Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
My grandfather continues, “Caroline made her choice. She chose to love your father. Your father chose to love her. But love is an illusion, Vincent. All it does is make you weak.”
I decide to play his own game here.
“Did your love for Serena make you weak?”
His forehead twitches. “Weaker than anything else. And I paid for it. But Serena paid for it more than you can even imagine.”
“Oh, I can imagine.”
“Can you?” He throws his hands onto his desk and leans forward. “Because what I did to you after you turned eighteen was nothing compared to what they did to Serena. Hell, what my own father and his goons did to me was nothing in comparison either.”
“Well, she’s dead now,” I say, “and like I said. The dead have no regrets.”
His face darkens. “I never said she was dead.”
I stop my jaw from dropping. “You’re telling me Serena is still alive?”
“I’m telling you that you will never know one way or the other.”
Though my grandfather refuses to look away, I see a hair of regret in his eyes. He played his hand too soon. If Serena is alive—my grandfather still has a weakness.
A weakness I can exploit.
But I’m not the same man he is.
I will never exploit an elderly woman—one who’s probably been through torturous hell—just to bring down my grandfather.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t make him think I will.
So I meet his gaze—stare him down—until he finally looks away.
He hasn’t claimed responsibility for the attorney’s death at the Bellamy house, but I know damned well he’s guilty.
Now is the chance to bring up something else I need help with.
I take a seat, never removing my gaze from the bastard who sired my mother.
“So grandfather,” I say, “about Belinda McAllister…”
19
RAVEN
I knock lightly on my father’s door to his study.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Daddy. Raven.”
“Come in, sweetie.”
I walk in to see my father on his cell phone. “I have to go, Connor. I’ll be back in touch.”
“Was that one of our attorneys?” I ask.
“Yeah. Looks like we don’t have anything to worry about with that dead lawyer. The police believe our alibis, and there are other more likely suspects in his murder. I just had a very interesting conversation with one of my attorneys who works at his firm, and it turns out the firm was looking for a way to get rid of him anyway.”
I drop my jaw. “Daddy?”
He frowns. “I didn’t mean for that to be as callous as it sounded, sweetheart. But frankly, we don’t need this mess right now. I’ve already got the EPA breathing down my neck about the excavation of that land near the border. Those federal agencies are a big pain in the ass.”
I keep my face noncommittal. I still don’t know what Falcon and the guys plan to do. At some point they’ll have to get in there and make sure the body of Diego Vega and all those drugs are gone. Then what will they do with the remains? I have no idea. Maybe it’s better that I don’t.
I swallow. “I understand, Daddy. But in light of what happened, I need to ask you for another referral.”
“For an attorney, I understand. For your nonprofit.”
I nod. “Right.”
“I’ll find you someone good.” Then he sighs, rakes his fingers through his graying blond hair. “Are you sure you’re up for this right now, honey? With everything going on… The death of that lawyer… In your bed…”
“You just said we don’t need to worry about that.”
“We don’t need to worry about the police investigating,” he says. “They’ve accepted our stories as true.”
“Why shouldn’t they? Our stories are true.”
“They are, honey, but there are holes in them.” He scratches at his chin. “Your mother and I didn’t notice the body until the next morning, and you were alone at your place for part of the night. I know none of us had anything to do with that lawyer stuff, but…”
“But what, Daddy?”
He shakes his head. “Never mind, Raven. What’s most important is your wellbeing. Are you feeling okay, honey?”
“I’m feeling fine.”
Physically, that is. Mentally I’m a mess. At least I didn’t have to look at the dead body. It will be a long time before I can sleep in that room again. If I ever do. All the more reason for me to move back into my own home. Especially since Falcon has arranged for some big bodyguard to live there with me.
“All right. I suppose it will help for you to have something to focus on. I’ll get you another attorney right away, sweetheart. In the meantime, you know you can count on your mother and me for anything you need. Money, support, whatever.”
I slowly rise. “I’m sure I’ll need all of those things. Thanks, Daddy.”
He nods and picks up his phone.
That’s my cue to leave.