Chapter 62
My home is tainted. Laced in hate and greed. Brought on by the people who granted me life. Grace and Gabriel Viotto. They were two people on the same side of the coin, chasing power and holding it in the palm of their hands. Never doing an ounce of good for the people who got them into that position. For my father, his last name thrust him onto the throne, allowing him to rule over the innocent and take advantage of them any chance he got. As for my mother, she was merely a pawn in his obsessive game, but she still ended up the same.
They both wanted power over Briar Cove. One died for it. The other went to prison. So, who is the real winner here?
Me. And I fucking hate it.
Everything my mother has touched. Every inch of this mansion makes my lips curl, and disdain takes me over.
She ruined everything.
My life. My joyful memories of her. Even her return is ruined by her actions.
I stare at the mansion that was once ours. A home away from Gabriel’s tower and watchful eye. Our refuge from everything. A place where we could be ourselves and unmask from our public personas.
Now, she’s put her hands on everything. Taking Shepp’s paintings and sitting in our chairs around the dining room table. Nothing is sacred in our former home—even the grounds we loved to walk.
“Looks like Olivia is already here,” Shepp murmurs, standing stoically beside me.
A dark black, nondescript van sits in the driveway. But we all know it’s Olivia’s.
The four of us stare up at the mansion looming over us. Almost mocking us with the memories locked within its walls. It's a hellhole for all of us. My gaze slips to Journey, leaning against Shepp’s side. Exhaustion weighs her down. I’d give anything to crawl into bed and hold her for eternity.
But not here.
Not in this ruined building that holds nothing but our nightmares.
“Indeed.” I nod, lost in the thoughts running rampant through my mind. “She has a habit of making herself comfortable in my spaces.” My voice barely lifts above a whisper.
“Jericho,” Journey mumbles, forcing my hand in hers.
“Once this is over, we’re vacating the premises,” I say, gently squeezing her hand in mine. “But first, it seems a government agent wants to have a discussion with us.”
Without hesitation, they all follow behind me as we walk through the front door and stall near the foyer. Rage boils through me at the sight of my things thrown around. Broken vases. Plates. Damaged paintings.
Fucking Veritas.
A tic forms in my jaw. It’s just another piece of the fucked-up puzzle driving me away from the mansion. Grace fucked it up. But so did Veritas.
“Welcome home,” Olivia says, greeting us with a smile and stepping out of the dining room. Her eyes sweep over us and then the space. “I tried to keep this as civil as possible with minimal damage, but you know how criminals are. They all think they can run from the law. Jokes on them.” She waves her hand at the mess. My jaw tightens. “Anyway, should we sit down? I think we have some important things to go over.”
“I’m sure your agents had a field day going through my belongings,” I chide, looking down at her.
Her eyes narrow. “Like I said, why don’t we sit and talk this through before you try to rip my head off?”
We follow her into the untouched dining room and sit around the table. It’s eerie to think that just a few days ago, we were here with my mother, and her guards watched as we ate. Arrow, in all his clinginess, pulls Journey into his lap and wraps his arms around her with a sigh. After being pulled away from her for so long, I don’t think he’ll ever relinquish her to us.
“It’s funny seeing you here again.” Many years ago, we spent many days here before her father was ousted from the family. Although she was older than us and often hated being trapped hanging out with us—she was here. It wasn’t until we met with Journey’s brothers to discuss her money that Olivia finally made it back.
Something softens on her face. Going from the hardened Veritas agent to the cousin I looked up to as a child.
“It’s strange being back. Especially after that,” she says, shaking her head.
That I don’t doubt. If I ever made it back to the home she grew up in until they were relocated to Greenwood, I’d have the same mixed emotions.
“Now, what did you want to discuss?” I ask, hoping she’ll get to the point of this impromptu meeting. I’m sure she has other things to attend to.
Olivia stiffens, recognizing our moment is over. Her face hardens back into the woman she wants everyone to see, hiding the pain and everything else she shoves into the back of her mind.
Olivia sighs. “Oh, so many things, cousin. So many goddamn things. Your mother, for one. She’s going to be locked away for a long time, along with everyone who was here and the other stragglers. We’re still trying to locate more of her minions lost in the wind, but we’re coming up empty right now,” Olivia says, leaning back in her chair with a frown. “Fuck these Shadow assholes,” she groans, rubbing at her temples.
A sentiment I can get behind. Fuck those assholes, indeed. They went unchecked for so long. How they remained undetectable will forever haunt me. My own mother was behind all the destruction toward Briar Cove.
“Listen, we need to have a pretty frank discussion about the past and the future.” Her eyebrows raise, and we all nod. “I’ve been in your business for a while now, and I know what you do and who you are. I also know who your allies are and what their business is. I know it all, folks.”
“This seems like a threat.” I sit up straighter, eyeing her with a new appreciation.
Do I think my cousin would turn us into her superiors? No. Olivia has always been on the more trustworthy side, keeping secrets and never telling a soul. Hell, for the longest time, I never knew how bad her father, Raphael Viotto, was toward her. He was a pleasant man on the outside, but within the walls of their home—he was the devil.
It must be a thing of the elder Viotto brothers, treating their families like extensions of themselves, resulting in abuse.
“I don’t take threats very well, Liv,” Arrow playfully quips back, narrowing his eyes at her.
Even Shepp watches her closely, assessing our surroundings. I’m sure there are some Veritas fuckers hanging around.
“God, it fucking is, okay? But not in the sense you’re thinking. You guys have your shit, and I have mine. I’ll leave you alone and let you do your thing. Run your mafia. God knows I know about all our uncles and their less-than-legal shit. More than I care to know,” she grumbles, eyeing us sternly.
“Does the rest of the family know of your existence?” I ask, folding my hands on the table.
It’s something we haven’t discussed. My father knew. Somehow. I’m sure he didn’t keep it to himself. Or it’s possible he did. Storing away information for a rainy day was his MO, anyway—anything he could use to have the upper hand on the rest of his brothers—the better.
“I’m a miracle, don’t you know? Coming back to life after years off the grid,” she snarks, rolling her eyes. “Anyway. All I’m saying is, I know your shit. So, keep your noses as clean as possible. And for the love of God, don’t contact me again,” she smirks and winks, getting up from the table with a huff.
“And how do you keep that from your organization's higher-ups?” I ask with intrigue. Surely, she can’t keep our relationship from the agents working above her.
Olivia grins. “Didn’t you know, Dear Cousin? I am the fucking boss. Remember when I said Uncle Jonathan handed Veritas over to me? Well, this is it.”
I cock my head. “The boss, huh? Like...” I trail off when she grins, showing me exactly what she means.
“That means I’m covering for your asses the best I can by sticking my head in the damn sand every time a body shows up in Briar Cove. For now, it can be written off as Shadow’s fuck ups. Or a random murder. But for God’s sake, when a body floats on shore and looks like an animal attacked them,” Olivia grumbles, eyeing Arrow with a knowing look.
“Well, it wasn’t me! I buried those suckers in the backyard!” Arrow yelps, pointing outside the house.
“And I didn’t hear that.” She grins.
“Whatever happened to Uncle Jonathan?” I hum, eyeing her when her shoulders stiffen, almost rocketing toward her ears.
Ah. Something happened there. The man who saved her after her best friends sliced her throat and left her to die, dragging her into Veritas as a form of protection. He was once an angel to her, but it seems like he slipped up and disappeared.
Olivia smirks. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I would, that’s why I asked, Brat,” I quip, tilting my head.
Arrow stiffens, realization smacking into him a few minutes too late. “Wait! Hold the pickles! You’re the boss?” he asks with wide eyes. “Well, shit. That explains a lot.”
“Yes. I am. And as much as Carter wants to hack into your phones and computers and put you behind bars for eternity, I won’t let him. Got it? So… just… don’t be stupid.” She shakes her head. “Now, I need to get home, soak in a bath, and do all kinds of things with my husbands to wash away the shitty investigation that took way too fucking long to accomplish.”
I shudder at the imagery. “On a list of things I didn’t need to know, that was one of them.”
She smirks. “I could go into gory details. Do you think keeping up with three of them is hard? Try five. It’s tiring. But the orgasms? Totally worth it,” she quips when I gag.
“Olivia,” I grumble, running a hand down my face. “I do not, under any circumstances, need to be privy to your bodily functions. In fact, after you leave, I’m going to bleach my brain.”
Olivia chuckles. “On that note, good fucking bye. I’m sure we’ll meet again. Seger and Zepp are trying to set up a good time for all the Wests to get together and have dinner. Expect a call,” she says, pointing a finger at all of us. “And congrats, Journey. Don’t let my cousin smother you.” Olivia turns on her heels, taking a step or two before she stops again. “Oh, and Shepp?”
He jerks his gaze at her, waiting expectantly. “Yes?”
She smiles at the sound of his voice. “In the search of the mansion, my officers located some paintings stored in the basement. My officers found the paintings covered in sheets and apparently well cared for in the basement.
Shepp deflates. “Thank you,” he breathes.
Olivia waves without another word and leaves the house, softly shutting the front door behind her. For a second, silence descends on us. Olivia’s words hang thickly in the air.
It’s finally over. Olivia is going back to East Point, and we’re here. Gabriel is dead. Thomas is dead. Grace is in prison. The majority of my father’s bosses are dead after being killed in a massacre at the church, leaving the four of us to pick up the pieces with our new allies and get Briar Cove back into functioning order.
I get to my feet and reach the bar nestled on the other side of the dining room. Many thoughts flash through my brain. Plans start forming, and excitement settles in. I may not have wanted the throne passed down because of my last name, but I’ll do right by it. Not just me. Arrow. Sheppard. Even Journey will assist in our new future.
I hum a tune to myself as I get a glass of whiskey, filling it until it’s full. I have no patience or need to sip it tonight. I want it all to wash away the past few days' events. I quickly gulp down the drink until my throat burns and my headache starts to fade. Turning on my heels, I face the others who absentmindedly stare at me, watching my every move.
“I want to make a proposal,” I hum, refilling my glass.
“Oh, do tell, Daddy Jer! Does it have to do with explosives?” Arrow wiggles his brows with a manic look crossing through his gray eyes.
I cock my head. “Well, not initially, but it could.”
“What are you thinking?” Shepp’s levelheaded question breaks through the imagery of blowing this blasted mansion to smithereens and starting fresh with a clean slate.
New house. New blueprints.
Our future.
“We need to move forward. The empire is ours.” I take another sip, forcing myself to slow down.
“And Mikhail’s and Elias’,” Shepp reminds me with a nod.
“That, too. Now that Briar Cove is secured from Shadow’s grip, we can return to normal.”
“Normal? What’s normal?” Journey sighs, rubbing her temple.
“Meaning we take back everything we did before. Arrow, you’ll continue your father’s work at the church with the townspeople.” I lick my lips when he nods enthusiastically. Although I can tell he’s still reeling from watching his father die, he’ll do what he’s always done. Persevere.
“You bet, Daddy Jer,” Arrow hums, nestling further into Journey’s neck and breathing heavily.
“We’ll work out the details with Mikhail and Elias. But first...” My eyes dart around the room, taking in the carnage from Olivia’s agents. “Let’s get everything we need out of this hellhole and move to Rave. Then...”
“Can we light this place on fire?” Arrow asks with hope in his tone.
“Yes. We can blow this place to hell where it belongs,” I agree with a nod. It wasn’t my first choice. Hell, I would have left this place to rot and fall apart on its own. But blowing up? Yeah, that sounds like what this place deserves.
“No fire for you,” Shepp interjects, shaking his head.
“Always such a party pooper, man,” he scoffs.
“Then we can build a proper home for the four of us...” I trail off when Journey grins.
“The five of us,” she corrects, setting the ultrasound photo on the table.
“The five of us,” I correct myself, staring at it with awe.
“Shall we head to Rave and settle into our temporary apartment?”
They all nod, getting to their feet, and we meet in the foyer.
“Tomorrow, we’ll come back for the rest of our belongings and begin moving things out,” I say, lifting my chin to take it all in one last time.
And with that, we all pile into our SUV and make our way to Rave.
“So, is this your new headquarters, Viotto?” Elias asks, looking around at the small VIP with pursed lips.
It’s been about a week since we moved ourselves into the small space, but it works. For now, at least. Besides, it’s not as small as it seems. Shepp, Arrow, and I have spent many nights here after the club closed for the night. It accommodates us and works for now while we draw up blueprints for the new home we will build on the land of our former mansion.
“For now,” I say, standing beside our bar. “Care for a drink while we wait for Mikhail?”
Elias nods, sitting across from Arrow and Shepp, who lounge on the leather sofa. Arrow, in all his glory, holds a knife, cleaning the thing repeatedly.
I return to Elias and hand him a drink as I settle into the leather chair, facing the three of them. “Cheers to our new partnership,” I say, lifting my glass, and we clink them together.
“So, how goes the recruiting?” Elias asks, sipping his whiskey with a hum of approval.
I smirk. “It’s going well. We have plenty of allies within the city to fill all the shoes of the deceased corrupt bastards.” Every single ally in town stepped up to fulfill the necessary roles. “And your new establishments?”
Elias smirks. “Running beautifully now. New products are shipping on Monday and should hit the clubs and streets.”
“Clean, I hope,” Arrow says, pointing his shiny knife in Elias’s direction.
“Always. They’re my customers. I want to keep them as happy and alive as possible. It’s good for business,” he says, lifting his glass in Arrow’s direction.
“Good.” I nod, tossing back the rest of my drink.
“Excuse me, sir,” Brandon says, opening the VIP door and stepping inside. The noise of the club filters through, filled with all the citizens hungry to get back on the dance floor and drink our booze.
“Yes?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Mikhail and Sunshine Antonov have entered the building.”
“Any trouble?” Shepp asks.
“No. They’re headed on up,” Brandon replies.
“Let them in immediately,” I say, rolling my wrist.
“Of course, sir,” he says, bowing his head slightly and stepping back through the door. Only momentarily, though, when Mikhail and Sunshine step through the door hand in hand, looking as cozy as ever.
“Sunshine, this is quite a surprise,” I say, standing to greet her. “Journey is just through those doors there. She hasn’t been feeling too well today. I’m sure your presence will cheer her up.” I pat her back gently and pull back.
Journey’s pregnancy has been rough on her. Despite having morning sickness pills to ease the nausea, she’s still feeling the effects. Lucky for her, she has three doting men willing to do just about anything for her. That seems to please her. For the most part, though, she’s been in bed, resting as she grows our future in her belly.
“Thank you, Jericho,” she says with a perky grin and turns back to Mikhail, kissing his cheek. “Have fun,” she squeals, taking off toward a set of doors leading to a massive bedroom with a king-sized bed. The place we’ve been laying our heads until we can finally burn the mansion to the ground and reclaim our lives.
“Mikhail.” I offer my hand and firmly shake his. “It’s good to see you again. Thanks for coming all the way from Miami.”
He grins. “Business is business, Viotto. We have plenty to discuss. Besides, we’ll be in town for the next month as we set up our shops and hotel.”
“Right,” I say, nodding. “You were able to obtain the remnants of the hotel.”
Mikhail smiles. “All ours now. It’ll serve as our headquarters here in Briar Cove.”
“Good to hear.” I lead Mikhail toward the couch, and I retake my seat and slink down into the leather chair. “All right, men. How about we get started with business?” I grin when they nod in agreement, and our meeting commences, solidifying the alliance we concocted out of desperation to save our hometown.
Now, three different walks of life with the same goal in mind will lead this town and prosper from new business ventures. From restaurants, bars, hotels, casinos, and beyond.
Our future is bright.