31. Parker
Parker
Every part of me wants to be in that cabin. It’s not fair. Leah is going to get arrested, all because I was too chicken shit to tell Bridget off.
I’ve failed us all.
“Mother will be here shortly with security. That filthy psycho will be gone before we know it, Parkie.” Bridget throws herself against me, nose finally done bleeding. “Thank you for rescuing me from her, such a barbarian.”
Breathe.
“Can you believe her audacity? Delusion is so dangerous,” she continues, voice nasally.
Anything she says after is unknown to me. All I can focus on is the thundering of my heart. Quincy hasn’t spared a glance in our direction, but he is occupied packing up Tally’s brushes and gear. If Leah goes to prison, what will happen to her?
Things you never think about until you need to.
When Henrietta storms into the stable, every bit of color drains from my face.
“Bridget, my darling daughter!” she wails, rushing over to extricate her from my side. “What a monster! I should have known better than to let the riffraff in here.” Her wrinkle-lined eyes zero in on me. “Jealousy makes people reckless, it seems.”
Lump stuck in my throat, I nod. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Oh, Mother, Parkie came to my rescue. He’s a hero!” Bridget places her hand over her heart, fawning over the version of me she’s built in her mind.
Henrietta rights herself. “Is that so?”
My spine tingles. There’s a challenge in her tone, daring me to keep up the charade. Does she know?
There’s no way. We’ve been careful until now.
“He pulled her off of Bridget, the rest of us were too stunned to move.” Quincy steps next to me.
“Warren and Grady escorted her to her cabin so she could pack her belongings. I’ve secured all of her gear.
Would you like me to load it into her truck?
I figure the sooner we get her out of here, the sooner we—”
Henrietta moves faster than a woman her age should.
The sound of her slapping Quincy registers before my eyes can process.
My jolt doesn’t garner a response, thankfully.
She’s too focused on Quincy. Grabbing him by the hair, she drags him to her level.
“Don’t you dare disrespect my intelligence, parasite. ”
“Mother?” Bridget tilts her head, otherwise unbothered.
To his credit, Quincy remains silent. This must not be the first time she’s laid hands on him. My stomach twists at the thought.
Henrietta dusts herself off, arms tucked behind her back. “Nobody says another word until the others return.” A clear threat. One not to be taken lightly.
She holds all the power here. We’re on her property, in her stable. It would be her word against ours. She could do anything she wants to us. The implication settles like lead in my stomach.
Quincy’s empty gaze stares through me. An understanding snakes its way into my mind. The three of them lived with this woman all their lives. This small taste of her evil has shown me how strong they really are.
In my silence, I try to convey the solidarity flooding my system. If he notices, there’s no indication.
The door slides open and my heart stops beating.
Leah is done for.
Henrietta’s face hardens, eyes dark in the brightly lit stable.
“Ah, how nice of you to join us. Shame you won’t be staying.
I have several guards en route to ensure you leave this property and never return.
Fear not, I’ll allow you to gather your hell beast and go.
I don’t need a scandal, so we won’t involve law enforcement, so long as you leave peacefully. ”
“B-but Moth—” Bridget stops her attempted complaint as Henrietta raises a hand.
“Hush, girl, this is no concern of yours.” Henrietta stalks toward Leah.
Warren and Grady square their shoulders, prepared to… defend her?
Something happened in that cabin. What could she have said to them?
Chuckling, the old bag lifts her nose. “It seems you’ve got them wrapped around your grubby fingers.
How cute. Don’t mistake their alliance for an advantage.
Play this smart. Leave this place and never return.
No harm—” Her attention shifts to Bridget.
“—Well, none that matters. anyway. No foul. Trust me, girl, you won’t stand a chance in court.
I have a powerful team on my side.” The venom dripping from her words is sickening.
Leah puffs out her chest, jaw working. “Okay.”
One simple word shouldn’t hurt this badly. The devastation racking my body is physically painful. She’s leaving. Just like that? No more fighting, no bargaining, not even begging.
Quincy reaches for me, lacing our fingers together. The simple act snaps the negativity from my mind, touch calming the swirling chaos. His attention is locked on Warren. There’s a defiance in his eyes, determined and confident.
Leah, what is your game?
“Go on then, gather your things and leave us.” Henrietta waves her off, returning to Bridget’s side.
A dozen large men in suits enter the stable moments later, ensuring there’s no resistance as Leah loads Tally into her trailer. She avoids direct eye contact, but there’s the faintest smirk on her face. A silent victory that anyone but us would miss.
Knowing she has a plan does little to lessen the blow when her truck starts. Without so much as a goodbye, she drives off, leaving uncertainty lingering in the air.
“Office,” Henrietta barks. “The four of you are not getting out of this mess so easily.”
“Fuck,” Warren mutters under his breath. His eyes flash with warning, darting to the security team.
“Don’t even consider it,” Henrietta seethes. “One wrong move and you know what happens.” She prances toward our glorified courtroom, security detail in tow.
Bridget’s face is overtaken by a disgusting simper, filled with evident giddiness from her mother’s threat. She all but skips along behind her.
Warren moves first, laying a hand on my shoulder as he passes. Quincy follows close behind, nodding at Grady and me, face pained. I take Grady’s hand, and he squeezes so hard I fear my fingers may break. This is like walking into an execution. Our execution.
Nothing good awaits us. The air is suffocating as we all sit silently, bracing for the raging storm.
Henrietta leans against the large desk, arms folded. “Well, who would like to explain themselves first?”
Quincy glues his attention to the floor, jaw clenched tight. Warren, while not speaking, stares her down, chest puffed. To my surprise, Grady takes on a similar stance.
“Well then. I suppose you’re relinquishing your rights to convince me you’re worth keeping around.”
“What?” Bridget gasps. “Mother, what are you on about? She’s gone.”
“Stupid girl. She was only part of the problem. I raise the lot of you ungrateful bastards, and this is how you thank me? Plotting to leave?”
Quincy’s leg bounces once before he’s able to contain it. Every cell in my body aches to comfort him, but there’s nothing any of us can do. The old bitch is on to us.
For once, I’m at a loss.
“But, Par—”
“Enough!” Henrietta backhands Bridget. The sound of her scream splits the air.
Her nose gushes fresh blood, dripping onto the pristine marble floor.
“You’d better clean that up when you’re done being dramatic.
How are you ever going to fill my shoes if you let a little harlot rough you up like this? ”
Falling to her knees, Bridget cups her face to contain the mess she’s making. Surprisingly, she’s controlling her sobs fairly well, sputtering quietly in a heap off to my side.
She’s had this coming, so I have no pity to spare. Sure, she’s been raised and conditioned to be this way, but so were War and Q, yet they’ve proven their innate decency.
Bridget doesn’t possess an ounce of kindness or compassion.
“Honestly, this is so predictable. I should have married into a smarter family. Maybe then I’d have someone worth passing all of this down to.
Such a shame. Maybe I should have tried to bear one more child before Charlie’s unfortunate death.
” The exaggerated pout on her lips and dry, condescending tone coating her words make Grady jolt to his feet.
Two of the guards are on him in an instant, holding him back mere inches from his mother’s face. Anger isn’t a strong enough word to describe the visceral, bone-deep hatred radiating off of him.
Sucking her teeth, Henrietta tips her head back to look into his eyes. “You look so much like him. What a disappointment. The lot of you could have had a great life, ruling over Hartbrook when I retire. But no. You can give a child everything on a silver platter, but a brat’s a brat.”
Rounding the desk, she sits and snaps her fingers.
The security team pushes Grady back into his chair. “F-fuck you,” he snaps, fists clenched at his side.
“Whoa.” Bridget gasps, blinking rapidly. Her bleeding has stopped, but Leah did a number on her face—eyes already puffy, bruising settling in.
If any part of this situation will be funny in the future, it’s her crooked ass nose and swollen left eye. The time that has passed since Leah put her on her ass has been the quietest she’s ever been in my presence.
Violence really is the answer sometimes.
“What was that? Did you find your voice after all?” Henrietta taps her nails on the wooden tabletop.
Don’t react.
Jaw working, Grady’s nostrils flare, brows knit together. “I hope y-you r-r-rot,” he growls out.
I flinch as she stands abruptly, chair slamming to the ground as it topples.
“Very well, if anyone is going to rot, it will be the four of you. I’ll return when I feel like it, maybe then we can talk like civilized adults.
” She strolls out of the room, motioning for Bridget to follow.
“I’ll be tending to my daughter’s injuries.
think about your apologies carefully, and maybe I’ll reconsider your punishment. ”
The door closes behind them, lock engaging with an ominous click.
Quincy collapses against Grady’s side, sobbing like this is the end. It very well may be.
“Hey,” Warren rubs his back. “Listen, I can’t say anything, but just… trust in Leah. We’ll be fine. Nothing will stop our woman. Be strong for her.”
“Right,” Grady agrees. “She’s g-got us.”
If only they could tell us more, because I could use a hint of certainty. Not that I don’t believe them, but everything fucking sucks right now and all we can do is sit here and wait.
For how long? Who knows.
Grady takes my hand, wrapping his free arm around Quincy. “Believe.”
“Okay,” Quincy mumbles.
Looks like forever is off to a rough start. With any luck, it won’t end before we get to enjoy it.