“Whatever you think you saw,” she repeated. “But the man was a bastard. You’ll get no argument from me.”

“Don’t come in here all high and mighty and act like you don’t know what went on. Why I got sent away. You not only sold out your only daughter, you sold out your oldest son.”

Saccharine smile again. “Please, Rock. I didn’t come here to argue with you.”

Of course she hadn’t. I already knew why she was here. Money. Her gravy train had ended with my father’s death. “Spit it out, Connie. How much will it cost to get you out of my hair?”

“Really, do you think—”

“How fucking much?” I said through gritted teeth.

She sighed. “Half a million a month. I deserve no less for putting up with that man as long as I did.”

I rolled my eyes. Well worth it not to have to deal with the one and only Mrs. Wolfe. “I’ll have to run it by Reid and Roy.”

“You’re in charge here. Not them.”

“Really? They like you a lot more than I do, Connie. I’d think you’d want their input.”

The wheels were cranking in her head. I could almost see the cogs interlocking and then disengaging.

“Actually, Rock, I’d rather Reid and Roy didn’t know about this arrangement.”

I cocked my head. Interesting. “All right. Then why should I consent to give you anything? This business belongs equally to them and to Riley.”

“I’m not asking for you to pay me out of business assets.”

I lifted my eyebrows. “So this is to be between you and me. It’s not Derek’s money you want at all, is it? It’s mine.”

She smiled. Again with the saccharine. “Why should I care where the money comes from? Green is green. It all spends the same.”

“Then why wouldn’t you want your other children to know? You’re confusing me, Connie, and I’m loath to give out money when I don’t have all the facts.”

“I really didn’t want to resort to this, Rock.”

“Resort to what?”

One more saccharine smile. “Let’s just forget about it. Give me what I came for, and you won’t hear a peep from me again.”

“Not so fast. First you’re going to tell me why you don’t want my siblings to know you’re asking for money. Surely they wouldn’t find any of this surprising.”

Connie Wolfe was up to something. Something that was no good.

“Rock…please.”

“You come to me. The child who probably hates you the most, except possibly for your only daughter, whose father you let molest her.”

“Leave your sister out of this.”