Chapter 53
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
ORION
My meeting ended early, and I flew the plane home, desperately missing Elena. I needed her presence—her comfort. Everyone on the Reimann Corporation board, including Jonah, didn’t object to my plans and the thorough investigation of every single bank under our umbrella.
We all wanted what was best for the company. Even if some of them had objected, there wasn’t anything they could do. I’d gotten the majority vote. Those who had showed displeasure were on my list to investigate. A separate team—that no one knew about—had been designated for that.
From what my mother had left me under the rock, the game had completely changed. I’d alerted my friends for help because there were too many moving pieces, too many angles to oversee. If I wanted to succeed—which I would—I’d need help from those I trusted.
I didn’t realize how much my father had to endure until I sat in his seat. He was dwelling in a poisonous snake pit. How did he manage it?
Frustration threatened to overwhelm me as I thought about the damaging information that had gotten my mother murdered. She wasn’t killed in a car accident. My father had also paid a price when he started investigating the bank scams.
I wanted to eliminate every single person responsible for hurting my family. Eradicate them like cockroaches. But that would be too easy. Too quick.
I tried my best to shove the thrumming vengeance aside. I didn’t want to bring it back to see Elena. If she weren’t in my life right now, I could have easily spiraled out of control.
When I landed the plane, I noticed Jasper’s boat on the pier. What the hell was he doing here? I’d already told him I had no interest in selling my island. I wasn’t in the mood to entertain him right now.
Getting off the plane, I hopped into the car and drove to the house. Arriving, I heard Elena’s scream and rushed in.
Blood roared in my ears as I saw Jasper on top of her, trying to rape her. Fury blinded me and I stalked over, yanked the fucker off her, and threw two punches into his face. I dragged his ass to the counter, reached for the knife, and stabbed it into each of his thighs.
He shrieked. “What the fuck, Orion?!”
I shoved him against the counter, placing the blade to his throat. A red stream trickled down his neck, and I didn’t give a fuck.
“Don’t. Ever. Touch. Her. Again. Do you understand me?” I seethed.
“She’s just a fucking maid .” Jasper looked at me. For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes. He’d never seen me this way. Well, he’d been blind.
I shoved the blade closer. “Do you want me to slit your throat or cut off your dick?”
I wanted to cut off his family jewels, but I needed him cognizant enough to deliver a message. There were bigger fish to fry than him.
“I’m okay.” Elena placed a gentle hand on my arm. I could hear the tremble in her voice. When I looked at her, I saw a flushed palm print on her cheek. I stabbed the knife into his hand and yanked it out.
“The fuck! What is wrong with you?” Jasper shouted.
“It’s about time you realize there are consequences to your actions. How dare you come into my home and assault my girlfriend!”
I examined Elena, who looked frightened and disheveled.
My eyes met hers, and she nodded. “I’m fine.”
Jasper eyed Elena while blood poured out of his hand and thighs. “I thought you had better taste than some scholarship funded bitch who doesn’t know her place.”
Jasper really had a death wish today.
I charged at him, but Elena held me back. “He’s not worth it.”
The desire to kill him surged in me.
Jasper limped toward the door, took off his shirt to bind the wound in his hand. “You should’ve learned your lesson with Kate.”
“What did you say?” I stalked over to him.
He smirked. “Nothing important. Only that I don’t know what you did to her to make hertake so many pills.”
How did he know that detail that had been scrubbed from themedical reports? I’d paid a lot of money to protect her and her family.
Something dark rose in me. I walked over to a wall and slapped a hand on it. It recognized my palm, and the door slid opened. I grabbed a gun, cocked it, aiming it at Jasper.
“I can kill you right now and feed you to the sharks. Or I can transport your body and dump it in your back yard just like that lawyer you killed when he didn’t want to help you create a fake contract for one of your business endeavors.”
The cockiness on his face changed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The DNA test for the gold button had come back. It was more complicated than I’d realized. But I didn’t have the capacity to deal with that right now.
Elena came up beside me, sliding an arm around my waist, trying to comfort me. I didn’t want to kill this fucker in front of her.
Jasper was vermin I could use.
“You have five minutes to get off my island. If you ever come near Elena again, or if I ever see you on my island or near any of my properties, you will die a spectacular death. Those are orders my men will abide by. Don’t give me a reason to kill you. Get the fuck out!”
He flared his nostrils. “How can you treat family like this?”
“We all know you’re really not part of this family,” I snarled.
I hit the bullseye. A muscle twitched in his jaw. I could tell he wanted to say something and make a threat to me and Elena, but that truth stopped him.
He knew that I knew what he had done. There was nothing he could do about it.
“You can call the authorities.” I gestured to his injured thighs and hand. “Just know you’ll be sitting in jail for assault, attempted rape, and trespassing on private property.”
When his boat roared away, Elena pushed my hand down, took the gun away, and placed it on the table.
She had tears in her eyes. “Are you okay?”
I gathered her into my arms. “That should be me asking you. Are you hurt anywhere? What did he do to you? Tell me everything.”
Usually, I had cameras active when I was away. But I didn’t want them on because she was here. I wanted to give her the privacy of being in my home.
If I had the cameras active, I would have seeneverything. I would have been here sooner or sent someone to help her.
“I’m sorry,” I said, tightening my arms around her.
“It’s not your fault.”
I cupped her face. “I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
She shook her head. “I’m not a kid, Orion. You can’t be with me all the time. Plus, it’s time I face the past.”
“How do you know him?” I led her to the couch and ushered her beside.
“From a summer camp. Elliot and I got scholarships to attend.”
Memory resurfaced, and my fingers curled as I remembered Jasper laughing at a video from his camp.
That fucker.
“What did he do to you back then?”