Shame and anger at his mother because she had not been strong, had not striven to overcome their tragedy, had not fought back at every turn, like he’d done. He had stood fearlessly against the schoolyard bullies who’d mocked him, and he’d defeated every person who he’d deemed an enemy. He was determined to rise above the catastrophe, had refused to let it destroy him by destroying anything that threatened him or got in his way.

All his life he had fought to never return to the black hole of his childhood that he’d crawled out of. Yes, he’d loved his mother, but he couldn’t rid himself of the simmering rage he felt at the woman she had turned into.

Because—God help me—it was my fault. I can never undo what I did.

Jeff leaned into the sink and splashed water on his face until the heat of his anger had subsided.

By the time he’d found his composure, the meeting had ended, and Jeff returned to his office.

Where Vida Warren was waiting for him.

28

“Hello, Jeff.”

Vida Warren was at ease seated in one of the chairs in front of his desk. Fred Bonner happened to be walking by and glimpsed her, did a double take, grinned and winked at Jeff as he closed the door.

Jeff then leaned against his desk, folded his arms across his chest and looked down at Vida.

She smiled. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Jeff?”

“How did you get in here?”

She reached into her bag, withdrew a laminated Asgaard-T-Chace employee-ID card with her photo and name and held it up.

“Nobody knows details of other branch offices. I made a duplicate. Nobody checks if cards are expired. Besides, I can usually talk my way past anybody.” She dropped the card into her bag and took in the glorious view of Miami’s skyscrapers, the water and the metropolitan area sprawling to the horizon. “You’ve got it good, don’t you?”

“Why did you come all this way, Vida?”

“You left me no choice. You kept refusing my calls.”

“We have nothing to talk about. I want you to leave.”

“We have business to discuss.”

She still had that silky, seductive voice that he’d always thought was affected. She was attractive and had a reputation for being flirtatious. She looked good in her well-cut dark suit. Her face didn’t betray the ravages of her disgrace.

Mourning the death of her marriage after her husband left her for another woman, Vida was driving home one night after drinking at a bar and wrapped her Subaru around a tree, breaking several bones and leading to her addiction to painkillers, then illicit drugs. She began borrowing money from coworkers. At times they found her sleeping at her desk or passed out in the bathroom.