Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 138522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
“I don’t know if I’d fucking go to our father’s funeral,” Reid grumbles.
“Don’t say that,” Cat chides.
“Look at the hell he’s dragged us into, Cat,” Reid counters. “And on top of that, he has someone trying to squeeze us for money, saying she has goods on him and his dirty laundry, of which we know there is much.”
Thank you, Reid, I think, for sharing details about our father I wasn’t ready to disclose. And right after he pretty much said I was an asshole that might not ever change while Abbie listened in.
“Oh my god,” Cat says. “How did either of you not see him for what he is all those years?”
“A boy wants to idolize his father,” Carrie chimes in. “I think they both just needed him to be more than he was.”
“So did our mother,” Cat replies, “but I know you know that.”
“Of course,” Carrie says. “You know I know.”
“My question is: can he drag us all down with Abbie’s ex?” Cat says. “I mean, could he have set you all up to look like you did this by way of a company transaction? How much access does he still have?”
My gaze rockets to Reid’s. “He doesn’t. Right?”
Reid sits up a little straighter. “Suddenly I want to have Blake do a wide search and make sure there’s nothing with our names on it that we don’t know about.” He doesn’t wait for my approval, which he has. He pulls out his phone and makes the call on speaker, explaining his worries.
“I’m not where I can get on this now,” Blake says. “Give me a few hours, but I’ll let you know tonight.”
Reid disconnects the line and we all consider our worries. “I don’t think he’d set us up,” Reid says. “That would fuck his namesake.”
“It could get you out of the picture,” Cat says.
“Oh God,” Carrie murmurs. “You just kicked him out of the firm. Even a charge could ensure he needs to come back to satisfy the board.”
“Holy fuck,” Reid and I say at the same moment.
Abbie stands up and I’m on my feet in a heartbeat, facing her. “Please tell me I didn’t give him a free pass to hurt you? Please tell me I didn’t ruin you?”
I cup her face. “Easy, Abbie, baby. We’re okay. Our father can’t win. He won’t win.”
“You’re telling me you think he might really have done this? Is he capable of such a thing?”
I don’t want to answer her. I don’t want her to know that my father, the man I’m a spawn of, is capable of such evil, but now is not the time to protect her from the truth. “Yes. Yes, I believe my father capable of such a thing. I believe he’d do anything to win and come out on top.”
“Even murder Kenneth and frame his own sons?”
“Yes, baby, even that.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t let this happen to you.”
“We don’t know anything right now. This is speculation done to protect ourselves. And you. I’m going to protect you.”
She twists away from me and goes down on her knees in front of Cat and Reese. “Protect them. I’ll get another attorney. Please protect them even if you have to throw me under the bus.”
My heart squeezes. The only woman I’ve ever let close to me all but buried me. This one, this one, would bury herself for me. And I won’t let her.
Chapter fifty-nine
Gabe
Before I can even reach for Abbie, Cat is leaning toward her where she still kneels, drawing her hand into hers. “Honey,” Cat declares, “my father doesn’t get to destroy you or my brothers. He doesn’t get to win because he’s an ass and not only that, but I’m married to the best defense attorney on the planet, who is your attorney until this is over.”
“We’re not deserting you,” Reese chimes in. “That’s not how we operate.”
“You can’t represent me if I don’t hire you,” Abbie replies. “I’m not hiring you. That’s official.” She stands up and turns, running right into me.
I catch her arms, repeating Cat’s declaration in my own words. “My father doesn’t get to destroy any of us.”
She grabs my shirt. “I told you to walk away.”
“My father might have dragged me into this anyway. We’re all better off with a united front. And we have your mother to think about, too.”
“We?” she queries.
“We,” I confirm, and as I expect with this group, everyone in the room chimes in and murmurs, “We.”
“This is how we do things,” I add. “We protect our own.”
The forlorn look in those green eyes of hers says what she doesn’t: I’m not one of you.
I lean in, my cheek pressed to hers, lips at her ear. “You’re with me. You’re with us.”
“It’s our way because it was our mother’s way,” Cat adds. “My mother was good and wonderful. This is what she would want. For us to stand together and with you. We’re stronger together.”