years. As I said, you can exhaust all your resources, but my firm has everything in place to sell in thirty days if you choose to ignore his last wish. We get paid the same rate either way.”
“Do you even care about what happens to the people in this town, Jerome?” Beacon asks.
“It’s not my job to care, but, because I do, I gave you two weeks to get together for this meeting,” he admits. “Off the record, your thirty days should’ve started when he died. That means that you would have only around thirteen days to move into your new house as of today. There are too many people depending on you, so I gave you extra time.”
“So, you waited for us?” Hayes asks.
“On record, I stated that we had to wait for Blaire Wilson. She’s busy doing more for the world than the six of you combined.”
Aren’t you a sweet old man?
That sounded slightly sentimental. Maybe I’m reading too much into this situation and he is legit. No, I bet there’s more to that statement. I better figure it out because maybe that’s the key to contest the will and rewrite the story of the town. It feels like my father held them hostage—just like he’s trying to do with us.
“Hey, I pull my weight to save the world, too,” Vance complains and rises from his seat. “I’m not sure if I’ll stay. Let’s hope Pierce finds a loophole because being around you isn’t my idea of having a good time. In any case, Blaire gets to keep the money. You try to pull some shit on her, and we’ll have a problem. Understand?”
“Great. Another sucker who fell for her,” Henry protests.
I wonder if Vance knows about the charity. I don’t say a word, but I’m with him. If we do get to keep these assets, Blaire keeps her cut…maybe mine too.
“Keep your trap shut.” Vance pins him down to his chair. “I can make you disappear, and believe me, brother, no one will miss you.”
He leaves. Hayes goes right behind him.
I laugh, and to be honest, even though this is all fucked up, I’m glad we got together.
“Did you pee your pants, Henry?” I tease my brother.
Beacon laughs, “Of course he did. He’s been trembling since Vance arrived.”
“Shut up, assholes,” he warns us.
“We upset little Henwy,” Mills teases him, then looks at me. “Are you bringing red with you?”
“Don’t call her that. She hates that nickname,” I warn him. “I’m going to try to persuade her to sign the divorce papers. This isn’t her scene.”
“What happened?” he asks earnestly. “You two looked happy together.”
“Wait, you know his wife?” Beacon asks. “Is she hot?”
“She’s cute,” he agrees. “A petite little thing with auburn hair and a gorgeous face that could stand his ugly face for some reason. I haven’t met her but saw them a few times while I played in Denver.”
“We can gossip later,” Henry interrupts us. “What’s the game plan, Pierce?”
I comb my hair with my fingers and answer, “I’m going home. We have a great team that might find a loophole and stop this as early as tomorrow. You’re going to start auditing the businesses in case I fail. Get everyone to help you. I know we’re not this kind of family, but we have to be to avoid fucking up our lives.”
With that, I leave hoping that I can persuade Leyla to sign the divorce. This might be just what I need to find something different. Maybe it won’t be happiness but something similar to what I had three years ago.
Chapter Seventeen
Pierce
There’s an essential thing about denial; we can use it just for so long. However, there’s a point when we have to confront our reality.
We can refuse to acknowledge the truth, but we can never erase it. I can fabricate many things, but just like lies, reality catches up to us. By the time I’m boarding the plane back to Colorado, my gut is a complete mess of knots.
Denying my father or my brothers became useless after today. First, I had to see my family again after twelve long and painful years. Then, I spend my flight chatting with Nyx about my past and what my father did to us. It surprised her to hear that I have brothers, and thankfully she doesn’t ask questions—or she’s saved them for later.
I confide in her because she’s one of the best on my legal team. I taught her all I know. If anyone can catch