45. Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Lennox
I thought I was going to have a damn heart attack when Roxie punched Greg.
There’s no doubt my woman can take care of herself, but fuck if I don’t want her to feel like she has to. I will admit, watching her punch that asshole filled me with pride. He deserved worse, but he’ll have plenty to deal with in prison and whatever the lawyer comes up with legally with their deception of the trust.
Now, she has me all emotional while I’m trying to figure out if she broke her damn hand. It’s already swelling, but she didn’t break the skin. I gently press around the worst of the swelling, stopping when she hisses in pain.
I give her a sheepish look. “Maybe you can tell me if it’s broken. I’ve seen some broken hands, but I usually have to manipulate them to be able to tell. I can’t do that and hurt you more.”
“You’re pretty damn adorable, you know that?” she whispers as the last of her tears subside.
Watching her break down tore me in two. I wanted to do anything I could to stop her from crying, but she’s made me realize that letting out the emotions can be cathartic. Even if it kills me to watch her cry .
She cringes. “I don’t think it’s broken, but it definitely hurts like a bitch.”
“Well, as a highly educated medical person, I recommend some ibuprofen and ice.”
The twinkle in her eyes makes me chuckle.
“Sound advice, my love.” She smiles before resting her forehead against my chest.
I wrap my arms around her, soaking in the feel of her while attempting to process the day.
I still have no clue how Pam broke in, but I’m concerned she didn’t have to break in at all. It’s not uncommon to leave doors unlocked in Bluebell Falls, but I had been making an effort since Greg and Pam were unknowns. Guilt is starting to hit me hard, but I’m trying to shove it down. There’s no need to beat myself up for something I’m not even sure happened. I need to talk to Arlo as soon as the dickhead duo is transferred and see what he found.
“I can feel you overthinking everything,” she mumbles into my chest.
I smile at her words. “You know me too well.” The sentiment slams into me, and an idea starts forming in my head. Now’s not the time to discuss it, though; now is the time to get her feeling better and then figure out our next steps.
With a sigh, she sits up and looks at me. “I want to call Sarah, Dave, and Walter back and wrap everything up. I don’t want to drag things out any longer.”
“A lot has happened today. You don’t need to do this today. They’ll understand.” I’m worried that she’s throwing too much into the pool right now, and although she had a small breakdown, it will be nothing compared to tonight when it’s just the two of us in the quiet of night .
“I know they will, but I just want it all … done. Or as close to done as we can get right now. I know anything dealing with the lawyer is going to take time, and I don’t want to hold off anymore.”
“Okay, Rox. Do you want me to set it up and give you some time to shower or sit by yourself?” Lord knows I wanted silence more than anything for months.
“Yes, please.” She sinks further into my chest, wrapping her arms around my back.
I breathe her in, overwhelmingly thankful she’s okay and in my arms right now.
“I’m so fucking proud of you,” I whisper into her hair. She may see me as an inspiration, but she has no idea how much I look up to her and her strength. Her scars may not be physical, like mine, but they cut just as deep. She’s handled it all with a grace that comes naturally to her. She puts Ivy first every single day no matter what she’s been through.
And now it’s my turn to put her first. “I’ll see if they can jump on a call in an hour. Is that enough time?”
“Perfect.” She squeezes me tighter before leaning back. “Tonight, I think I’m going to need you to hold me all night.”
“Easiest ask ever. Now, let me grab you an ice pack, and I’ll get things set up.”
The ringing of the video call jars my nerves. Roxie is looking as cool as a fucking cucumber, minus the ice on her hand.
“How are you so calm?” I whisper.
She cracks a smile. “I’m not really calm, but I’m ready. Does that make sense? It’s been a long road to get to this point, and now I just feel … reposeful with it all.”
“I need whatever shower you took because I could use some of that,” I grumble as the three people we’re waiting on pop up on screen.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” Sarah asks immediately.
“Just a little mishap, but I’m good.” Roxie holds up her hand.
Dave chuckles. “Yeah, you’re exactly like your mom.”
I smile at that. How long has Roxie longed to hear something like that, and now she finally has? Her soft smile makes my heart swell. She deserves the family she’s always dreamed of. The one she missed out on. I hope to God I can make it happen for her and Ivy.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Lennox,” Sarah says.
“You both as well. Thank you for looking out for Roxie.”
Walter clears his throat. “We have a lot to go over, sorry.” He actually looks apologetic this time. He’s not a bad guy, exactly what I picture as a quintessential lawyer who keeps things rolling because time is money.
“Of course.” Roxie nods.
“We went over the payouts and how you’re going to discuss things with the accountant before letting me know if I need to do anything with the trust. Now, I’d like to discuss actions against Pam and Greg Moore.”
“I’d like to throw everything possible at them, but I also don’t want this to drag on forever,” Roxie says.
“Depending on our options, I’m okay with that. If we can still see resolution without it dragging out for years, I’d be happy,” Dave says .
“Okay. It’s hard to prove a lot of things, and generally, when we’re talking about manipulation to receive the said trust, it’s from the trustees. Or at least, there is more that can be legally done when it’s the trustees. Because Greg and Pam had no access, the path that might be a good option is something along the lines of suing for intentional infliction of distress or negligence. Now, in saying that, both of those could be very long and drawn-out processes.” He looks up at the screen.
I notice Roxie freeze up, so I step in. “If they are both in jail, would that even be prudent? Even if Pam takes a deal and throws Greg to the wolves, she’ll still get decent time. The sheriff here was talking about adding stalking charges since Roxie has a good amount of that documented.”
“Hmm, that could change things. If they are convicted, or even take a deal for everything I assume they’re getting charged with, the years will add up. Suing them wouldn’t be complicated; however, collecting any money they would owe would be difficult. And considering the debts they both have, I don’t advise it as the best option,” Walter says.
“Does that seem like them getting off easily, though?” Sarah asks. “I mean, jail time aside, we just let them walk away after everything they’ve done?”
“There are many factors, but they would be looking at anywhere from eight to twenty years as a ballpark. I haven’t seen what they are being charged with and how many counts of each, but that’s a good scale to base things on. Now, with the documentation you have and witnesses, I’d lean on the high side for both of them. I’m not a criminal attorney, but I can set you up to talk with one if you want more in-depth answers. They’re in their sixties, correct?” Roxie nods. “So, if you factor their ages in along with that many years, you’re looking at them not being released for a while. ”
I hear what he’s trying to say but can’t—they’re older and there’s a possibility they don’t make it out of prison.
“I don’t feel like the money is important. I mean, I don’t know how much is in the trust, but I’ve been doing fine on my own, so I don’t think going through this long process to receive nothing from them is worth it. What do you guys think?” Roxie asks Dave and Sarah, who quicky agree with her.
“Okay, we’re all in agreement. You can change your mind at any time,” Walter says.
“Thank you,” the three of them say in unison. How alike they are puts a smile on my face. I can’t wait to talk with them and learn more about Roxie’s parents.
“Do you want to know how the payouts were structured with the original monetary values? They’ve been sitting for a long time, so they should have grown a fair amount.”
“Oh, sure.” Roxie sounds shocked, and I start to stand up. It’s not my business, and if she wants to share it later, she will. But she stops me with a strong hand to my thigh.
“The trust originally had just shy of five hundred thousand in it…”
I don’t hear much beyond that because whatever figure I was expecting wasn’t that. That’s a huge chunk of money, and Walter is saying it’s probably higher because it sat for so long? I can’t even fathom that. Us Huttons do well for ourselves. I’m probably the least financially secure one of the family, but I still own my home and have a pretty decent nest egg. I attribute that to not doing much outside of my job, so most of my paychecks sit in an account that works for me and grows. But I’ve never seen the likes of that number.
“… looking at north of six hundred thousand,” Dave says .
“Holy shit,” Roxie whispers next to me, and I couldn’t agree more.
Everyone on the screen chuckles at her reaction, but I’m in as much shock as Roxie is, I think.
“Don’t worry about it now. Just take time to process, as I know it’s a lot. We can set up a meeting with the accountant and get everything squared away,” Sarah says.
“Well, on that note, do you need anything else from me?” Walter asks.
“No, I think that covers it,” Roxie says.
“Then I will take my leave. I’m glad you’re safe, Roxie, and please let me know if I can help with anything else. I should have your contract finalized by Monday.”
“Thank you so much for all your help. I’ll talk to you then,” Roxie says before his screen cuts out.
The rest of the video call is spent with Roxie asking questions about her parents and what they were like. I hold her hand the whole time as she learns about the people who were lost too soon. The people who are so much a part of her despite passing away so long ago. I keep a mental tally of how many times Sarah says, “Your mom or dad used to do that too.”
I have no doubt they would be immensely proud of the woman Roxie has become and the little girl Ivy is. As the video call winds down, I start to see this lightness about Roxie. It’s been a long, hard day, but she looks like she spent all day at the spa.
When everyone signs off, she smiles with a sigh and looks over at me. “What a crazy day. I think I want to go pick up Ivy. Do you want to come with me?”
“Every single day.”