Chapter 41

Forty-One

Rook

I never knew what my revenge would be for Cameron Fletcher, but I had thought about it endlessly for years. I had thought about burning his house down, ruining his business, wrecking everything he loved.

But none of it compared to him walking into his own office to find his daughter sitting on my lap behind his desk.

His face fell, the world coming to a halt as Aiden and Kane grabbed him.

"What is going on?" he asked, his eyes flicking to everyone else now. "What are you doing here? What are you doing on him, Regan?"

Evie's eyes went wide, the rage and pain there so clear that I wanted to kill him right then and there for it. I knew Regan's face had to mimic hers. I tightened my grip on her, trying to remind myself I had promised Regan I wouldn't just kill him, but fuck I wanted to.

"She is right where she's supposed to be. We are here because we live here now. And what is going on is that your house of cards has fallen. All your secrets are out, Fletcher."

"I don't know who you are or what you think you are doing, but you need to get the fuck out. You know who I am, and I think you can comprehend that this isn't going to work out however you are hoping it will."

I urged Regan up, keeping her standing next to me as I stood up and pulled off my shirt, showing off the scars that marred the side of my stomach.

"And you know exactly who the fuck I am."

There was no reaction from him. He didn't seem shocked, and I knew I had been right.

I could feel Regan at my side, and I sat back down, giving her room if she wanted to sit with me again.

"You do know who he is, don't you?" she asked.

"I do, and I can't for the life of me figure out why the fuck you let him into our house," he snapped, and she flinched.

"I wouldn't yell at her if I were you," I said.

"I'm her father. I can yell at her if she lets criminals into the house."

Regan moved in front of me again, sitting back on my lap. "If we are ruling out criminals," she said, "then I think we all need to leave."

I grinned, looking at her before turning to him. "The first guy to take you up on the hit offer failed. My pretty little rebel girl shot him before he could get me." I reached up, running a hand through her hair until my fingers were dragging down her neck and over her chest. "She really didn't like you threatening my life, and I don't like you threatening hers."

"You didn't answer me," Regan said, watching him. "Do you know who he is?"

Her dad rolled his eyes, leaning back in the chair, apparently no longer thinking his highbrow act was necessary here.

"Of course I know who he is."

"Then I can assume you would remember my father, Michael Emberson. Or maybe my mother, Andrea?"

The flash of fear was brief, the cruel smile taking over so fast I almost missed it.

"Oh, I remember. They are dead, right? Burned to a crisp in a house fire, if I remember correctly."

"That's them," I said, letting the harsh visual hit me, fueling the hatred and satisfaction of what came next. "You can see I was almost burned alive along with my sister, but we got out."

"I do remember the two little orphan children, but I thought they were shipped off to a grandmother. I'm surprised you came back around here."

"Interesting fact, all our grandparents were dead. We were sent to live with strangers, who quickly realized their mistake and shipped us back."

"How sad to come home to nothing but rubble and debts. Daddy didn't leave you a dime, did he?"

I didn't look at Regan, but her hand wrapped in mine. I wanted to see how she felt about loving a poor, orphaned monster of a man, but I couldn't bring myself to look up.

"How could you say those things?" she asked. "You know he lost his parents and you talk about it like that?"

"Because he's the one who burned them up," I said. "And you're proud of your work, aren't you, Cameron?"

He sneered. "I'm proud that I was about to make something of that company. Your father was shit at running the business, and I don't actually know if your mother had a brain past artwork."

Evie got up, her eyes flashing with the burning hatred I knew she had for him. She grabbed the knife that she had stuck between Elliot's legs and reared it back. The blade slammed down, sliding against Cameron's thigh before it stuck in the wood.

"What the fuck?" he yelled. "You cut me!"

"Oops. You know, like mother like daughter. I just don't have a brain past pretty things like shiny knives. I'd say it won't happen again, but I promise, it's going to." Her lip curled, and Aiden stepped closer to her, his arm wrapping around her as he led her back towards the window.

"So that's it?" Regan asked. "It's all true? Killing their parents, burning the house, their garage? What about stealing the drugs?"

I threw the papers we had found over the desk, his eyebrow cocking up when he saw them. He groaned, the annoyed tone making my fingers dig into the arm of the chair. He had the nerve to be mad at her when she sat here learning her entire world was a lie?

"How the fuck did you get this?"

Hero jumped down from the window seat he had been on. "How the fuck do you run a security business and think a dummy drawer compartment is a good place to hide things? Regan and Harper found them in minutes," he said.

"You went through my stuff?" he asked, glaring at Regan.

Aiden's mouth dropped open, the shock of it getting to us all.

"I think we are past scolding her for looking through your things," I said.

"And they are her things now anyway," Evie said, throwing one more paper in front of Cameron.

"What's this?" He read the paper, his face tightening into rage as he finished. "I didn't give Regan the house."

"No?" Evie said, leaning over. "This says you put it in her name a year ago. That was so sweet of you. Was that some sort of graduation gift?"

"I didn't do that. How did this happen?"

"Evie's good with computers, so yes, you did," I said. "You also are returning the drugs you stole. Money, if the drugs have been sold. Asher is helping with that."

"You can't do that. You talked to Asher about this?" His eyes flicked to Regan. "Honey, you have to stop him. We can talk about the business. I swear, we can talk it over. We can get you what you want."

I lifted Regan up, making her stand next to me one more time. I knew she was going to hate this, but I needed one thing. One big thing to show her that he would never do the right thing because the man would say and do anything to get out of a bad situation.

"Instead of begging her, there's another way to get yourself out of this," I said, pulling out the gun I had brought. I slid it across the desk towards him.

"We can come to an agreement. You don't have to do all this, Rook. What do you want? More jobs? More money?" He grinned as though he could give me any of it. "More power?"

"Do I need any of that from you? The irony, Cameron, is that you didn't want to let her into your life because you were worried she would ruin all your hard work and snitch. You were worried she would rat you out and ruin it, but then I let her into mine. I showed her all the despicable things we do, and do you know what she did?"

His face hardened, looking over at her with disgust. "What?"

"She liked it. She wanted more, and then she asked if she could run the entire fucking thing."

"Then, what about another deal?"

"I don't want anything from you. At least, not the things you are offering. I think there is only one way to make it fair. A life for a life. You killed my family. Kill one of your own and I will let you walk out of here without so much as another scratch or loss. An eye for an eye type of deal."

He glanced at Regan, and then quickly back at me. "Why?"

"I've thought about it for ten long years, Cameron, and I think you need to feel what I felt when you stole my family. For ten years, I've been living with the agony of my parents dying in that fire, and I think you need to have an image like that in your mind. Maybe then we will be even. Plus, you already involved her in the hit you took out on my life. I believe the words were, ‘Take him out, and if she dies, she dies.' You must have already come to terms with her death. She knows you saw us at Sweet Haven that day, and she knows you put a hit out on both me and her. You knew that if she was dead, no one could touch you or your money. There would be no one left in your way to bother you or reveal your secrets. Is there any problem in making that a reality now? Then I'll leave you alone with your fortune. Maybe I'll even offer my services to you and your business."

"And all you want me to do is kill her?"

"One bullet in her skull and you'll have everything. Your business and fortune all to yourself."

"Why?"

"Aren't we all just climbing to the top, Cameron? Wouldn't a deal with you make me more money, give me more power? You just said it, so you must understand." Every word from my mouth fell out so easily, each one goading him to take the bait.

"And if I don't agree?"

"I expose every single one of your goddamn dirty secrets until your business is ash." I smirked. "Kind of like what you did to my home and parents. I think both options are fair. More than fair, even."

"I could go to jail if you tell everyone those things."

I shrugged. "You didn't mind sending two children to a stranger after burning their parents. Why would I give a fuck about sending you to jail?"

Regan reached for me, her fingers digging into my shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry," I whispered to her. "But I love you, and I hope you can understand exactly how much. I should have never loved you, Rebel, but I did, and I can't let him take you from me, too."

Her dad eyed the gun again, and then her, apparently trying to make his choice. At least he was giving it a second thought, but his decision would make mine.

"Please, Rook," she hissed. "You just said you loved me. Please don't make him do this."

"I'm not making him do anything. He has a choice. A clear one." My voice stayed low, not wanting him to hear.

"His choice is to kill me or lose everything?" she asked, her voice hiccuping as she fought back tears.

"And? There is no fucking choice with you, Regan. I would burn my entire life to the ground all over again if it meant standing with you in the ashes. Shouldn't he have the same opinion?"

"Maybe, but is this really the way I need to find out?"

Her dad picked up the gun, his face hardening at us. "Fine, but I swear, if you don't undo any damage you have done to me or my business, I will come for you with everything I have," Cameron said.

Regan backed up, her eyes going wide as he lifted the gun to face her.

"You aren't serious?" she asked. "You would kill me to save the business?"

"I'm sorry, but I've worked my entire life, and I knew, I fucking knew, you were going to be my downfall. If not today, it would only be a matter of when, not if."

"I wouldn't take anything from you! I came home to help you. I came home because you were sick and needed someone and I was there. Why throw it all away now when we don't even have much time together left?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Regan. I made up the illness so you would stick around without getting your nose in my business. So you would help me by shaking hands when I needed and staying home when I didn't. I couldn't worry about you running around learning anything about my business, and I couldn't risk you being too far and finding anything out. Yet what did you do? You brought the problem right into our home. How could I ever trust you again, anyway? I'm a good shot. It won't hurt."

"You made it up," she yelled, stepping back against the wall. "You made up being deathly ill. Have you lost your mind?"

I breathed in relief as I read the rage on her face. She finally understood. Her chest heaved as her eyes went wide, jumping from him to me.

"Rook, stop this right now. I get it."

"He can't take it back now," Cameron said. "I need my business and he promised that to me." He flicked the safety off and pulled the trigger. I could only smile as the gun clicked repeatedly, but nothing happened.

The realization dawned on him, and I got up, turning to stand in front of Regan as he pulled the gun back, throwing it hard in her direction, but it only hit my back.

"You get it now?"

The guys had grabbed Cameron again, forcing him to sit as he yelled.

I leaned down, pressing a hard kiss to her lips. "I will do anything you want, Rebel. If you want him dead, he's dead. If you want him kept alive, he will be. You're in control now, and whatever you want, I'll make it happen."

Her eyes went wide as her hands laid on my chest. "Really?"

"Really," I said, relief coursing through me as she moved onto her toes, kissing me again.

"What about your revenge you've wanted? I saw the texts. I don't blame you, Rook."

"I realized you next to me every day and night it more important."

She kissed me again, and I pulled her close, hoping we were getting to the end of this mess.

"Wait!" her dad yelled out from behind me. "I have a better deal!"