Page 13 of Undertow
“Yeah, even baby snakes get bold when they think the predators are gone,” he said sadly, swallowing loudly and looking worried for me. “I meant we’ll need to work it so—yes, I’m in.”
“Okay, so what do you need to make it work?” I asked, understanding where his head was now.
He nodded, giving me a kind smile. “Days still in my area. I can’t—I have people relying on me too. I have competent help and I’ll get more, but I can’t just drop everything and be here.”
That wasmorethan fair. “And you’ll need guards as my advisor now.”
“Smart, yes,” he praised. “Meetings Thursday dinner through Sunday brunch, that kind of schedule so I can fly back and forth.”
“Done,” I agreed. That was actually easy to manage once I got more in place. “And you will use one of the family’s private…” I swallowed loudly.
He reached over and took my hand. “Yeah, it’s going to be hard for both of us to fly for a while.” He met my gaze and his was hard. “Don’t you fucking listen to any of them using your dad’s last orders against you. He loved youso muchthat nothing mattered more than fixing the last tiff you guys had. That’s what you take away from it, Sagan. Okay? Nothing else.”
“He shouldn’t have done—”
“The weather wasiffy,” he argued. “I listened to the recordings.” He nodded when I flinched. “I had to. I had to know if…”
“He got Mother killed.”
“No.” His tone was resolute. “He would not have risked my sister for anything. Ever.” Uncle Darren waited until I nodded. “That was why I needed to check after I heard the whispers. He would never have risked her. They were in the cockpittogether, and after they got the storm report and the pilot gave them theoptionbut said it should be fine, they pushed on.”
I swallowed loudly and took that in. “I really need you here, Uncle Darren. That’s very different from what I was told. I knew it was a blow to land, but that’s—”
“Yeah, but hear it from me that I would have made the same call looking over what they had in front of them.” He squeezed my hand. “You know how often I travel too. I would have pushed on. It was a storm but not—shit happens. That’s why it’s a tragedy. You will admit no fault to those on the plane—I will handle it actually.”
Good, because I hadn’t even realized to do that. I’d just signed whatever to have the King’s Guard who were on the flight buried with honors and everything paid for. I’d been too underwater in my owneverythingto know to do more.
Which really showed how much I needed Uncle Darren to help me.
We’re not ready for what we need to do.
Too bad. I had to be.
