possible to reach a new low.

He knew immediately the girl sitting in the waiting room, clinging to her mother for support, was his daughter. She looked so much like him, hair color, eye color, facial features, but he knew he couldn’t take credit for the young woman his father had described to him. He had no right to feel a sense of pride when he looked at her, yet he did. She was so beautiful, so perfect.

One look at Marisa told him she knew the truth, and she looked as devastated as he knew she would.

He forced himself to put one foot in front of the other, crossing the waiting room. He had no idea what he was going to say to the three women who each had their own reasons for hating him, but he knew the time had come to own his mistakes.

Shana looked up when he reached them. “Luc, I’m so sorry about your father.”

He didn’t deserve her sympathy, not after the way he left her, but he was grateful nonetheless. “Thanks, Shana.”

“He was a good man,” she said quietly. “Not at all what I expected, based on the way you described him.”

He felt her words pierce their intended target. He said some horrible things about his father over the years, things he would never be able to take back. He held on to his resentment for too long; he didn’t want his own daughter to have the same regrets.

Marisa stood up. “I’ll give you some privacy.” She refused to look at Luc, opting to focus on Shana and Nikki instead. “I’m going down to the cafeteria. Can I get you anything?”

Shana smiled, shaking her head. “No, thanks, we’re fine.”

She turned to Luc, looking at him like a polite stranger. “Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, water?”

He reached out to grip her arm, but she stepped back, just out of his reach. “Marisa...”

“Okay, if no one wants anything, I’ll be on my way.”

He watched her cross the waiting room to the bank of elevators. Her back was towards him, but he could see her punch the button repeatedly, as though she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Not that he could blame her. He had to try and find a way to explain to Marisa later; right now he had to face his daughter’s wrath.

Shana watched Marisa step onto the elevator. “I guess she’s upset because you didn’t tell her you had a daughter.”

Nikki glared at him. “Why would he tell her? He wanted to forget I was alive, remember?”

His heart ached for the pain he’d caused his little girl. He had been a thoughtless, selfish coward to leave her, and he had no idea how to make amends for the fact that she’d grown up without him.

He claimed the seat Marisa deserted and faced his daughter. “That’s not true, Nikki. I’ve thought about you every single day since I left.”

She sat up straighter, rolling her eyes. “Talk is cheap and so are you, Mr. Moneybags.”

He looked at Shana, hoping she might intervene, but she remained quiet. “You have every right to be angry with me, sweetheart.”

She fixed him with a gaze so filled with contempt it made him cringe.

“Don’t call me that, you son of a bitch.”

Shana grabbed her daughter’s arm. “Nikki, stop. He’s your father; you’ll speak to him with respect.”

She crossed her arms. “Respect is earned, and the only thing this guy has earned is a few million bucks.”

She glared at him. “But that’s all that matters to you, isn’t it? You left us so you could go off and make your fortune. You must be happy now that you’re a big shot, huh?”

He dropped his head. “No, I’m not happy, Nikki.”

“Good, you don’t deserve to be happy.”

“Nikki...” Shana warned.

Luc looked up at his ex-girlfriend. “Shana, could Nikki and I have a few minutes alone?”

She looked at their daughter, who shrugged.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a bit.” She kissed Nikki’s cheek. “Call me on my cell if you need me, sweetheart.”

Nikki watched her mom walk away.

“You and your mom seem close,” Luc said quietly.

She turned to stare at him, shaking her head in disgust. “She’s the only person I’ve ever been able to count on. At least until she married Liam; now I’ve got him too. He’s my dad, my
real
dad.”

Luc’s heart rallied against her words, but he knew she was right. Liam had raised his daughter and that, not shared DNA, made him her father. “I’m glad you’ve had a father figure in your life.”

“It wasn’t always that way.” She shrugged. “It was just mom and me before Liam came along, but we managed.”

She looked up at him with blue eyes the same shade as his. “You really are a piece of work, aren’t you? Not only do you abandon your girlfriend and kid, but your parents too?”

He felt the heavy weight of guilt making it difficult to breathe. “My parents and I never had a close relationship. When I was growing up...”

“Did they beat you?” she asked.

He looked at her, confused by the question. “No, but...”

“Did they berate you, hate you, wish you’d never been born?”

He shook his head slowly. “No.”

“Then as far as I’m concerned, you had no reason to cut them out of your life. But that’s what you do, isn’t it? You cut and run.”

He rested his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers. “I’ll be the first to admit I’m not perfect. I’ve made a lot of mistakes.” He looked at the door of the hospital room where his father was resting in peace. “I had to try and come to terms with some of those mistakes just now. I wasn’t the kind of son I should have been, and I know I wasn’t the father you deserved, but I’d like to try and make it up to you, if it’s not too late?”

Her mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding, right? You wanna step up and be a father to me now?” She threw her head back and laughed. “You’re a joke, buddy.”

He wished there was something he could say, something he could do to bridge the gap between them. He decided they only had one thing in common: their shared love for his father. “Your grandfather was grateful he got the chance to know you. I’m glad you reached out to him.”

She shrugged. “I decided it wasn’t their fault you were a loser. I wanted to get to know my grandparents, learn about that side of the family.”

“Then you’ve had a relationship with my mother as well?” Luc’s mother was never very maternal; he couldn’t imagine her as a doting grandmother.

Nikki smiled for the first time since he sat down, and it lit up her sullen face. “Nana is great. She takes me shopping, out to dinner, to plays... I love spending time with her.”

The last time Luc heard from his mother, she called to wish him a happy birthday, but he never bothered to call her back. All of their conversations were the same, uncomfortable, laced with memories both of them would rather forget. He thought it would be easier to forget if he kept his distance from them, but he was beginning to realize that taking the easy way out was actually harder than coming to terms with his past. “I’m glad you’ve been able to spend time with her.”