“Violet, you get prettier every year.” A man with a southern twang in his voice walked up behind me.
“Mr. Hawthorne!” I smiled as I turned around hugged the older man who always gave me candy when I was younger. “How is retirement treating you?”
“Not as well as I would like.” He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me in a warm embrace. “My son is an idiot, so I’m still making all of the important decisions—I’ll probably still be making them from the grave at this rate.”
“Aw, you’ve got a long time before you have to worry about that.” I leaned back from our embrace and nodded.
“What he needs is a wife—someone that can kick his ass when I’m not around to do it. I don’t suppose you would be interested…” His voice trailed off and he winked.
“I adore Steven, but he’s not exactly my type.” I winced.
“Yeah.” Mr. Hawthorne exhaled sharply. “He’s a douchebag.”
That was about as accurate a description as I could think of for Steven Hawthorne. He was a playboy who believed he was god’s gift to my gender, and his arrogance was annoying. He was also the first guy I dated—and it didn’t go well—nor did we have a second date after the first one was an abysmal nightmare.
I continued making my rounds until I met everyone and then it was time to open presents. Mr. Hawthorne got me a beautiful diamond necklace, Annie got me a Louis Vuitton purse that was one-of-a-kind, and there were so many pairs of red-soled Christian Louboutin shoes that I would probably need a new closet—I guess word of my shoe addiction had spread after I made a big deal over the ones I got at my birthday party the previous year. The gift that I was most excited about was the brand-new red BMW Zagato Coupe that my father bought for me. I was just about to slip out the side door and take Annie for a spin when Raymond Grant, one of my father’s attorneys, came running through the front door with sweat pouring down his face.
“Mr. Cabot! Mr. Cabot!” His tone was hurried, and he was practically yelling.
“Raymond? What’s going on?” My father looked concerned as he walked towards the sweat-soaked man who had a look of terror on his face.
Raymond never got a chance to explain—he didn’t have to. The front door was pushed open again and several men came storming in—men in suits—men with badges—men with a warrant for my father’s arrest. I ran towards my father and screamed when one of those men presented a pair of handcuffs and told him to turn around. I would have probably put the heel of my shoe through someone’s eye to protect my father if Mr. Hawthorne hadn’t grabbed me by the waist. Mr. Hawthorne held me tight, even when I kicked at him to try and get free.
“It’s okay Violet! The lawyers will figure this out!” My father tried to give me a reassuring look—but then he was dragged away.
There was a stunned silence in the room except for my screaming. Tears were streaming down my face and when Mr. Hawthorne finally released me, I ran to the door in time to watch my father get roughly shoved into the back of a black sedan. Then he was gone. I sank to my knees in despair as people tried to console me, but most of them decided that it was time to leave—the party was over. By the time I found the energy to blink, Mr. Hawthorne, Raymond Grant, and Annie were the only guests left—even the members of my family that attended my party had made a hasty exit.
“Come on, Violet.” I heard Maria’s voice and felt her hands on my shoulders. “I think you need a drink.”
“What happened?” I looked to Raymond for answers as I walked back inside my house.
“It’s bad, Violet.” He exhaled sharply and I saw his hands tremble. “It’s really bad.”
“I don’t understand.” I took a step towards him. “What are they accusing him of?”
“Money laundering.” Raymond swallowed hard. “To fund domestic terrorism.”
“What!?” My mouth fell open. “He would never do that! Cabot Enterprises has a contract with the Department of Defense!”
“Which is why they’re talking about upgrading that charge to treason.” He quickly looked down at the floor.
“They’re seizing his assets.” Raymond lifted his head slowly. “The bank accounts are frozen and agents with a search warrant are coming. I begged them to wait, but they only let me know as a courtesy—once they were already on their way to arrest your father.”
In the hours that followed, Cabot Estate wasn’t just searched—it was ransacked. They took every electronic device in the house, including my personal laptop and cell phone. Anything that could have been used by my father was subject to the warrant. All I could do was sit in the middle of the living room and watch as the agents completed their search, tossing my memories around like they were garbage. They even knocked a picture of my mother off the wall and I nearly lost it when I watched one of the agents step on it.
“Don’t…” Raymond shook his head back and forth. “If you interfere in any way, they’ll put a pair of handcuffs on you too.”
“I don’t understand.” Fresh tears started to stream down my face. “How did this happen? My father has always done things the right way—this is impossible.”
“I wish I knew.” Raymond sighed. “They claim to have evidence, and they wouldn’t be this vicious if they didn’t already believe he was guilty.”
“I’ve known Hugo Cabot for years!” Mr. Hawthorne gritted his teeth as he spoke. “He’s the straightest arrow in the world.”
“Someone doesn’t think so…” Raymond sighed again. “I’ve got more bad news too—they’re seizing Cabot Estate.”
“What does that mean?” I wiped away a tear and looked at him in confusion.
“You have a week to vacate the property.” He looked at Maria and Henry. “That goes for the help, too.”
“Oh my god.” My jaw trembled, and I found out that there were more sobs left inside me. “They’re throwing me out of my home?”
“You can’t take anything when you go except the clothes on your back—consider yourself lucky that they’re even letting you keep those.” Raymond winced. “This is serious shit. If they are able to charge him with treason, then…”
“Life imprisonment.” Mr. Hawthorne exhaled sharply. “I need to go.”
“What?” I looked up at him.
“I’m sorry—I..” He stumbled over his words. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, I should go too.” Annie stood to her feet. “My mother saw this on the news and she won’t stop texting me.”
I watched as Mr. Hawthorne left and Annie followed him out the door. I felt like they were abandoning me in the hour of my greatest need, but I began to understand why once Raymond explained that anyone who had done business with my father could end up in handcuffs if it looked like they were complicit in what he had done. Annie’s father was an investor in Cabot Enterprises. Mr. Hawthorne was one of my father’s biggest clients. I had fallen from grace in an instant—from the socialite daughter of a well-respected man—to a pariah people were afraid to sit in the same room with.
Four
Devlin
2 years ago
“What the fuck is wrong with you today, man?”
I turned in the direction of the voice, taking my eyes off the target.
“Nothing,” I muttered. “I guess I’m just distracted with business shit.”
“Always talking about work,” Calvin rolled his eyes, passing the joint he was holding to the guy next to him who took a long drag. “Fuck, I remember the times when you knew how to have fun, Windsor.”
I didn’t take the bait, my eyes going back to the guy I’d been watching like a hawk.
“What’s the obsession with my kid brother?” Calvin piped up again. “Does it bother you that he’s here? I can ask him to leave.”
And there he was, the eternal fucking kiss-ass. He knew I was at the top of the food chain, and he didn’t dare question what I did.
“What’s he doing at a party like this, anyway?” I asked through gritted teeth. “Isn’t he in kindergarten?”
“Senior in high school,” Calvin laughed out loud, taking the joint back from the stoned guy next to him and taking a long drag himself. “I hooked him up with Preston, you know the preppy guy from Harvard. I heard he got some dope stuff this spring.”
“Dope stuff?” I raised my eyes, shifting my attention back to Calvin. “You mean drugs?”
“Yeah,” Calvin grinned at me conspiratorially, looking around to make sure nobody was listening and then leaning in to mutter something. “He’s got this shitty high school prom he’s going to. And he scored a date with the ice princess. Hugo Cabot’s daughter.”
I saw red.
“Hey, doesn’t your dad work with him?” Calvin asked, still fucking clueless about what he was doing to me.
What I was going to do to his kid brother.
“What kind of drugs is he getting then?” I asked, sipping at my drink as if I didn’t have a care in the world. “Pot, I’m guessing?”
“I bet his innocent little date won’t even smoke a bit of weed,” Calvin grinned at me. “From what he’s told me about her, she’s a frigid little bitch.”
My hand tightened around the glass so much I thought I’d crack it.
“So, what then?” I questioned him, trying to remain calm. “Pills?”
“Yeah,” Calvin replied. “Rohypnol. He’s slipping something in her drink. I mean, that’s probably the only way he’ll get to that tight little virgin cunt. Who can blame him? The girl’s only sixteen, but I’d fuck her in a heartbeat.”
I ground my teeth together while he gave me a curious look.
“Hey, didn’t you use to hang out with her a lot when you were kids?”
I ignored his questions, and he shrugged, going back to his conversation with the stoned kid.
For the rest of the night, I watched Calvin’s kid brother’s every move.
Finally, when I knew he’d be meeting with Preston, I followed him outside, sipping out of a Crystal glass filled with pure vodka.
We didn’t do red Solo cups. Rich parents make spoiled fucking kids.
I watched him make a deal with Preston. Watched the guy hand him a plastic baggy with two little white pills. Because one apparently wasn’t enough for Mr. Rape-Date-Is-Acceptable.
By the time their transaction was over, I was pissed. Not just angry but drunk on the Hill’s parents’ booze and ready to pick a fight.
I waited until the right moment came along, then finally cornered Matthew when he was taking a leak on his parents’ expensively manicured lawn.
Tapping my hand on his shoulder, I made him miss his aim and spray himself with urine.
“Shit, man,” he groaned. “What the fuck do you want?”
He zipped up his pathetic excuse for a dick into his jeans, and when he did, the little plastic baggy fell to the ground.
I picked it up, showing it to him between two fingers.
“What’s this, kid?” I asked him in a low, menacing tone.
“Oh, just some party favors,” he replied with a slick smile. “Got a high school prom to go to. You know girls that age don’t put out so easily, right?”
He eyed me appreciatively. I was a legend in these circles. And for the first time, I fucking hated my status.
“Who’s your date?” I asked him, giving him one last chance before I smashed his skull in.
“Oh, that’s the kicker,” he grinned at me as if we were part of the same date-raping club. “Hugo Cabot’s daughter. You know her, right? Violet, the fucking jailbait treat. I’ll be the first to taste that sweet little cherry. Pop it too, if these babies work their magic.”
He attempted to take the baggy from me, but I put it in my pocket. Matthew had time for one confused look before my fist came crashing into his face. The crunch of bone beneath my knuckles told me I’d broken his nose on the first hit.
“What the fuck?!” Matthew cried out, clutching his face as he stumbled back from me. “What the hell are you doing, man?”
“Teaching you a goddamn lesson,” I hissed before grabbing him and driving my knee into his stomach.
He grunted in pain, but I didn’t stop until he was a shaking heap on the ground he’d pissed on moments ago. He looked up at me with fear in his eyes, but I had no remorse for him.
“You will not go to prom with Violet Cabot,” I told him coldly. “You will not look at her again or speak to her after you tell her you’re not going to prom at all. You won’t think of her or dare to utter her name.”
He stared up at me, eyes flashing with anger and fear. The fear was taking over.
“And if I ever fucking hear of you buying date rape drugs,” I went on. “I’m going to smash more than your nose, kid. You want to keep your balls, right?”
He nodded, a sob escaping his lips. What a pathetic little boy.
I leaned down against his bloodied face, saying, “How unfortunate that you fell down today, kid. Make sure to get that nose checked. Looks pretty fucked to me.”
With those words, I downed the rest of my vodka and left him whimpering on the ground.
My job was done.
Five
Violet
Present time
For three days, I sat alone in Cabot Estate, dreading my final moment there. I had no idea where I would go. The summer home on the beach, the cabin in the mountains, and even the yacht—all seized by the government. The credit cards in my wallet were worthless. The only person who reached out and offered me a place to stay was my sister, Georgia. I considered it but staying with her was almost worse than being homeless—I didn’t even want to think about sleeping in the same house with her husband—to feel like I owed him a debt.
I’d rather sleep in a gutter than feel his breath on my skin again.
Raymond filled me in on the details about my father’s case as they developed. There was a closed hearing, and the judge ordered that he be held in federal custody pending his trial. They wouldn’t even let me see him. A warrant had been issued for my brother’s arrest as well, but Raymond didn’t represent him, so he didn’t know all the details. Henry and Maria were already making plans to move out, and I should have been doing the same, but I just didn’t have the energy to pull myself back from the brink of despair. What good would it do? All my hopes and dreams had been shattered—and they were going to remain that way until my father’s was proven innocent.
“Miss Violet.” Maria walked up to me with a black envelope in her hand. “This arrived for you.”
“Thank you…” I reached out and took the envelope.
It was a plain black envelope with no writing on the front. I flipped it over and my blood ran cold when I saw the seal on the back—the Windsor family. I didn’t have to open the envelope to know who sent it—Devlin Windsor. I stared at the seal for a few minutes before I finally pushed my fingernail into the flap of the envelope and tore it open. Inside, I found a piece of folded paper that was the same color as the envelope. It appeared to be a letter. When I unfolded the piece of paper, I saw that the words were handwritten in crimson-colored ink.
My Dear Violet,
It’s come to my attention that you have fallen on hard times. Our families have not always gotten along, but I felt compelled to reach out to you. I would like to extend an invitation for you to stay with me until your father is exonerated. I might even be able to offer some assistance with that, as I have many resources at my disposal. Let’s make a deal—one that will benefit us both. You know where to find me.
-Devlin
My hands trembled as I read the letter. Was my fall from grace so horrific that the only person outside of my immediate family who dared to reach out to me was Devlin Windsor? He wasn’t just a man—he was the devil himself. He was cruel, vile, and the personification of evil. But, there was truth in his words. He did have many resources at his disposal—and I had nothing. The life I knew was over, or at least suspended in abeyance until my father’s trial. Things didn’t look good, and every call from Raymond was worse than t
he one before it.
Am I really considering this?
Am I brave enough to make a deal with the devil to save my father’s empire before there’s nothing left but ashes?
And what does the devil want in return?
Six
Devlin
2 years ago
“Devlin?”
Her voice on the phone was small, timid. She was scared.
“What’s up?” I asked, motioning at my secretary to leave the room.
She furrowed her brows, leaving a tall stack of papers on my desk before leaving me alone and shutting the glass door of my office behind her.
“I’m not going to prom.”
The second the words were out, she burst out in tears, and guilt gripped my fucking heart like a vice.
“Calm down, Violet,” I managed, gritting my teeth together so I wouldn’t give myself away. “Start at the beginning. Tell me what happened, okay?”
“I don’t w-want to bother you,” she hiccupped, the tears coming in hot and heavy. “Are you at work? Am I… am I being annoying?”
“No,” I replied firmly. “What happened, princess?”
I cursed myself inwardly when she followed up with a pause.
She was never supposed to know about the nickname I’d given her in my head.
But she didn’t mention it, just kept talking as if nothing happened. In a way, I was almost disappointed.
“Matthew just came up to me in school,” she went on. “He looked like he’d been in a fight or something… there are rumors going around about it, but no one really knows what happened.”
Devil’s Captive: Fallen Dynasty Book One Page 2