Blinding Trust (Mitchell Family, #7)(47)

“She’s mad at me, isn’t she?”

She was, but I couldn’t tell him that. “No. Your mom is just feelin’ like we’re leavin’ her out. She misses us.”

I thought he was about to say that he missed her too. Instead he turned around and got an excited look on his face. “Why ain’t you havin’ fun here, Dad? This is the coolest place I’ve ever been.”

“I’ve had fun this week, but I miss your mom and your sisters. One day you’ll see how our life ain’t so bad.”

“When I grow up, I want to live in a place just like this.” Yep, he said it. As much as I wished that I’d never heard it, I think it will be etched into my mind for the rest of my life.

I patted him on the leg. “Son, I hope one day you can appreciated the real meanin’ of home. It ain’t about appearances, it’s what fills it that counts the most.”

He look around the room. “You mean the furniture?”

“No! I mean the people. A house is not a home until it’s filled with real whole-hearted love. It can’t be bought with any kind of money.”

He shook his head and let out an air filled laugh. “Yeah, I think I’d rather have this.”

I was disappointed in him, but he wasn’t even eleven years old yet. How could I expect him to know the things that I’d learned through growing up?

“I hope you change your mind, Noah. One day I’m goin’ to need someone to take over for me. I’d like it to be you, but it’s your choice in the end.”

I think the conversation was just getting to deep for Noah. He told me goodnight and went back to his room. Fear overwhelmed me when I thought about my son wanting this type of lifestyle. I knew he was a child and this was probably the greatest place he could have imagined being in, but the walls were empty. Instead of family photos, they were filled with band pictures and decorated records. The house lacked a heart, and for me, that was sad.

I fell asleep thinking about my son, so it was only natural for me to dream about him. I dreamed that he’d somehow taken over for his uncle. A very grownup version of Noah was surrounded by beautiful soulless women, that were willing to do anything to get a hand in his pot of wealth. While he was surrounded by people who only loved his name, he’d lost touch with us, his real family.

I shot out of bed and looked around the room. If this was how my wife had been feeling, then I finally understood completely.

I had to find a way out of the contract. There had to be some way to free Noah from his obligation and get the kid where he belonged.

It was easier said than done. After calling my attorney, who informed me that it wasn’t exactly his field, I was left feeling like there was no way out. Noah would have to be in the video and thus he would be exposed to the whole world.

Zeke had planned a whole day of places to take us. We started out going to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, followed by a few hours at some exclusive beach attached to a private club that he was obviously a member of. We were waited on hand and foot and even had this hut looking thing that had rooms in it.. It seemed that Noah’s obsession with Jaws had him petrified to go into the water. After standing in knee deep for over an hour, he played catch with some kids instead. When it was time to leave, we were able to get cleaned up and head on our way without being sandy.

For dinner, he took us to his friend’s restaurant. Zeke ate another weird concoction, while Noah and I had big, fat, juicy steaks. Noah ordered a dessert bigger than his head. Once he finished, we headed to a wax museum that had life sized statues of famous people. I took lots of pictures to show Savanna, especially the ones where Noah stood next to superheroes.

It was absurd to me how Zeke could be normal one minute and a complete * the next. Of course, Noah never saw that side of him.

Our day was long and exhausting and after everything we’d done, we were both ready to go home and go to bed. Zeke had his driver drop him off at some club on the way home. I didn’t get how he could go to clubs and be around all the drugs and booze and still have a good time.

Upon our arrival back at the mansion, Noah went right up to his room. I pulled out my phone to call Savanna, but overheard someone crying. I pulled back the curtain to see Piper sitting outside under a cabana. I could see someone’s legs sitting across from her, but their face was blocked. I should have just walked away, but curiosity killed the cat.

I stood there listening.

“You don’t know what it’s like, Pete. I try to be happy and I know someone in my position shouldn’t complain, but he’s never home. When he is, he’s throwing crazy parties. I can’t deal with it anymore. I know he does things behind my back. I know he sleeps with other women. It’s practically broadcasted to every media site daily. Does he just expect me to sit around and deal with that?”

“I don’t know what to tell you. You know how I feel about you, Piper. I’ve loved you for two years and hoped that one day you would feel the same about me. You think it’s easy for me to just sit here and watch you go through this. He’s a prick for taking you for granted.”

She started to sob loudly. “I just thought that if we had a child, things would be better. I thought he would want to change. It was all he used to talk about.”

“Do you honestly want to raise a child with someone like Zeke?”

“I don’t know.”