Chapter 31
Big changes
Heston
While I wouldn’t advise anyone who’d won the lottery or been bequeathed money to make huge changes in their lives immediately, I did exactly that. Devyn and I now had enough money that I could go back to college and get my law degree.
Though I should have given two weeks’ notice at the coffee shop, given that I’d taken time off for dad’s recovery and I had been training a new barista, my boss thanked me for my years of hard work and I picked up my last paycheck.
And I found a replacement for my cleaning job in the evening. One of the guys I’d met while working at the café was saving for a mortgage deposit and was grateful for the extra work.
Dad would be coming home in the next day or so and I needed to be around to take him to the hospital for checkups, making sure he took his meds and ate well. Something I’d been doing while also working, though the eating well part was more “eating” based on our previous budget.
Now all of that had changed.
For the first time in I didn’t know how long, I felt positive about the future. Happy even. Giddy at the prospect of being married to and mated to the love of my life.
Devyn’s phone beeped. Thank gods it wasn’t mine. Every time I got a call or a message, I froze thinking Dad wasn’t doing well.
“It’s Father. He wants us at the office.”
My first thought was, Please tell me he’s not taking the money back. I hated how that had popped into my head. He’d paid for Dad’s surgery. That was enough but I’d been making plans for the future and the money he’d given us would enable those dreams to become reality.
I scolded myself. Dad was doing well and I was mated and married. The rest would fall into place even if I had to go back to the coffee shop. Dean had been moaning about losing staff so I could be his night manager and maybe study at the same time if I got a student loan. That might work.
Devyn studied my face. “He’s not going to demand we return the money.”
My cheeks burned and the flush slid down my neck and onto my chest. “I wasn’t… no damn it… I was wondering that. Sorry.”
My mate took me in his arms and kissed my head. “It’s okay. You set aside your dreams and looked after your dad. And the money will allow you to resurrect those dreams.”
“I should be content with everything we’ve been given.”
“And it’s okay to envision a different future.”
I called the nurses’ desk and checked on how Dad was doing. And I texted Dad saying we’d come visit this afternoon with his favorite cookies.
My palms were sweating rivers as we zoomed up in the elevator to my father-in-law’s office. The last time we’d been here, Dad was still so sick.
When we walked into Devyn's father’s huge office, Roy was standing with his back to the window, his arms folded and his expression defiant. While I hadn’t been around Devyn’s beast much, I recognized the wolf in Roy’s eyes.
“Good, you’re here.” Rein sat behind his huge desk, his gaze on us and ignoring Roy.
I didn’t want to hear what Roy had done or Sebastian. Was I grieving over the possible loss of what my father had built? Absolutely. But I didn’t need a breakdown of what was done. A summary would do.
“Speak,” Rein barked at Roy.
My brother-in-law curled his lips into a snark and I squeezed my mate’s hand.
“I was the mastermind behind the plan.”
Gods, he was proud of himself, puffing out his chest. Rein growled at his son, claws appearing and then retracting from his fingertips.
“Please tell me your father isn’t going to release his wolf?” I whispered to my mate.
“Human, we can hear everything you say because our hearing is far superior to yours.”
“Quiet!” Rein yelled. I jumped and goosebumps prickled over my skin. “Continue. But first was Duke in on this plan?”
“You’ll have to ask him yourself.” Roy circled the room, a hint of a smile on his face.
“If you recall Father, I was the one who brought up doing a buy out of Sebastian’s company.
I mentioned I’d met him a few times and that was true.
I spoke of how he was a fool and didn’t have a head for business. Again true.”
Roy appeared to be relishing his recounting of whatever he’d done because he had a gleam in his eye and he rubbed his hands together.
“But what I didn’t say was that I made a deal with him, telling him I’d rig the books so it would look as though his company had more assets than it did.
” He went on to say that the millions Sebastian would earn from the sale would be shared with himself.
“And so not only would I have enough money to leave this life where I am under your thumb, Father.” He cleared his throat.
“But I would have screwed you in the process.”
“My people did a deep dive into the financials,” Rein muttered.
Roy shook his head and teetered on tippy toes as though he was bursting to say something. “As you well know, Father, money can buy everything, even integrity.”
Rein’s face reddened but no fur rippled over his arms and I hoped I didn’t have to watch my father-in-law’s wolf attack Roy’s.
“But you haven’t heard the best part.”
My stomach roiled. Why did I think this had something to do with me?
“Sebastian mentioned that he wanted to be rid of him.” He jerked his head in my direction. Now it was Devyn’s turn to snarl. He raced toward Roy but Rein got there first and yelled to back off.
“He wanted to kill my mate.” Devyn tried to push his father away but Rein was stronger.
“I will deal with him. He is my son.” My father-in-law’s voice echoed around the room.
“I didn’t say kill, did I?” Roy’s wolf was in the forefront of his gaze.
“Everyone, push your beasts back.” I didn’t have a beast but Rein’s command had me grabbing Devyn and pulling him close. He hugged me as I tried to control my trembling.
“Speak,” Rein shouted at Roy.
“I hated Devyn and Sebastian felt the same about Heston. We thought if we forced them into marriage, they’d be miserable.”
“But we were promised money. We could have lived separate lives if we’d hated one another on sight,” Devyn told him.
“You would have gotten something from Father, but him.” He pointed at me and I straightened my spine. He couldn’t hurt me, though he’d tried. “We were going to steal it from him.”
He went on to say that as my Father had originally set up my bank account and credit card, Sebastian had all the account details and he had cloned my credit card. He planned on draining my account using the cloned card.
“He said he hoped it would break you.”
I sagged against Devyn, wondering why my father’s second husband loathed me so much. “Why?” I choked back tears as my mate held me close.
“You do know he faked your father’s will. Your late father left almost everything to you and even though Sebastian wrested control over his empire, he hated that your Father loved you.”
Devyn sat me on the couch but I bounded up again.
I wished Sebastian was here so I could tell him he’d tried and failed to break me though he’d taken everything from me and Dad.
And yet the one thing he couldn’t erase was Father’s love.
Despite the way Father had treated me and Dad after the divorce, I’d loved him too.
“Where is he? Where is Sebastian?” I wanted to hurt him, but I wouldn’t. That would bring me down to his level.
Roy shrugged. “Last I heard he was headed out of town. Destination unknown.”
“The police will catch him after I contact them.” Rein flapped his hand dismissively. “And you.” He shoved Roy toward the door. “We’re going to the woods and I’ll let my beast mete out your treatment.”
“No!” I got between Roy and my father-in-law. “I won’t let your wolf hurt him. I want no part of this. Call the police if you want. Banish him to wherever. Make him wash dishes for the next ten years. I don’t care. But, please don’t hurt him.”
Rein tilted his head to the side. “You do remind me of your father.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “And I’m proud to call you my son-in-law.” He picked up a set of keys from the desk. “It is not our way but I’ll abide by your wishes.”
He placed the keys in my hand. “I will not let your father return from the hospital into that cramped apartment. These are the keys to a new condo.”
I went to speak but he silenced me by raising a hand in the air. “One of the first apartments I sold was on that street. This condo can be your temporary or permanent place to live.”
“Sebastian’s house is technically yours, Heston.” Devyn stood by my side but I blanched saying I couldn’t live there. Other than taking anything that belonged to Father that Sebastian hadn’t sold or stolen, I wanted that monstrosity sold.
Rein grabbed his phone. “I doubt you want to be here when the police arrive.”
One glance at Roy who was begging his father to let him leave town and Devyn and I walked out and headed to our new life.
But as the elevator whizzed down to the ground, I swayed and almost fell. Devyn caught me as the world went dark.