His Forever (His #3) by Octavia Wildwood Read Free Book Online

Henrik in utter disbelief.
    My reaction seemed to tip the drunken man off that he’d said far too much.  A s though his words had just sunk in, he smacked his forehead exactly the same way Hayden occasionally did.  “I shouldn’t have said that.  Forget I said anything.”  It seemed that being drunk didn’t just incite Henrik to write large checks on a whim.  It also caused him to get a little too chatty…or rather, a lot too chatty. 
    “Uh, how can you tell me to just forget about what you said?” I demanded.  “There’s no way I can do that.  What do you mean you sent the death threats?  What kind of father does that to his own son?” 
    I noticed my voice was growing shriller by the minute, a testament to my mounting indignation.  Mess with the man I love and you mess with me.  Maybe Hayden had been right about his father after all.  Maybe I was the one who, overly eager to see some good in him, had misjudged Henrik Slate.  And now I was angry.
    Henrik looked mournful – and, for the first time since I’d met him, dishevelled.  He began to say something but it came out as an incoherent jumble of words that made little sense.  Clearing his throat, he tried again.  “I’m too drunk to have this conversation right now,” he told me amidst a fit of hiccups.  “Come back tomorrow and I’ll explain myself.”
    Unsure of what to do, I didn’t budge from my seat.  I wanted answers now but I admittedly had gotten Henrik pretty damn inebriated.  I didn’t want the incognizant ramblings of a drunken man; I wanted the truth.  Maybe it would be best to wait for him to sober up.  Reluctantly, I stood. 
    “Don’t tell Hayden,” Henrik pleaded, suddenly looking like a feeble little old man whose world was about to crash down around him.  “He can barely tolerate me now as it is.  If he finds out about this he’ll spend the rest of his life hating me.”
    A flash of anger rose up inside me then, searing hot and impulsive.  “Could you really blame him if he did?” I blurted out, my hands on my hips.  “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to him?  You’ve taken away his freedom and nearly destroyed his life.  Hayden has every right to be furious with you and, come to think of it, I do too.” 
    “At least hear me out first.  Please, Daniella, I’m b egging you.”  Henrik buried his head in his hands then, like an insolent child that’s been caught being naughty and is about to be punished.  I waited for him to stop hiding his face from me but he didn’t. 
    Unsure of what to do, I said his name and got no response.  I said it again and he didn’t react at all.  Timidly, I poked his arm, half-expecting him to sit up with a roar and go off on a drunken tirade.  But he didn’t budge.  Then I heard the quiet, rhythmic snoring of a man who’s had far too much to drink.  He was out cold.
    Deeply irritated and in total shock, I stalked out of Henrik’s office angrily in search of Hayden.  I didn’t care what Henrik had asked of me .  He wanted me to keep my mouth shut until I’d heard him out, but too bad.  My loyalty wasn’t to him.  It was to Hayden.  There was no way I’d keep a secret as huge as this from the love of my life…not even for one night. 
     

Chapter 06
    After leaving Henrik’s office, I searched the mansion high and low for Hayden.  The way I charged around like a bull in a china shop wasn’t exactly dignified or ladylike, but I didn’t care.  My shoes in my hand, I ran barefoot from room to room desperately trying to find him.  But he was nowhere to be found. 
    Finally I managed to find a staff member who actually knew Hayden’s whereabouts.  But I didn’ t like his answer one bit.  “Oh yes, Ms. James,” the head chef told me apologetically.  “The younger Mr. Slate had to make a last minute trip to Amsterdam to prevent an art deal from falling through.”
    “Amsterdam?” I repeated, feeling my heart sink.
    “Yes.