Chapter 221

Gavin’s POV

I can’t remember the last time I actually came to visit my sister. Usually, I would send one of my men to come and get a report on her condition. Part of me wanted to turn around and go home; I shouldn’t have let my mother get under my skin like this, but knowing Cassandra wanted to see Matthew was driving me insane. There was no way in hell I was ever letting her know him again, not after what she did to him when he was only a baby. She lost every right she had to him the second she took off with him and that monster.

Catherine peeked up at me through her glasses and nodded as she typed something on her computer. She kept a log of all patients in her database and whether or not they could accept visitors at specific times. Some visitors misbehave and have their visitor rights revoked for a certain period of time. I wasn’t surprised that my sister would end up needing to be checked.

After a moment, Catherine finally nodded and stood from her seat.

“I’ll go grab her. You can head into the visitor lounge,” she told me. “Do you need security in the room with you?”

“No, I can handle my own sister,” I murmured as I walked towards the door that was labeled ‘Visitor Lounge.’

She nodded as she headed towards the inpatient center.

“They will be posted outside the door. Cassandra Landry is quite unpredictable,” she murmured as she disappeared through the doors.

She didn’t have to tell me twice; she had always been unpredictable.

Sighing, I walked into the visitor lounge. It was a comfortable room that they set up like a living room, minus the television. There were a few nice couches, a few chairs, a large bookshelf, a water bubbler in the corner, a mini fridge with a microwave on top of it, and a large window that overlooked the facility garden. The window had long flowing curtains that touched the ground, and it matched the overall soft color theme of the room.

I wiped my sweat-soaked hands on my pants, unsure of why I was suddenly so nervous. I never got nervous over anything, and yet here I was, sweating uncontrollably. This was ridiculous; I was here for one reason and one reason only. To tell Cassandra she couldn’t meet with Matt.

I sat down on the couch, willing myself to stop pacing like a lunatic.

I waited for what felt like an eternity; of course, there was a chance she was sleeping. It was kind of late.

After a long while, the door finally opened, and Cassandra walked in with a guard behind her. He said something to her that made her eyes roll, but I wasn’t paying attention to that. My eyes were immediately scanning her face and her body; she looked healthy, just as my mother had said. But that didn’t mean I trusted her; I still wanted her to stay away from Matthew, despite whether she was clean or not. She wore casual clothing, and her hair was tied in a neatly brushed-out ponytail.

The guard shut the door behind her, leaving her alone in the room with me. Her eyes flickered to me as if she was just noticing me for the first time, and I saw the surprise in her eyes. Clearly, they didn’t tell her who they were meeting with tonight.

“Gavin?” She asked, her tone coming out as a whisper. “You came…”

I stood to my feet, already feeling my blood boil.

“Yes,” I replied, my tone coming out rougher than intended. “I thought it was time that we talked.”

She nodded and then glanced around for a moment; I saw disappointment crossing her face as her eyes found mine again.

“Is Matthew here as well?” She asked, a bit of hope lingering in her tone.

“No, he’s not,” he said, unable to hide the irritation in my tone. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

I saw her expression fall for a moment before she picked herself back up and nodded.

“Okay,” she breathed. “Then, let’s sit down.”

She tentatively walked over to one of the chairs and lowered herself into it. I sat down on the couch I was originally sitting on.

“I’m assuming you spoke to Mom,” she said, her eyes finding mine.

I nodded.

“Yes, I just had dinner with her,” I murmured. “She never changes.”

Cassie snorted.

“That’s an understatement. She’s such a meddler. But I’m glad she spoke to you. I’ve been wanting to reach out myself… but I’ve been so afraid you’d just reject my calls.”

It wasn’t irrational for her to fear that, because that’s exactly what I would have done. Talking to Cassie was the last thing I wanted to do, even now. But it was necessary, so she knew she had no chance of ever seeing her son again.

“I want to see my son…” she finally said, her voice coming out soft.

“After what you did… what makes you think you have any right to see your son?” I asked through my teeth, my tone coming out harsh and making her flinch.

“It was a long time ago, Gavin. I have changed…”

“A shower and decent clothes don’t mean shit, Cassie,” I said, my eyes narrowed. “You nearly killed that boy when he was barely a year old; you think I’ll let you anywhere near him?”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“He’s my son…”

“He stopped being your son the minute you signed away your parental rights,” I hissed. “You have no right to him. He is my son, and I will always be there to protect him from people like you. I didn’t come here to grant your wish; I came here to tell you to stay away from him.”

I stood up; I was done with this conversation. I came here to say what I needed to say, and now I was leaving.

She stood as well, desperation in her eyes.

“Please,” she begged. “I just want to see how he is…”

“He’s great,” I said, my eyes never leaving hers. “He’s getting good grades, he has friends, he’s healthy, and he has a family that loves him. He wants for nothing and has everything he could ever possibly need and then some. I’m providing him with a good life, Cassie. A life that you could never provide for him.”

She sucked in a sharp intake of breath from my harsh words; I knew they were a reality check for her because she looked as though she had no argument left.

“What happened to him when he was a baby… it wasn’t my fault. It was Macus’s, and you know that. He was the one who put those bruises on us both… he was the one who injected us with those drugs, took everything I had, and left. I was a victim too.”

I growled at her, my wolf surging forward at the audacity.

“You stopped being a victim the second you took off with him,” I said through my teeth. “You knew the kind of man he was… the kind of rogue he’d always be. And yet you still took Mathew, and you left the protection of our pack to be with him. You disappeared for over a year, Cassie. The state I found him in… the state I found you in… it was your fault. You might not have put those bruises on him, but you did shit at protecting him.”

I spat those last words at her, making her wince.

“I know I fucked up, Gavin. But I just want to talk to him. I want to see what he looks like and get to know my son. Does he even know about me? Or does he think you’re his real father?”

“He knows about you,” I murmur. “He knows his mom is in a hospital and that she isn’t good for him. He knows he’s being taken care of by a family that loves him and that you will not be a part of his life. Leave him alone, Cassie. He has a good life, and he doesn’t need it to be disturbed.”

I knew my words were harsh; she was my sister, and I should have sympathy for her, but I couldn’t. Not after what she put Matthew through. She got no sympathy from me, and I refused to give in to her wishes, regardless of how many crocodile tears she cried.

I turned away, ready to leave and not return here unless it was necessary. As I reached the door, her words had stopped me.

“But what about what Matt wants, huh?” She asked suddenly. “What if he wants to get to know his mother? What if he wants to know who I am? Did you ever stop and ask him what he wanted, or did you decide his future for him like you decided everyone else’s? You’re not innocent in all of this, Gavin. You are the reason he doesn’t have a mother.”