Forty-Four
FORTY-FOUR
CHAOS
The sound of yelling comes through the closed doors, too muffled to make out what’s being said. I rise to my feet, Crow doing the same as we lock eyes across the room.
“We doing this?” his gaze asks.
“Fuckin’ oath, we are,” I convey back.
I stride to the door and lean my head closer, straining to make out what’s being said. Crow waits at my shoulder, Circus licking his lips as he slowly rises to his feet.
I only make out a handful of words, but it’s enough for me. All the permission I need.
“Gentlemen,” the underpaid assistant calls as I reach for the door. “You can’t—“ She sighs when I push the door open.
What greets me is the epitome of my name—absolute fucking chaos.
Evelyn has a hold of Vanessa. The guy—whom I heard introduce himself to the assistant as Gage—pushes an enraged older man back from my woman. The lawyer’s wobbly old face shakes as he yells at them all to stop.
But it’s the words coming from Vanessa’s mouth that have blood painting my vision.
“…down my throat and told me it was what all good girls did to get to Heaven.”
“The fuck is going on in here!?”
Everyone freezes, heads swiveling to where I stand, flanked by the Kings.
I point a finger at the old cunt, advancing as I speak. “You want to tell me why the fuck she just said that?”
“Who the hell are you?” He shakes off the younger guy’s hands, righting his jacket as he speaks.
“Vengeance, you pedo fuck.”
“Chaos!” Ness’s hands clamp around my forearm in a death grip. “Not now.”
“What do you mean, not now?” the lawyer chokes. “When’s better? Later? How about never?”
“It’s okay, Peter.” The old asshole lifts his hand to the guy. “I’m sure we can manage to work this out.”
“You’re fucking Abraham, right?” I tilt my head back, staring at him down my nose. Cunt doesn’t deserve my respect.
“Just Abraham will do,” he quips, digging at my use of colorful language.
I’d fucking lay a hell of a lot more than that on him if we weren’t in a public place. “Sit your ass down.”
“And who the hell do you think you are to come in here and start giving orders?” the fat fuck behind the desk barks. “Stephanie! Call the police.”
“Steph’s gone home,” Highway says lazily, leaning a shoulder against the doorframe.
One of the weasels from the waiting room makes a dash for her desk and the phone.
“Nuh-uh,” Crow taunts, pointing at the guy as he walks toward him. “I wouldn’t do that.” He turns to the other suit. “And you can hand me that while you’re at it.” Palm out, he accepts the fucker’s phone.
“Here’s how this is going to go,” I say quietly, taking a step toward the lawyer. “You’re gonna finish reading out who gets what, and then any other communication you have with Vanessa will be done by email. She’s done needing to be in the same room as any of you, ever.”
“I did finish reading,” he grates.
“Good.” I clap my hands and then spread them wide. “It’ll make this madness end a hell of a lot quicker.”
“This is who you choose to associate with now?” Abraham asks, leaning around me to see Vanessa.
I hold out a hand to the fuck, urging him to stop. “Buddy. You had your turn.”
“Chaos,” she whispers as I turn toward the guy. “Enough.”
“No.” I spin back to face my woman, cupping her jaw with one hand. “You want me to stop because you’re afraid. Don’t let your fear take away what’s rightfully yours.” I point behind me in the general direction of the cunt. “That fucker won’t hurt you anymore. He doesn’t get to have that agency over you anymore.”
“Won’t I?” He chuckles. “I can hurt whoever I want, whenever I want. You have no idea who you’re messing with, do you?”
Seriously—this dickhead doesn’t know when to stop. “No, cunt,” I mock, screwing up my face as I turn toward her stepfather. “I don’t. And you know what? I don’t care. So sit the fuck down and wait your turn.”
Circus narrows his gaze on the old guy, approaching until the molester backs up and drops to his seat.
“You gave up your right to take anything of ours when you took our mother’s trust and twisted her loyalty to suit your agenda.” Gage steps forward from the back of the room.
Fuck me. I’d forgotten the guy was here. Our mother? I look to Vanessa, eyebrow raised, to ask, “This is your brother?”
She nods, turning to reassure Evelyn when the woman touches her arm.
“I fucking knew what you did to Ness,” Gage says, pain in his voice. “But I was too young to do anything about it. Too young to stop it.” He huffs a laugh, and my girl goes to his side, linking her hand in his. I’d be jealous, except, “Do you know how fucking disgusted it made me to have to stand by you, day after day, while I learned everything there is to know about your fucked up foundation? How the stress of keeping up appearances made me physically ill?” Gage spits.
Abraham has the decency to look offended that someone would dare double-cross him.
“I fucking hate you, and yet I had to pretend to love you so that I could destroy you.”
“What have you done?” Ness asks, peering up at her brother.
I take a step back, giving the guy the floor. He’s earned it.
“Your assault allegations are only a fraction of what I have on this sick fucker, sis.” He gazes down at her with nothing short of regret, with the eyes of a man who doubts his worth. “Mom was the final straw. I couldn’t stick it out anymore, but it doesn’t matter.” He shifts his focus to their stepfather. “The shit I have on you would make the worst of criminals look like novices. I could fucking ruin you with one carefully worded email to the right publication, but you know what?”
“You’re too spineless?” Abraham provokes.
Circus slaps the asshole around the back of the head, ruffling his perfect gray hair.
“The hell?”
“I’m a better man than you are,” Gage states. “Unless Vanessa wishes otherwise, the content I have on you will remain a promise of what’s to come if you so much as step a foot out of line again.” He points to the flabbergasted lawyer. “Take note of this: the foundation is dissolved, as is the Wings of Faith. All the companies go public. And the property portfolio is sold back to the previous owners at seventy-five percent of market rate with all proceeds going to the charities I nominate to support abuse victims.”
“You’re fucking mad,” Abraham shouts, as he ducks to pre-empt another possible hand to the head. “You think I’d just hand over everything I’ve gathered over the years because you tell me to?”
“If you don’t want to find yourself backed against a wall in a high-security prison, you will.” Vanessa raises an eyebrow.
I’d fuck her on the spot if nobody else were here. Good girl.
“This is preposterous,” he cries, rising to his feet.
Circus pushes him down again.
“I learned from the best, Dad ,” Gage sneers.
“Gimme that.” I wiggle my fingers at the will, approaching the lawyer.
He hesitates, eyes the men in the room, then hands the document over. “This isn’t the end of all this.”
“I fucking hope not.” I circle a finger in the air, signaling the guys to leave. “Come on, babe. You don’t need to give this fuck another second of your time.” I glare at the asshole. “He’s wasted enough years as it is.”
Vanessa’s hand slips into mine, her arm brushing my bare skin as we head for the door. It’s perfect.
“You deserve this,” Evelyn hisses at Abraham as she allows Highway to guide her from the room with his hand on her back. “All of it. You did this to yourself. Remember that when you look around and realize you have nothing and no one left.”
Vanessa holds out her hand, taking her aunt’s and guiding her from the room.
I let my girl go. Let her have this moment of victory. And watch her exit the building before I turn back to the two men left vibrating with rage and indignation in the room.
“Best remember,” I seethe. “I don’t have to lay a fucking finger on you to make you bleed.”
Abraham opens his mouth, yet the lawyer fuck beats him to it. “Threats to a person’s life are a chargeable offense.”
“I know.” I lift the phone Vanessa handed me and wiggle it in the air. “Pity your friend made so many of them, huh?”
The lawyer’s jaw pulses. Abraham slouches into the seat with a sigh.
Check-fucking-mate, cunts.
“Best behavior from now on, remember?” I stride from the room, arm slung out beside me with my middle finger raised. “See you later, fuckers.”