Chapter 41
FORTY-ONE
C reed drove to the gate callbox. After rolling his window down, he pressed a series of numbers onto the call pad.
When he was finished, he rolled his window back up, and the metal gate slowly slid open.
He had to roll his eyes at lack of security as he drove through the gates, following the long driveway until the house came into view.
The mansion was so big it was obnoxious.
Parking to the side of the garage, he grabbed his briefcase before getting out of the car. Walking to the front door saved him a trip to the gym, he thought, as he rang the doorbell.
A maid opened the door.
“I have an appointment. My name is Kent Bryant.”
“They are expecting you, Mr. Bryant.” Politely, she motioned him to come inside.
Closing the door, the maid led the way through a marbled foyer then made a left. That was when he saw a sunken living room.
The Ashwoods were already there. Both rose to their feet as he came down the three steps.
He mentally priced the suit Bradford was wearing as they introduced themselves. However much it was, it was worth it.
Victoria remained standing by the couch.
Kent walked closer to her, offering his hand. “I’s nice to meet you, Victoria Ashwood.”
Arrogance rolled off the older woman in waves as she took his hand. “Please, have a seat, Mr. Bryant. May I offer you something to drink?”
“No, thank you. I’m afraid I’m on a tight schedule. I’m getting married tomorrow. I had no idea of the work involved in making the final arrangements.
Both Ashwoods stared at him in curiosity.
“Congratulations,” Bradford said politely. “I wish you the very best in your upcoming marriage.”
Taking a cream-colored chair, Kent set his briefcase onto his lap and snapped it open.
“I want to apologize for me asking Samuel to use his influence with you to agree to meeting me.” When he’d removed a yellow envelope, he snapped the briefcase closed before setting it on the floor beside his chair.
“Mr. Bryant, Samuel Foster is a good friend of ours. We’re grateful we were able to accommodate you.
Sam mentioned we share another acquaintance with someone you know, and that’s why Sam said it was the reason you needed to speak with us so urgently.
Bradford and I are anxious to know what is so important that we needed to speak with you today? ”
Kent stared around the formal area where they were sitting.
“You have a lovely home, Mrs. Ashwood. I just bought a new home yesterday. May I ask how many employees you keep on staff? I don’t want my new wife to have to deal with staffing issues.
She’s too tender-hearted that she may hire more than the two I am currently considering. ”
“We have our maid, two full-time housecleaners, and a worker who takes care of all the maintenance for us.”
“Wonderful, wonderful.” He nodded effacingly. “Are they here now? I would love to talk to them and ask if they know anyone who is looking for employment.”
Victoria sat up so stiffly he wondered if that stick up her ass was bothering her.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Our maid is the only one currently here, and she is in the kitchen, preparing our lunch.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized absently, looking down at his cell phone. “I didn’t mean to come across as being crass. I would never attempt to coax away what I am sure are loyal employees.”
“Mr. Bryant!” Disdainfully, Victoria sent Bradford a speaking glance, which Kent was sure was meant for Bradford to escort him out of their home.
Fortunately, the text he’d been waiting for came through. After he replied, Kent tucked the phone back into his pocket.
“Perhaps, Mr. Bryant, we should schedule an appointment with my assistant …” Preparing to rise from the chair, Bradford gave him an intimidating stare that Kent supposed was to send him scurrying out the door.
“Did I mention I’m getting married tomorrow?
” Changing his tone of voice, Kent rose from the chair as well, satisfied when Bradford sat back down; he had pegged the rich ass the moment he had walked into the room.
Bradford had never been in a physical altercation a day in his life.
Victoria, on the other hand, was cautious, but she wasn’t frightened.
“Yes, you have,” Victoria answered, unobtrusively removing her obnoxious diamond ring to tuck it away between the couch cushions. He almost told her not to bother—the ring was tasteless as fuck.
“Did I mention my fiancée’s name?” he asked silkily.
“No, I don’t think you have.”
Kent could see Bradford’s Adam’s apple bob in his throat.
“How remiss of me, since both of you are acquainted with her.”
“We are?” Victoria was staring at something behind his back.
Kent didn’t have to wonder what the husband and wife were staring at behind him.
“Please, excuse my friends for not knocking,” he said pleasantly. “Anyway, Sage and I are getting married.”
“Sage?” Victoria’s eyes flew to her husband. “I’m not sure …”
Kent gave them a thin smile.
“Please don’t pretend you don’t know who I’m talking about. We all know I’m talking about your daughter-in-law’s sister.”
They both nodded.
“Congratulations. Let me extend my best wishes.” Victoria sounded anything but congratulatory.
“Cool.” Kent decided not to take issue with her lack of warmth.
He already knew she was a coldhearted bitch.
“Now that we all know who we’re discussing, I’m going to make this short.
” He motioned to the couch. “Bradford, if you would be so kind as to take a seat next to your wife; it will make things so much simpler.”
Shaking, Bradford moved to the couch, keeping his eyes toward the back of the room.
Kent opened the envelope and pulled out a legal document and ink pen.
“All I need is your signature on this document, reimbursing Glory Ashwood for the legal fees she has had to spend retaining custody of her two daughters. The document under that, if you flip the page,” he instructed them, “you will see the next document states you will cease any visitation the court has ordered, explaining you no longer have any desire to maintain a relationship with your granddaughters.”
Victoria glowered at him haughtily. “You can make me sign under duress, but it won’t be legal. My lawyers can have these documents voided.”
The bitch actually snapped her fingers at him. That was going to cost her the ring he had been going to let her keep. Saving that for later, he continued instead of breaking her fingers.
“Your lawyers will tell you to shut up and thank me for the offer I’m giving you.”
“Thank you …? Are you insane ?” she screeched at him.
“Victoria, shut up,” Bradford whispered to his wife.
“I’m not going to shut up! They aren’t going to kill us. We have security cameras all throughout the house.”
Kent didn’t turn around. “Do they, Jackal?”
“Nope, the Internet seems to be jammed.”
“It doesn’t matter, anyway. We’re just having a friendly chat. Aren’t we, Bradford?”
Bradford nodded his head vigorously.
“Now, where were we?” Kent pointed to the paperwork Bradford was holding. “The third document states that you will gift your son’s widow a generous three hundred thousand dollars.”
“I won’t give her one penny!” Victoria slammed her hand down on the couch cushion. “She’s the reason my son is dead.”
Kent wanted to strangle the lying bitch, but he had promised himself not to murder her if he didn’t have to. He planned to be in Colby’s and Tinsley’s life, and he didn’t want their grandparents’ deaths on his hands if he could find another recourse.
“The only person responsible for your son’s death is you,” he said chillingly.
“I have the police report of the officer who arrived first on the scene on the night your son’s house caught on fire.
Glory and Denny’s next-door neighbor saw a woman come to their door right before the fire broke out.
The officer took down a good description of the woman and placed it in the file.
The only reason the police didn’t look into it further was because Glory had accepted the blame.
The candles had started the fire, just as Glory had said, and the fire department did collaborate that with their findings.
“Jackal went to talk to the neighbor. She still lives there, by the way. Mrs. Yardly was very informative. She said she was willing to testify she didn’t see any candlelight or flames until the woman visiting had left.”
“I don’t care what she saw. There is no proof I was ever there! Anyone could have walked in the way they kept their door unlocked.”
“Victoria …” Bradford looked at his wife as if he had never seen her before. “Tell me you didn’t kill our son!”
Kent almost felt sorry for the man but couldn’t. If Bradford had cared anything for his son, he would have made sure Glory and his grandchildren were taken care of, not tried to break them apart.
Anguish filled Victoria’s expression. “It was an accident. I went over there because I was angry Denny wouldn’t let me keep the girls.
They let Sage keep them instead of their grandmother …
” A smothered sob escaped Victoria. “I heard them in the bedroom. I lit a couple of the candles. I swear I was going to go in there and show them how irresponsible they were for leaving the candles … Before I could, one of them caught fire on a napkin. It happened so fast … I left …”
Kent turned. The Predators were strategically circling the room. They all held the same revolted expression as he did.
Bradford started crying. “You killed my son.”
“No, I didn’t! Glory did.” Victoria had a crazed, faraway look on her face, as if it all made sense to her.
“Your wife also paid someone to kill Sage,” Kent enlightened him further. “There were unsuccessful attempts made on her life.”
Victoria didn’t deny the allegation, sitting silently under the condemning gaze of her husband.
“I’ll have a cashier’s check drawn up this afternoon in the amount you think Glory is owed,” Bradford said thickly. “I will also make sure that my wife gets the help she needs.”
Picking the documents up from the floor where they had fallen, Kent handed the legal papers back to Bradford.
“Jackal, text Mrs. Boward to come inside.”
“Done.” Jackal moved to take a seat one the chair Bradford had been sitting on.
Victoria’s hand moved to cover the slit where she had hidden her ring.
“You needed me, Mr. Bryant?” Mrs. Boward asked, coming down the step. “I brought my seal with me, as you requested.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you coming. I just need you to witness their signatures and place your seal.”
“Yes, sir. I’d be happy to.”
Bradford signed the documents first, then handed the pen to Victoria, showing her where to sign.
Victoria seemed about to refuse.
“Sign the papers, Victoria. You’ve cost me my son, my grandchildren, and any future ones I could have had. Sign the papers, or you’ll be signing our divorce papers.”
Victoria signed.
Kent took the documents from her, attached his own signature, then handed them to Mrs. Boward to attach her seal.
When she was done, Kent placed them back into the yellow envelope, then returned that to his briefcase. Giving the briefcase to Mrs. Boward, he instructed her to take it back to his office and told her he would be there shortly.
“We’ll be taking off now. I need to make a quick stop to get Sage a wedding present.” Kent moved to stand in front of Victoria, his shoes touching hers.
“Let me make one thing perfectly clear, just in case it’s still cloudy in your mind. Any further attempt to hurt Sage will be met with force. Do you get my meaning?”
Bradford and Victoria nodded with terror in their eyes.
“I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of the day. I don’t want to make you late for your appointment in case you still wish to go. Oh … by the way, Mrs. Ashwood, just as a matter of interest … do you happen to know your blood type? In case, God forbid, one of your grandchildren needs a transfusion.”
“I’m AB positive.”
Lucky bitch.
Giving her a curt nod, he walked toward Ice.
“I’m B positive,” Bradford supplied helpfully.
“Good for you.”
He drew shoulder to shoulder to Ice. “What’d you do with the maid?”
“She’s making us sandwiches,” Ice answered. “You want her to make you one, too?”
“No, I’m good.” He nodded his head at the couple on the couch. “You know what to do?”
“When I’m done with them, they’ll be too afraid to tell their doctor when they shit last.”
“Then I’ll leave them in your capable hands.” Smoothing the front of his suit jacket, he tucked his tie back. “By the way, ask him where he bought his suit.”
“I’ll put it on the top of my list.”
“Isn’t your wedding anniversary next week?” Kent asked casually.
“Yeah, so?”
“Check between the cushions where Mrs. Ashwood is sitting. Grace deserves something for being married to you.”