Final Debt (Indebted #6)(81)

Rose Tessel was everything I wasn’t. Softly spoken, obsessed with dogs and cats and horses. She didn’t care about Hawksridge. She didn’t care about diamonds or money. All she cared about was making Peter happy and spending time at the stables with my firstborn.

That bitch completely clouded Peter’s mind. As my eldest son, he had a duty to perform. His father hadn’t followed the rules of the Debt Inheritance, but my son sure would. However, he left it too late. He didn’t collect Emma Weaver and pretended it didn’t exist—burying himself in storybook romance and stupidity.

Bryan tried to make him see sense, but Peter and Rose fought a good battle. They were so wrapped up in their own plans; they forgot we were family and family sticks together through everything.

It was Bryan who came up with the idea.

He was such a good son, so attentive and switched on. He made a promise that if I put him in charge of Hawksridge, he would grow the empire to ever-new heights. He would always look after me and would grace me with many grandchildren to rule.

However, he had one condition.

He wanted to claim the Debt Inheritance. He’d spied on Emma Weaver. He’d coveted what should’ve been Peter’s and a dislike for his older brother festered deep within his heart.

I pondered my decision, not because I doubted his capabilities, but because it would do him good to stare defeat in the face before granting his dreams. Unfortunately, while he waited for my deliberation, his jealousy of Peter overflowed one drunken night.

Peter was at a business meeting in London, delayed overnight. Rose had agreed to wait for him at the estate in his quarters instead of returning to her place in Buckinghamshire. I hated having that hussy under my roof—unmarried, no less. But Bryan did something unforgivable.

He raped Rose.

He took what should’ve been Peter’s.

But what he took, he gave back. He impregnated her with my first grandbaby.

I cursed him for that. I was disappointed in him. Disgusted in his weakness for flesh.

But after he’d taken what he wanted, he regretted the choice immeasurably. He came to me with the weeping woman and together we put her back together again. I held a meeting that very evening and said Rose could remain in my household, but she would have to marry Bryan. If she didn’t, Peter would pay the price.

She refused but wisely reconsidered when I threatened Peter’s life.

The next few months were fraught with drama I didn’t care for. I realised too late that my eldest would never accept his love was betrothed to his brother. Peter reminded me too much of his father, and I’d had enough of his indecision and weakness to have the strength to deal with it again. So I told Bryan he could have everything he ever wanted. A family. Children. An empire. And the Debt Inheritance.

All he had to do was put an end to his brother.

And he did.

He strangled Peter while I was at a council meeting. I pretended to grieve and act disgruntled with his actions. I made it known that the incident was on his head alone. But in secrecy, I was awed he’d had the gumption to do it.

Peter's death was reported as a horse riding accident. Rose was married to Bryan. And life moved on. Jethro was born followed by Jasmine and Angus. Bryan became known as Cut as he stepped into the role I always knew he was capable of and took the Hawk name to even greater heights.

He strengthened our relationship with authorities. He befriended new royals and smoothed out age-old alliances. And then one night, he announced Rose would have another child.

Daniel.

Cut hadn’t planned on more, but he’d said he’d been to watch Emma and couldn’t wait any longer to claim the Inheritance. He’d used his wife to dispel some of his lust that night—even though they’d barely talked for years.

After Jasmine’s birth, Rose had moved out of Bryan’s rooms, living a sham of a marriage, only glued to us by her children. My dislike for her grew year by year.

Unfortunately, Daniel’s birth unravelled the perfect family I’d gathered.

Rose insisted on a hospital birth—regardless that her other deliveries had been at Hawksridge with a midwife and no complications. Bryan felt guilty for his treatment of her and softened. He gave her her wish.

Stupid man.

A few days after the birth, Bryan returned to the hospital to bring his son and wife home. Only, his wife had vanished. She’d abandoned her family—the greatest sin of all. She left behind four children and a husband who would’ve protected her for life.

Only, she didn’t get far.

For a few months, she managed to escape our notice, but then Bryan—my ever resourceful, capable son—found her awaiting an international flight. She’d willingly traded her children for freedom—an unpayable crime.

He brought her back to the Hall. He kept her by his side while the children grew a few more years. But then the incident occurred.

I didn’t approve of what happened that night, nor will I ever forgive him for the slip of Jethro and Jasmine seeing what he did to their mother. But what was done was done and there was nothing more to be said.

She was finally gone.

Good riddance.

However, her death taught me one final vital lesson: even family could disappoint. In fact, family could do more than disappoint—they could destroy everything with one ungrateful action.

I wouldn’t put up with any more nonsense. Jethro turned out to have the same condition plagued by previous generations of Hawk bloodline. I ordered Cut to beat it out of him until he learned that as firstborn he had responsibilities, destinies, obligations to fulfil.