CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Robert Rutherford
Why did he have to resort to passing off some low life bikers’ kid as his?
Because he wasn’t going to have the Rutherford heir with the slut he had married while high and drunk. He couldn’t remember the fucking ceremony but there were photos of them at the Magistrates Court and supporting paperwork. Glaringly absent was an ante nuptial contract, he had married her without one, and if they divorced she could claim a substantial part of his assets. Divorce was not an option. The slut had targeted him and married him for his money and status.
When he realised what he’d done he went into rehab and once clean started working behind the scenes to get rid of the bitch. Using contacts he had made through his less than above board business dealings he set the wheels in motion.
The plan for her unfortunate demise was in place when his grandfather started threatening to cut him off if he didn’t produce an heir.
His business contact came up with a plan to get him an heir and he went along with it.
At the time he hadn’t foreseen the mess his life was going to turn into because of it.
His family was livid about the shame cast on their family name by the revelations regarding Kristen’s background during the court case. His mother especially was devastated that Robbie wasn’t her biological grandchild. She blamed Kristen for everything, thankfully.
His father and grandfather cut his access to his trust account and threatened to cut him off completely as well as write him out of the will. It would leave him penniless, it was unacceptable as his entire life was tied to the family company.
If they cut him off his youngest brother would inherit it all, the family company, the investments and the properties. It was the properties he would lose that enraged him, he had plans for those and had already lined up several lucrative deals with Abishek Gopal.
Everything going wrong in his life was her fault. The slut who had ruined his life.
She had to die, and soon.
With her out of the picture the court will give the biker the brat and he would be free.
Reaching out to his contact he set the plan back in motion.
Kristen Rutherford was about to have an unfortunate drunk driving accident.
And if the brat died at the same time?
Good riddance.
Spider
He slowly set his phone down, still not totally sure he had heard right.
Joan had just given him the news that they were due back in court in the morning. It was an emergency session to petition the court for immediate action regarding the new information that had surfaced regarding the Rutherfords. She would be going for full custody.
It was sooner than any of them had expected but he wasn’t going to complain.
He was ready, they were all ready for this to end.
The court will award him custody of his son and once the paperwork was signed and it was all legal he would start the next round of legal shit.
Changing his boy’s name and having a new birth certificate issued.
Meeting his old lady’s worried eyes he smiled.
“We’re in court tomorrow morning, baby. Joan is going to ask for full custody with the evidence of the Rutherfords’ links to organised crime.”
A beautiful smile lit her face. “Are you sayin’ he might be home with us tomorrow night?”
Gently drawing her into his arms he nodded.
“She’s going to ask the court for full custody and an immediate handover. If all goes as she expects it will Rush will be home with us tomorrow night.”
His old lady had her arms around his waist and squeezed, but so soft it was barely there. His chest was a mess and she had been so very careful with him. According to Coal the seawater that got into the wound was to blame for the nasty infection that had set in.
He was the first of the brothers to be treated by their new medical officer.
Glass had sneaked in quietly and with Coal’s help she had numbed the wound then cleaned it out and re-stitched it. He was on strong antibiotics and had pain killers should he need them. Not that he was taking that shit.
“Do you think we need to worry about your ex showing up?”
Instantly worry crawled in his gut but he suppressed it.
“I don’t think so, love, but we’ll warn everyone to be on the lookout for her and I’ll talk to Joan. She will be ready to act should she appear.”
“Okay, I hope she stays away because I don’t know if I can control my temper around the bitch if she starts sproutin’ her bullshit again.”
Dropping his forehead to hers he held on to his old lady. He had no answer to give her so he just held her close. If he wasn’t feeling so crap he would have taken her to bed and spent the day deep inside her, showing her he was hers, unfortunately that wasn’t going to happen. He wouldn’t be doing anything strenuous until Glass gave him the all clear.
He couldn’t fucking wait to finally sink inside her.
Shutting those thoughts down he breathed her scent in and tried to relax.
“You’re goin’ to have a busy day tomorrow, I think you should spend the day doin’ somethin’ you like. Dizzy can come over to talk finances with you, I don’t want you sittin’ at your desk all hunched up. I’ll stay out of your way to give you time to talk business. Noe invited me over to hang out with her crew at her place, so if you need me that’s where I’ll be.”
Since meeting Strange on the beach her accent had kicked in and stayed, it didn’t fade, like all the times before. To him it meant she was upset and tense, and maybe spending time with Noe and her crazy girls was what she needed.
“Sounds like a good idea, baby. You go hang out with the girls while I get some work done with Dizzy. With me not going into the office the transition from me to him has fallen behind.” He kissed the tip of her nose then stepped away.
An hour later he was deep into the club’s financials with Dizzy. Working at the duplex was a good idea, there were no interruptions as they worked.
Vee / Nessa
I took a sip of my cocktail and crinkled my nose, it was a bit strong.
“Don’t pull faces at my cocktail genius.” Cuba said with a sly smile.
Noe snorted, her eyebrows raised.
“She’s pulling faces because you have a heavy hand, two of these and we’ll be halfway to drunk if not all the way drunk.”
“What is worrying you?” Mads suddenly asked.
All eyes turned to Mads and then to me.
I didn’t want to say anything but maybe these women were the ones to talk to about my fears. I felt sure they would understand.
“You all heard how Spider’s ex confronted us at the beach, right?”
There were nods all around and I took a deep glug of my drink before I continued.
“I didn’t say anythin’ to the guys but there’s somethin’ seriously wrong with that bitch. She’s not done with my man, I could see it in those crazy eyes of hers. I’m worried that she’s going to turn up here or at court or maybe even when we go to pick up Rush. Spider explained that she’s an agent with some crime investigations unit and wouldn’t compromise her team. I don’t believe it, not for a damned minute. She’s dangerous. Everythin’ she did on the beach was calculated, she hit him full on like a damned linebacker. If not for Wrath jumpin’ to steady him she would have taken him down to the sand and who knows what her plan was once she got him down. When she noticed the blood on his tee she was suddenly all concerned and wanted to take him to her car and to the hospital. Why? His brothers and I were right there dealin’ with it. Why did she want to get him away from us? And you know the worst thing? She wasn’t upset that she’d hurt him, she was upset that she couldn’t separate him from us. And none of those stupid male fuckers noticed.”
I tipped my drink up and downed it.
I was so angry and had no idea how to deal with it without upsetting Spider. My usual way of dealing with anger was to talk it out but this time it wasn’t the best course of action. My man was already wound way too tight so I had kept the talk I had with him light, only touching on the subject of his ex but not getting in deeper.
Noe set her glass down and stood, she paced up and down four times before she came back and sat down.
“I totally agree with you and so does my old man. And you’re wrong, they did notice, Wrath and Coal talked to Kid after the incident and they feel the same as you, she had an agenda and was pissed off when she failed to carry it out. I can tell you this without stepping on club toes. There are things Spider knows that could seriously damage the club should their enemies get hold of him. No one is going to allow it to happen. They will keep him safe.”
I thought about it for a second and suddenly it dawned on me.
Money.
Spider was the club’s Treasurer and the CFO for the IDMC group of companies.
My man had a huge big target painted on his back and how he had two known weaknesses.
Rush and me.
Eye wide and with my hand over my mouth I stared at Noe before I blinked slowly. Dropping my hand I breathed in deep then blew out a slow breath.
“He’s the club’s money man. He collects it, handles it, hides it and distributes it. Whoever is targeting him, if they have him under their control the money is theirs and by extension, so is the club.”
“Well said.” Cuba took my hand and just held it. “We’re not going to allow them to get their hands on him. And for that matter neither will we allow them to use you or Rush to force him to comply with their demands.”
I sighed. “I wish our boy was already here, safe inside the compound.”
“Soon, Nessa, tomorrow the judge is going to rule in Spider’s favour and Rush will be coming home and he’ll be safe.” Star gently reassured me.
I could only nod because the lump in my throat was too damned large. Taking the contract to come to Cape Town had given me a man and a son I loved fiercely. What it also gave me was a group of warrior women as friends.
I was so damned lucky.
If I had known what was in store for us I wouldn’t have tempted the fates by calling myself lucky.