Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
“It was,” Heath says. “Silas had good reason to go on a murder spree. You’ll just have to forgive him.”
“Do I now?” Mom raises a brow. “But all those murders still don’t account for the missing money in Silas’s bank account…”
She homes in on me, and I feel like I just got caught red-handed.
Fuck.
I didn’t know Mom and Dad actually kept an eye on it.
Ivy rummages in her pocket. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to give this back.”
“What?!” I grit, but she still hands it over to me.
“I don’t want this. I have enough,” she says, smiling. “I have enough when I have you guys.”
I was almost ready to throw her over the railing and spank her ass right in front of everyone, but that smile … God, that fucking smile makes my heart throb so goddamn hard I can’t say no.
Still, I push her hand back. “I want you to buy every goddamn food you could ever dream of, every damn day, for the rest of your life with this money. So keep it.”
She smiles. “I don’t need all that. Please, take it back. I don’t want to be the reason y’all start a family feud,” she says, pressing the transfer paper into my chest. “You’ve given me everything I’ll ever need.”
“Aw …” Max’s eyes tear up.
But it’s the way she said “please” that makes me yield.
I grunt and snatch the paper, tucking it into my pocket. “Fine. But I will be buying you and Cora breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the fucking week.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” She winks.
She thinks this is funny, but I’ll punish her for this later.
“I’m impressed.” Mom snorts. “It’s not every day someone actually manages to bring Silas to his knees.”
My eyes begin to twitch, and my mom just laughs, patting me on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine. Your father got used to it too.”
“Used to what? Having feelings?” Heath snorts.
“Wait, so you’re just gonna forgive him?” my dad growls at her. “He gave all his money away, they killed a dozen or more in the streets, destroyed a fucking mansion, murdered twenty more, and damaged the Skull and Serpent Society house, Pen.”
“And? My men took care of the bodies, erased their tracks, she just gave the money back, and the house has been fixed, hasn’t it?” Mom shrugs. “I’d say they did a well enough job, considering they had the best intentions.”
“Best intentions?!” my dad shouts.
Heath laughs, but quickly shuts his mouth when my dad throws him a look with those laser eyes of his.
Man, I understand now how people can instantly tell they’re my parents.
“C’mon, Felix … don’t pretend you don’t remember what it was like for us.” Mom winks. “You know damn well you were the same. Give these boys a break. They did well.”
Dad’s jaw tenses, and he rolls his eyes. “Women … Fine,” he grumbles, and he walks over to me to give me an awkward, over-the-top, manly hug. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks,” I say. “But please don’t ever hug me again. It’s fucking weird.”
Max laughs, and first, everyone looks at him like he’s lost his mind, but then Heath, his mom, and my mom all begin to laugh, along with myself. And finally Ivy does too.
“Oh, cheer up, grump,” Max’s mom says, punching my dad in the shoulder.
“Your mom’s not that bad, honestly,” Ivy whispers into my ear.
“You should see her wrangle my extra dads,” I reply.
“Wrangle who?” Uncle Dylan says as he walks in. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that, care to repeat before I light your room on fire?”
“Oh, fuck no,” Heath says, awkwardly turning away. “I’m going.”
“Stay,” I bark, dragging him back by his shirt.
“What? I just arrived. The party’s only getting started when I’m here,” Dylan says, flicking his lighter up and down. “What’d I miss? Who are we punishing? I’ll bring the heat.”
“Dylan…” my dad groans, rubbing his forehead. “This doesn’t involve your kids. Stay out of it.”
“It will involve them at some point. Guarantee it,” he says. “They have a knack for getting themselves in big trouble. Especially when it comes to their unhinged half brother.”
“Unhinged?” I parrot.
“Only mildly,” Max mutters under his breath, so I throw him daggers with my eyes.
“I’m sure you’ll be there to protect them all when the time comes,” Alistair says as he throws his arm around Dylan’s shoulder. “Right?”
“What are you guys even doing here?” I ask.
“Checking up on my nephew. Is that a crime?” Alistair asks. “Be glad we stayed outside until after Pen and Felix berated you all.” He winks.
“They insisted on coming too,” Mom explains.
“It was needed, after what I heard,” Dylan says.
“Don’t act like you didn’t break down the entire Skull and Serpent Society with your dad,” my mom tells him.
“Says the woman who lit Spine Ridge U on fire,” Dylan retorts.