Chapter 12

MAY 24 – WEDNESDAY 3:54 PM

R en

"Do you want us to come in with you," Ivy asked.

I stared at the front of the police station and then slowly looked at Blake and Ivy. They came with me while Myles and Theo finished up some of the heavier yard work.

"I don't know. I want to go in, and yet there is this weird comfort in not knowing anything. That sounds stupid, but it's the only way to explain it." My palms were sweating, and I rubbed them on the sundress I was wearing.

Blake linked our fingers together and squeezed my hand. "It's not stupid. There's a lot of emotion behind what happened with your mom. If you want to come back another day, we can."

"No, I can do this. Ivy, do you mind staying here while Blake comes with me?"

"Sure, whatever you need, girl."

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door. Blake hopped out of the driver's side and took my hand again. I'd never spent any time in a police station, and as silly as it was, I kind of expected what I saw on television with the people sitting around in handcuffs and other people being wrestled to the ground while phones were constantly ringing. What I hadn't been expecting was for it to be quiet with someone filling out a form while an older woman in plain clothes waved us forward.

"How can I help you today," she asked through the thick glass.

"I was hoping to talk to an officer working my mum's case," I said. I looked at the person minding their own business, and even though they probably didn't care about what I had going on, saying it out loud in here still didn't sit well. "My house was broken into, and we were attacked," I added.

"Do you know what officer you want to speak to?" I shook my head no. "I'll see what I can do. Do you have an occurrence number?" I shook my head again. "Okay, this is what I need you to do...." She slid a piece of paper and pen out to me through the metal tray. "Put your name, date of birth, and all of your mum's information, including the date of the occurrence. I'll see if there is an officer who can speak to you."

"Thank you." I quickly scribbled down what she asked for and slipped it back to her.

"I'll be right back."

Blake guided me to one of the empty chairs, and I could feel myself zoning out as I stared at the tall green plant in the corner. How would I feel if they said they caught the guys, and my dad never mentioned it? Or what if they hadn't found them yet and every person that I walked past on the street was a potential threat?

"Hey, no matter what happens, it's going to be okay," Blake said, his eyes filled with so much warmth that it helped calm my anxiousness.

The metal door opened. A man, who I could only presume was a detective, stood there in dress pants and shirt. The badge and gun at his hip were the only signs that he was an officer.

"Ms. Davies, you can follow me."

"Do you want me to stay," Blake asked as I stood.

"No, come with me." I tried to silently tell him that I might need him to remember things if I lost it in there.

"Okay."

I followed the officer as he signed us in, gave us visitor badges, and then guided us to a room with a sign on the door saying Soft Interview . Did that mean there was a hard interview? And what was the difference? More importantly, did I want to know?

"Ms. Davies, please have a seat, my name is Detective Conway." He looked to Blake. "Your name is?"

"I'm Blake. I'm just a friend here for moral support," Blake said, shaking the detective's hand.

Once we had sat down, the detective gave me a look that I couldn't decipher. "So, you're Mrs. Davies's daughter?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"I don't remember interviewing you after the incident."

"I don't remember much from that night. I passed out, and when I came to, I was in the sitting room with my aunt. My father took care of talking to the police. The flashing lights and the strangers walking around my home are what I remember most, other than the attack itself. I started a new school away from here, and my father hasn't mentioned any progress, which is why I'm here. I don't know if he doesn't know or thinks I can't handle it, but I need answers."

He placed his laced fingers on the table. "I'm sorry, what attack?" He flipped through pages in a small notepad. "Your father said this was a robbery and listed off some jewelry, money, and documents stolen. There was nothing about an attack. It says here that the EMTs found your mother, but the coroner ruled it as a natural death. She had a heart attack."

"I'm sorry, what?" He could've slapped me, and it wouldn't have shocked me more.

He flipped a page. "We found the jewelry at a pawn shop, but we may never find the rest, so for now, the case is closed." He opened a box by his feet and pulled out a clear bag labeled evidence. I bit my lip as he handed over what had been in my mother's jewelry box. "I thought this is what you were coming to claim. We've left messages for Mr. Davies, but he hasn't returned our calls." He pushed over a piece of paper that listed what was in the bag. "If you want this, you'll have to show me your ID and sign for the items."

My brain was reeling as I reached into my purse and pulled out my wallet. Showing him my driver's license, he nodded and made a note before handing me the pen. I scribbled my name across the bottom of the sheet and picked up the bag, staring at the contents. Only one caught my eye. I pulled out the ring with my birthstone. She always wore it, and my bottom lip trembled as I undid my necklace and added it to the growing collection.

"I've got it," Blake offered as I tried to do it up and failed with my shaking fingers.

"Thanks." I placed the rest of the bag in my purse and looked up at the detective, who seemed to be analyzing me. Was that normal for them? Were they ever able to turn it off?

"So that's it? You have nothing else to tell me?"

"The case is closed. The robbers were never found due to lack of evidence. I'm sorry for your mother's passing, but there was no attack," he said, and I shook my head and held up my hands.

"So let me get this straight. My house was broken into, my mother was killed, and no one has been looking into it because you think she had a heart attack?"

Conway leaned back in his chair and was quiet. He seemed so calm, while I wanted to scream and hit him. "Ms. Davies, I know this must be difficult, considering you were so disoriented, but there was no foul play." My mouth dropped open.

"But I saw them with my own eyes. I watched them smother her with a pillow. They were trying to get to me, but I was in a panic room, and I passed out," I said frantically. Blake gripped my hand, and it shook in his hold. My head was spinning. "I'm telling you that I saw it happen. Can you please explain that to me?"

Conway shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. When I arrived, the EMTs had taken your mother to the hospital with the hope of saving her, but she succumbed to a major cardiac event and was ultimately pronounced deceased. After the interview with your father, I left and pursued leads for the robbery. Once I received the report from the coroner's office that Mrs. Davies's death was from natural causes, that portion of the case was closed." I just stared at him, blinking. "The only other thing I can tell you is that your father had a private security firm there working when I arrived, but that's all I know.

"A security firm? I don't understand. What would they be doing there," I asked.

He shrugged and looked as baffled as I felt. "Private firms handle all sorts of things, but as far as your case and what it has to do with your mother, I can't say."

"No, this is not okay. The room hasn't been touched since the attack. If I give you permission, can you investigate now? I mean, there has to be some evidence left behind," I said desperately.

He shook his head. "I know this is difficult, and I really wish I'd known you thought this was an open case. You seem genuinely shocked and confused about the events that transpired, and I hate that I'm the one having to give you this information."

"What you're saying is that the people who broke in are just out there somewhere doing whatever, and there is nothing that the police can do because some man says that my mum died naturally? I'm not sure when being suffocated to death became natural."

"Maybe speak to your father about who the private firm was, and I'd get seen by a doctor again. Trauma has a funny way of playing with our memory of events when we are suffering loss. That is the best advice I can give you."

He stood, and I looked up at him, not sure what to say. He opened the door, ending any further questions. What had my father done? Or was it Lawrence at that point? Who the hell took over the investigation, and why? Where the hell was my father, and why didn't he tell me any of this?

I was hit with bright sunlight and a warm breeze as we stepped outside, but I was chilled to the bone. Whatever my father was into was far worse than I ever could've imagined. More than ever, I wished that I hadn't been so stubborn when he came to see me and had spoken to him.

"Are you okay," Blake asked.

"No. No, I'm not. I hate being in the dark and lied to, and my father has done so much of it. I mean, who came in and took over? The FBI, CIA, RCMP, and some other set of acronyms that I don't know about? He says that it was the EMTs, but I'm telling you that she was murdered, Blake. There was nothing natural about the way she died, and I'm not crazy. I'm not making this up. It's not some trauma-induced hallucination."

"I believe you, and I wish I knew what to say right now," Blake said and pulled me into a hug. I hadn't cried for a few days, so I guess I was due. As he hugged me, hopelessness gripped me. Was I ever going to get the answers to what was going on?

It didn't feel like it. Instead, it seemed like with every step I managed to take, I fell back by two more.

MAY 24 – WEDNESDAY 6:15 PM

Nash

Are you fucking kidding me? I'd gotten dressed up in my suit and made it in to work for the board meeting as I promised I would. Only Ethan and Emmet were there. I'd even gone to the trouble of making a PowerPoint presentation for the occasion, and my father bailed. He didn't call any of the potential investors to let them know.

I made a couple of calls and set up my new office the way that I wanted to cool off, but as I pulled into my driveway and saw his car sitting at home, the rage came back. I pushed open the door and walked inside as I pulled at the tie around my neck. Wearing a suit felt oddly natural as if I was finally stepping into the role I was meant to have.

Lawrence was always bitching at me about how I needed to take responsibility and ownership for my actions and that my stepping up in the company was something he wanted to oversee personally. How was he supposed to oversee anything personally when he didn't bother to show up?

It also meant that I had to push back a very important conversation with a large developer and our contractor. He made me look like an idiot when they called in and I needed to reschedule. I didn't even have a reason for them.

My father's office door was closed, and normally, I would respect that and walk on, but I was livid. I slammed open his office door and walked in, holding the folder with the presentation I'd made under my arm and froze in my tracks.

"Oh shit," Vicky said and then moaned as my father fucked her on his desk.

"You've got to be kidding me," I growled.

"Nash, I can explain," Vicky said, trying to get up. But my father pushed down on her back, holding her in place.

"Don't fucking move, slut," he growled before looking calmly up at me. "Was there something you wanted, son? As you can see, I'm a little busy here. You really should knock." He never lost pace as he continued to fuck her like I wasn't standing in the middle of the office or that she wasn't my ex-girlfriend and half his age. On the list of shit I never wanted to see, this was near the top.

Just when I thought my father couldn't do anything to surprise me, he always found a way.

I marched forward, ignoring Vicky and the fact that my father was still dressed. He had only unzipped himself for the ceremonious occasion. I slammed the folder down on the desk beside Vicky's head, making her jump. She turned her eyes up to me, but I ignored her and refused to look down.

"How was the board meeting, son," I asked mockingly. "Oh, it was shit. Thanks for asking. Considering you didn't bother to show up or let me know that you couldn't make it so that I could let our potential investors know." He sneered at me, and his eyes were full of contempt. "Which made the entire company look like assholes, so bravo if that was your goal. All the while, you're here fucking this desperate piece of ass. I thought your standards were higher than that." I purposely looked down at Vicky then and rolled my eyes.

"Nash, please listen to me," Vicky begged, and I shook my head. Unbelievable.

"Nash…please…." My father slapped her hard across the ass. "Shut up," he growled, yanking her hair back hard enough that he could hook her mouth like a fish with his finger. It didn't surprise me that she moaned.

I need to move out of here. If it didn't make it harder to keep tabs on who he was meeting, who he had locked up, the number of new guards, overhearing conversations, or anything else I could dig up, I would've already been gone.

"Is this a power play to get in my head or some shit? If so, you're failing. I never liked Vicky. Why would I give a shit that you're fucking her?"

My father smiled, and I hated when he grinned at me like that. It always meant he knew more than I did, and I was going to end up with a sharp jab to the face.

"Am I failing? From where I'm standing, you're the one who looked like you failed to re-schedule a meeting that everyone else knew about but the people you were supposed to notify. Oh, before I forget, son, I've decided that I'm going to marry Vicky." If my jaw hadn't been clenched so tight, it would've fallen open. "She gets to be your new step-mommy. Won't that be fun?"

"You're fucking joking, right?"

"Why do you think I'm fucking her without protection?"

"Sorry, I hadn't noticed. It's not like I inspected your cock."

"Always so sarcastic."

"Always such an asshole." I smirked. He glared. If he wanted to hit me, he'd have to stop fucking her and stuff his cock away first. I doubted that was going to happen. "I'm really not sure how I'm meant to respond in this scenario, so I guess if you were going for shock factor, you get aces."

My father shook his head and stopped fucking Vicky long enough to grab her jaw and force me to look into her eyes. She looked caught between terror and ecstasy. I couldn't make the shit up that my father had done over the years, but this…this was a whole new level of low.

"You always miss the point, son. I have a meeting booked with Mr. Genovese next year to sign the marriage contract. Vicky here gets the power over you that she wants, and I get the partnership with the Italian mafia that I want. Win. Win." He let go of her face, and she flopped on the desk again as he resumed fucking her.

This was not happening. "What are you planning with this? It makes no sense." I couldn't believe this was even a conversation, let alone that it was happening like this. Vicky was making that strange noise that reminded me of a barnyard animal and the weight of my gun under the jacket pressed against me. So tempting. I just couldn't decide who I would kill first.

"Doesn't it? Mr. Genovese is powerful and well-connected. This is the partnership I've needed to get a seat at the round table. I told Vicky that I would give her free rein over the businesses, including what role you will play in them, as long as she married me and produced a couple of sons."

"This is about replacing me. Why, because I don't cower when you beat me anymore?"

"No, son. It's about power, and I needed to make a decision. I could either sign the contract between you and Vicky or between myself and Vicky. Giving my loose cannon of a son more power didn't seem wise, so which do you think I chose?"

Son of a bitch. I wasn't going to let this happen. Not a chance in hell was he doing this to me or making a mockery of my position by putting Vicky in charge.

I smiled and then laughed. Vicky looked up from the desk as she screamed in pleasure, and it only made me laugh harder.

"Game on, Lawrence, game on," I said and walked out, slamming the office door behind me. He thought he was smart. He always thought he knew better, but I'd beat him at his own game. I had to. Losing was not an option.

Marching to my room, I walked in and quickly stripped down as I called Liam.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that my father is fucking Vicky in his office and is planning on marrying her and pushing me out of the company with his new children? Can you picture me calling her Mommy?"

Liam was dead silent, and then he burst out laughing. If I weren't so pissed, I would've been laughing along with him.

"Oh, Lawrence. He is always up to something. My father wondered if he was trying to make you look incapable today by not showing up for the investor meeting."

I got changed out of the monkey suit and pulled on my jeans. "Yeah, he admitted to doing that. Does your father know why he and Ethan weren't notified either?"

"He thinks Lawrence wanted them to witness your failure or because they're not invested in his secret society BS. Either way, the result was the same with the investors. It made you look unprofessional and wasted their time." Pulling on a T-shirt, I grabbed my hoodie. "On the plus side, I do know that Ethan smoothed shit over with them. You're not supposed to know that, but he's proving to be a good ally. So, what's the plan?"

"Not sure yet, but I have a couple of ideas. Are you free to work on the new project? I have some anger I need to get rid of."

"Sure, see you when you get there." Liam hung up the phone. I pushed mine into my back pocket, tucked my gun into my waistband before heading out of the room, and locked my door.

Why was I not surprised to see the bitch of the hour waiting on the stairs for me? I paused as I spotted her and wondered if my father would take the blame if I pushed her and she died. I wouldn't be that fucking lucky.

"Did you even have time to wipe the come off the inside of your legs?" Her face flushed. "Why the fuck aren't you in Italy," I asked as I stomped past her and grabbed my keys off the entrance table where I'd left them. She followed along behind me like a little bitch in heat.

"Let me explain, please."

"I'm pretty sure I get the whole picture. You wanted me so that you could marry into my family. But that didn't work out because I never wanted you. So, instead, you decided to go for the head of the snake and make your move on my father. Am I close?"

"Sort of, but that's not the whole story. Nash, it's not too late, please listen to me, it's not your father that I want. I still love you."

I smirked. This was why I didn't do relationships. There was only one husband and wife that I'd ever seen work, and the rest…well, they never worked.

"You mean you don't want a fifty-year-old psychopath who fantasizes about killing you in the night? I'm shocked." I smirked at her. "Then again, I dreamed of ending you myself, so I guess that part is old news for you.

"Nash, stop. I'm being serious."

"So am I," I said, glaring at her. "I'm not joking about my father. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if he had the day of your death planned down to the exact minute you take your last breath. Don't be fooled. My father is a masochist and would enjoy every scream. If you think your father will be able to keep you safe, you're wrong. He will make it look like it was another family or an accident. He will never love you, and you can't negotiate with him, change him, or stop him, trust me."

Vicky's eyes went wide as she swallowed hard and grabbed my arm. I glared at her hands. "Please, we can fix this. All you have to do is take me back and get rid of that cunt with the white hair. I don't even care if you've fucked her."

Breaking the hold she had on my arm, I grabbed Vicky by the throat and slammed her up against the door. She shuddered, and her hands gripped my arm.

"Never talk about Ren that way again." I got close enough that our noses were almost touching. "And if I find out that you had anything to do with her attack…anything at all…it won't be my cock that I shove into your pussy to make sure that you never have my father's children, do you understand?" She licked her lips. "I'm not fooling around, and this isn't foreplay. I will ruin you, Vicky, but I will make sure that you live so you know that you're ruined and no one else will ever want you. Understand this. I don't care what happens to me, and I'm a whole lot unhinged. Now, do one sensible thing in your life and nod your fucking head like a good girl and tell me that you'll never go near Ren again."

"I won't go near her again," she wheezed past my tight grip, and I let her go before I changed my mind and killed her anyway.

"You should know that whatever my father has promised you…he won't give it to you. He never keeps his word, and right now, he is giving you what you want, but the second he has what he wants, you're expendable. I'd remember that."

I walked out the door, not bothering to close it, and jogged down the stairs to my car. Vicky was standing in the doorway staring at me, her hand rubbing at her throat. No way. No fucking way. I was going to stop this, so help me God.