Corrupt(64)

“If he can’t,” he said, looking at me pointedly, “then maybe you will. As long as it’s a Crist, I don’t really care.”

He tipped up his glass, taking another sip. “Hell,” he continued, a hint of a grin on his face, “I’ll do it if I have to.”

Motherf*cker. Her life was already as good as over.

I fixed him with a sarcastic smile. “So you need me then.”

“Yeah, but I don’t trust you,” he retorted.

“But I am your son,” I shot back. “And I know that scares you, because you can’t control me, but you know why that is? Because we are exactly the same.” I tipped my chin down, challenging him as I stood my ground. “The same qualities you hate in me are the ones you prize in yourself. And whether or not you want to admit it, you respect me a lot more than you do Trevor.”

Pushing off the wall, I kept my arms folded across my chest as I approached his desk.

“It’s time I joined the family business,” I stated. “I’ll keep nothing. FANE belongs to Rika, as well as her property and finances, when she graduates college. That’s in her father’s will and can’t be changed. Let me manage it until she and Trevor are ready.”

He narrowed his eyes, turning it over in his head.

What did he have to lose? I couldn’t keep anything. The law protected Rika. And as far as my father knew, I had no reason to mismanage her estate. Why would I want to seize her house, close down the business, freeze her assets…?

“FANE,” he said, finally coming to terms with the idea.

“And the house and all their other holdings,” I reminded him. “And if I do well, I get Delcour and the fifty thousand shares.”

I didn’t give a f*ck about Delcour and the shares, but I wanted to keep up the pretense that the Fane estate wasn’t the real prize.

He paused but finally nodded, accepting the deal. “I’ll have Monroe change over the power of attorney and fax you the papers later today.”

And then, looking at me sternly, he pointed out, “You’re getting a chance, because you’re blood, Michael. And only because you’re blood. If I were you, I’d prove my worth by not f*cking this up. You might not get a second chance.”

I kept my smile to myself. I wouldn’t need a second chance.

I turned and walked for the door, ready to leave, but then I stopped.

“Why not me?” I pivoted back around, looking at him. “Why didn’t you consider me to marry her?”

“I did,” he answered. “You’re too volatile, and I need her happy and pliant. You’d make her miserable.”

I cocked an eyebrow, looking away. Well, he was right, wasn’t he? I had every intention of hurting her beyond repair.

But he didn’t know that. He was reading into something else. Knowing nothing about the bad blood between Rika and me, my father thought I wasn’t good for her.

I walked out of the office, slamming his door closed behind me with a loud thud. Anger coiled in my gut, and I hardened my jaw. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered, I reminded myself.

He thought he’d secure the Fane money and connections and that he would control everything through Trevor. He had no idea that I was going to drive everything into the ground.

And he had no idea that my plans had just now changed. He and Trevor would never get their hands on her. I’d see her dead first.

I stepped into the elevator, pushing the button for the lobby and feeling my phone vibrate inside my suit jacket.

Pulling it out of my breast pocket, I clicked on a text message from Will.

No more house.

And my eyes rounded, seeing a picture of the foyer of the Fane’s home covered in flames.

What the f*ck! My heart filled my throat, and I stopped breathing. They’d acted without me.

We planned to take the house, not burn it down!

I worked quickly, dialing the security office at the community.

The night guard answered immediately.

“Ferguson!” I growled. “The Fane’s house!”

“Yes, sir,” he rushed out. “I already called 911. Fire trucks are on their way.”

I hung up and instantly twisted to the side, slamming my fist into the elevator wall. “Goddammit!”





Three Years Ago



I SHOULD’VE BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THEM. Miles and Astrid were ugly and vile, and I couldn’t believe what they’d tried to do to me in there.

I fisted my hands as I sat in Michael’s car, waiting for the guys to come out of Sticks.

Astrid and Miles deserved so much more than what they got. Tears welled as I chewed on my thumb nail and stared out the window, holding my cries back.

They would’ve raped me in that bathroom. And they would’ve gotten away with it.

Rage fired under my skin, and I wanted to go back in and hit them until they understood. Until they knew I wasn’t a victim.

I moved to open the door, but I looked up and stopped, noticing the guys coming out of the pool hall.

They still wore their masks, and I spotted several people inside following them with their eyes.

Everyone knew who the Horsemen were and probably had no doubt about the shenanigans they were up to tonight. While interested, onlookers wouldn’t interfere.