Chapter Twenty-Five #2
“Why not? What else would she want from me?”
“I dunno, but once you submit to her demands, I worry she’ll continue wantin’ things from you or blackmail you into seein’ her grandchildren.”
“Blackmail me with what? She doesn’t have anythin’ on me.”
And like hell she’s getting anywhere near my kids.
“She’ll find somethin’. That’s what I’m sayin’…
with her money, she can do whatever she wants.
She hires people to plant shit or do whatever she can to make ’em look bad.
Once I told Troy that she was my mother, he dug into her and already found a few shady things that he was gonna look into more once we found you. ”
“She faked your brother’s death, for God’s sake,” Colton blurts. “I don’t think we can underestimate her.”
“I don’t want her money,” I insist. “It’s not worth the hassle or stress.”
“Neither is lettin’ her keep what’s rightfully yours, especially after everythin’ she’s done,” Samuel counters. “If you cave on this, it’ll reaffirm that she can get away with being a cheat, liar, and thief.”
“How much are we talkin’ here?” Colton asks.
“After all these years? Millions,” Samuel says. “They started it when she was born and used to add to it every year. When my mom cashed mine out at eighteen, my half came out to three-and-a-half million. That was twelve years ago.”
“Jesus Christ,” Colton mutters. “That’s life-changin’ money, baby.”
“And it comes with a massive threat,” I remind him.
“Not if we fight back.” He arches a brow. “We should at least try, dontcha think?”
“And risk mine or my kids’ lives? You remember she faked my brother’s death, right? She could use anyone I love as bait to get me to disappear.” Exactly what she did to Samuel, and I refuse to let her do that to me.
“But we have leverage on her to start. If that’s not enough, we get Maddox involved.”
“And you don’t reveal your whole hand at the beginnin’,” Samuel explains.
“You see how she responds to your rejection of signin’ the papers before tellin’ her you know what she did to me.
And then based on that response, we threaten to expose her if she tries anythin’.
She can’t dispute it when I’m walkin’ proof, and she’d rather die than be embarrassed ’round her friends and community.
The gossip and rumors about what she did would send her off the deep end. ”
“And she could go to prison,” Colton adds. “Or at least threaten her with the possibility of it.”
“Considerin’ how many people she paid off, not sure they’d even investigate it. She’d probably turn the blame on me and deny she had any part in it.”
That sounds like her.
“Or on the flip side…” Samuel frowns. “When she learns you know the truth, she could hire someone to kill you and me. And anyone else she suspects we told. She’ll do anythin’ to keep her secret.”
“So, you don’t let her know you know until we have a solid plan to retaliate. Maddox’s dad being a sheriff means he can help, too. She won’t be able to buy him off,” Colton says. “So if we need to get him involved, we will.”
“This is startin’ to feel real mobish.” I pace in front of the counters.
How the hell did I get here?
“What if she already has somethin’ planned for me? How can I go over there and act normal? Or pretend I don’t know what she did? What if I blurt it out by accident?”
Colton grabs my arm and pulls me into his chest. “I’ll go with you. I’m your fake husband, remember?”
When he winks, I huff a laugh. “I don’t want her to be able to use anyone else important in my life against me. It’s better if she doesn’t know ’bout you.”
“She’s right,” Samuel agrees. “If she knows Amelia’s in a relationship, she’ll find a way to use it to her advantage.”
“Well, I’m not lettin’ her go alone.”
“What ’bout Maddox goin’ with me?” I ask. “He’s big and scary, right?”
And probably carries a few guns like women wear accessories.
“As your what? Boyfriend?” His brows skyrocket to his hairline. “’Cause I don’t want y’all gettin’ handsy.”
“My bodyguard?” I suggest hesitantly.
Samuel snorts with a laugh. “Possessive man, huh?”
Colton’s jaw tenses. “We’ll see what he suggests when I fill him in on the details. He might have another idea.”
“As long as I get to meet him one way or another,” Samuel taunts. “For research purposes.”
I giggle as Colton’s face turns red.
“Do I get to meet Troy?”
“Of course! He’s so excited to meet you, but he’s gonna be furious at me for comin’ out here at night, but hopefully once I tell him how great it went, he won’t stay mad for long.”
Colton refills our tea as we talk for another hour, catching up on his life on the West Coast before he moved back to the South. We move to the living room, where Remy’s fast asleep in his bed, and I tell him how I’d visit his gravesite every week, making sure he always had fresh flowers.
It’s emotional, and we both cry, but I couldn’t be happier seeing him after all these years after thinking he was gone.
“I should get back before Troy wakes up and realizes I’m gone.” He smiles, wiping tears off his cheeks.
“Yeah, we don’t need a second stalker comin’ in the middle of the night,” Colton taunts.
“But if I had to have a stalker, I’m glad it was you.” I smile, wrapping my arms around him.
“I promise to never stalk you again.”
“Oh, I need your number before you go,” I say around a yawn. It’s after midnight and past my bedtime.
Once I’ve put it in my contacts, I realize I never asked him something. “What’s your name?”
“Andrew.” He smirks. “Donovan. I took Troy’s last name when we got married.”
“Andrew?” I balk. “You do not look like an Andrew.”
He stands taller, sliding a hand down his pressed button-up. “No? I think I fit the bill for being an Andrew who works in accountin’ and has two rescue cats.”
I chuckle. “I guess, but I’m not callin’ you that.”
“I’d be surprised if you did.”
We hug for a few more moments, I tell him I love him, and to be safe. He tells me the same.
While Colton drives him down to his car, I check on the kids and Remy, then slide into bed. Exhaustion hits me hard, but my mind is still reeling that my brother has been alive all these years. It’s a huge mindfuck that’ll take me a while to accept.
“You awake, darlin’?” The bed dips, and Colton’s arm snakes underneath me, pulling my body to his chest.
“Mm-hmm.” I bury my head in his neck, clinging to him. “I never got to thank you for a perfect night out and in the bedroom.”
He chuckles, holding me tighter. “It was my pleasure. All five times.”
Laughing, I playfully smack his arm. “What can I say? Cowboy hats are my kryptonite.”
“Mine too—as long as the hat you’re wearin’ is mine.”
“There’s that possessiveness comin’ out again,” I tease, but I lowkey enjoy it.
“Y’know, if it wasn’t for your brother being the worst stalker in history, we would’ve never reunited.”
“You’re right.” I lean up on my elbow, meeting his gaze. “So in a weird way, he came back from the dead to bring us together.”
He snickers, rubbing his thumb over my cheek. “Imagine puttin’ that on our wedding invites.”
I lose the ability to breathe.
After my first marriage imploded, I never wanted to go through that again, so it’s not something I’ve thought about.
“Amelia?”
I blink, shaking away my fears. “Yeah?”
“Baby, I have to tell you somethin’.”
My heart pounds at how intense he sounds. “What is it?”
He blows out a shaky breath before holding my gaze. “I’m so in love with you, darlin’. And I don’t want you to move out.”
Butterflies erupt in my stomach. “Colton, I—”
“I know it’s soon, and you don’t have to say it back, but I just wanted you to know how I felt so there’s no question on what I’m willin’ to do for you and the kids to keep y’all safe,” he rambles quickly.
“And if you also wanna stay, we’ll do some construction to add a third bedroom so the kids have their own spaces.
Or if you want, we can find a new house together. Anythin’ you want.”
I stare at him in disbelief. At this man who’s proven time and time again how much he’s here for us. And how incredibly lucky I am to have him by my side.
“I’m sorry. That was a lot, wasn’t it? I shouldn’t have blurted all that out after what happened tonight. I wasn’t thinkin’. Ignore—“
“Colt,” I interrupt, grabbing his face. “I love you too and don’t wanna move out either.”
“Really?” He beams, cupping my cheeks with his large palms.
I nod, trying hard not to cry again.
He crashes his mouth to mine, slipping his tongue between my lips as he rolls on top of me.
“Fuck, baby. Those are the most amazin’ words I’ve ever heard.
” He holds himself up on his elbows, peering down at me with stars in his eyes.
“I know how hard it was for you to open up your heart and trust again, so thank you for allowin’ me in yours and the kids’ lives.
I promise I’ll always cherish the three of you. ”
“Four,” I mutter, my heart pounding in my throat.
“What?”
“All four of us.” I suck in my lips nervously. “I’m pretty sure I’m pregnant.”