“That wasn’t nothing though.” I say, watching him.
What did you fight about?
“Oh good, you’re here asshole. You’re always late.” Noah announces as he runs into the kitchen.
Emmett and I both turn to look at him with a ‘really’ look on our faces. Because we all know who is ALWAYS late for EVERYTHING.
“Okay, okay fine. But I think I’ve improved somewhat.” He says, raising his arms in the air, like a spineless thief caught in the act.
“When you want to get laid.” Emmett says and then he looks at me again and I can’t help but instinctively move and give him a hug.
“Hey.” I whisper into his chest, knowing that he can hear me as he folds me into his arms like he always does. I lay my head over his heaving chest and just listen to his heart.
He’s always had this irregular heart beat pattern and it’s still there. But that only assures me that he’s still my Emmett.
“Hey.” He responds quietly, his hold tightens for a while until I can hear a low, sounding growl from behind us.
Jerk.
I can feel his frosty eyes on my back. I can feel his anger growing but I don’t give a fuck what the almighty king is feeling right now. He has his own explaining to do later.
“Shit, Em if my mother asks you about whether or not I told you that she was out of town last week, you better. . .”
“Deny it?” Christina’s sharp voice finishes as she enters the kitchen with steam, looking at Noah as if she’s about to deck him—which I wouldn’t be opposed to watching. Or enjoying.
“Mom, I told you. I genuinely thought you would be out of town. It’s not like I didn’t want people to see you or anything.” Noah says.
“Oh really? Then who is Kim Possible?” She questions, folding her arms.
I look over at Noah with a smile, wondering how he will answer this one. He doesn’t flinch though, nor does he blink. He’s got an amazing poker face but I can see his palms clench into fists.
Hmm, someone is affected.
“It’s a cartoon, Mom.” He says, seriously without missing a beat.
“Really?” Emmett says, folding his arms, mimicking Christina. I raise my own eyebrows as Noah looks around the kitchen, probably feeling like he’s backed into a corner.
“What?” He shrugs with a smirk. “As much as I love all this attention on me, this isn’t about me. We are all here because you hired some P.I, without telling me might I add—to investigate Denise.” Noah says, moving past me to round the nook, taking a seat on the other bench.
“You hired a P.I, Christina?” Emmett questions then and she turns to him.
“Yeah, I just felt it was something I needed to do.” She explains as she walks over to him to give him a warm hug. “Hmm, I guess you are the pole.”
“Yeah, had a bit of straightening out that needed to be done.” Emmett says, his voice slightly tense. “That was smart of you, hiring out one.”
“Yeah, I figured this situation needed to be investigated but I won’t lie, so much of it doesn’t make any sense. For one, why would Amanda not exist?” Christina questions.
“That’s what I want to know.” I mutter, walking over to sit back down as Christina walks over to the stove, starting to make some more hot chocolate.
“People change their names for a number of reasons. Especially if your name is Betticia.” Noah says with a shudder.
“Betticia?” I question, watching him.
“Uh, it’s a long story.” He says, looking away.
A long story that you probably fucked and then abandoned. This boy. Does Kim know any of this?
“But this is different. There’s something off about this entire thing.” Christina says, ignoring her son’s antics.
“You’re not wrong. What did the guy find?” Emmett questions, his aura completely different now. He’s tense and attentive.
“Amanda Lakewood only existed from fifteen years ago.” Christina explains. “Before she became Amanda Fields, wife to the Senator’s son.”
“I was two years old.” I say.
“That’s when she came for you and George.” Ace says, now watching me.
“That’s when she got tangled up with a powerful man.” Christina says. I turn my head to meet Ace’s stare. As soon as our gazes collide, I can see his nose flare, his blue eyes growing frosty as a reaction to the turmoil in my eyes.
Without even thinking about it, I walk towards him and he opens his arms and I sink back into him like we’ve been doing this very thing of taking each other’s burdens since forever.
“Then that means she got into some kind of trouble.” I mutter, connecting the dots as I look around the room, then to Ace who is watching me.
“She was definitely running.” Noah says, now completely serious.
“Yeah but from what or who is the question.” Emmett says, running a hand through his hair.
“Remember the way she kept on saying to Denise on Friday that she had no idea what she was doing, or what she was saying?” Noah starts.
“At the same time she also said she was doing everything she did to protect her children.” Em says and they start bouncing off what was said on Friday after the game, going over who said what to whom and when they said it. The boys are quick as a whip, breaking it all down as if Christina and I are not in the room, going through everything with a fine tooth comb.
“She’s obviously running from her baby daddy.” Christina finally butts in, placing mugs of hot chocolate on the table.
“What?” We all say, turning to look at her.
“I mean yeah, people do run and change their names for different purposes but when it comes to women, the scope kinda comes down to the men in their lives.” She starts. “Whether they are trying to escape them because he’s a shithead that can destroy her life with violence and misery. Or she did him wrong, running away with his money or something.”
Silence stretches out in the kitchen after Christina says that.
“Well, where does a woman like Amanda fall then?” Noah questions, thinking it through. “But if she were in the ring with Denise, I think my money is on Denise. Shit, that woman could maul her.” He chuckles.
Hmm not so sure about that. There was something about my mother that they all didn’t know. Something that just. . .didn’t seem like she was a normal, genteel woman. It was in her eyes and the way she looked at me at times.
“That’s just great. My DNA completely sucks.” I moan, and Ace starts rubbing my lower back, massaging the tense knots there but it’s really not helping. I want him to take me somewhere, to our spot maybe because I can’t take any more of this pain.
“Myers is out of prison.” Ace announces behind me and I turn to look at him.
“What? I thought there was no way he was ever going to get out. The bail was too high and he was guilty.” I question.
“Yeah, that was until he got a bankroll to finance his bail.” Emmett growls, his eyes darkening.
What is going on right now?
“So this means what exactly?” I question, feeling the pounding of my heart and my palms begin growing sweaty.
“It fucking means that sonofabitch will be out for blood.” Noah seethes getting up from his seat.
“Wait, does he know it was you who busted him?” I question, thinking back to that damn party where Kim was drugged and God knows what was going to happen to me if Ace wasn’t there—lurking in the shadows like a damn stalker.
“It doesn’t matter if he knows or not, what matters is that you steer clear of him.” Ace declares, his voice deep and waiting for me to argue with him.
“Yes, your highness.” I say on automatic. He narrows his eyes at my sass but I just send him a small smile, then kiss his nose. He growls.
“Careful.” He says and then he gets up, with me in his arms again, plants a kiss in between my eyes, then my lips for a kiss that I was dying to get from him but it’s too fucking short.
When he pulls back,
he turns to look at Emmett, whose face hardens.
“Stay out of trouble.”
And then he puts me back down and then turns to leave.
“Aww, I knew you two were always going to end up together.” Christina gushes, watching Ace and I.
“Uhh. . . “My cheeks flame and I look down. Ace chuckles.
“We’re not really together, together.” I say and Ace’s chuckle dies down almost immediately and I look up to meet his frosty gaze. This time his anger is coming back in spades, his breathing is deeper.
“Damn, bro.” Noah snorts.
Without a word, Ace turns to leave and I panic.
“Where are you going?” I question after him, watching him exchange a look with both Emmett and Noah.
He ignores me completely and only addresses Christina. “Thank you for everything.” He says to her, kissing the crown of her head and then he leaves, without another look or word to me.
Oh God. I messed it up, didn’t I?
“You mean for her being nosy, right? Sure, let’s thank my mother for that, shall we.” Noah complains as he wraps me in his arms. “Later Baby Blue, get that hair fixed. You really do look terrible.”
I roll my eyes.
“Uh, I can still have another son, thank you very much.” Christina says, shooting Noah a look. “But you boys sound like there is something bigger at play here.” She frowns, looking uncomfortable.
Emmett is the one who takes her out of her misery, somewhat. “There is nothing to worry about and there’s also nothing we can’t handle. After all, we’ve learnt from the best.” He says calmly.
Then he turns to look at me. We hold gazes for what seems like forever. Who was that girl Emmett? What’s going on with you?
But I don’t get to ask because all three boys leave the kitchen as fast and as silently as they seem to move. Incognito is their forever mood and something tells me that wherever they are going, it’s to cause mayhem. Do I want to know? No.
Plausible deniability and all that bullshit.
“So Denise was an orphan as well.” I question Christina when the boys are gone.
“Denise didn’t have a great start in life. That hardcore exterior of hers was already there right from the start, but I heard things got a little easier once the two girls became friends.”
“But how?” I question, still unable to process that my mother—who constantly told George and I that she had a great childhood with her younger sister Sarah. Now I’m questioning if Amanda and Sarah are even sisters.
“Well, as far as we could find, Amanda was put in the system because of her mother, who—rumor has it—was a crack whore. She doesn’t know who her father was so CPS put her in the system because her biological mother couldn’t raise or care for her.”
Much like she couldn’t care for me.
Not even with all the money or luxury in the world apparently.
Silence follows. I can still feel my heart racing but there’s not much I can do about that. My mother isn’t even here to confront and Richard—God only knows where that asshole is.
“So they met, became the best of friends, and now they are out to destroy each other. Doing anything they can just to make each other suffer.” I grumble, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.
“My guess is something happened along the way. Something that cut them both. . .deep.” She says and I remain silent, not knowing what to say.
“Or it’s just they were never friends to begin with.” I don’t want to think about Brittney but that girl single-handedly destroyed my life that night and I think she knows it.
“The system is a brutal thing, Astraea. God knows, I do my best with the charities that I help fund but did you know that girls are most likely to suffer some sort of abuse while they are in those homes?” Christina questions, a look of sorrow on her face.
“Child trafficking easily happens in homes, because no one cares. No one is checking”
“Or sometimes they do know but they could never speak up because the check they get monthly is more important than some kids they never gave birth to.” I say quietly.
How is that any different with what Amanda did to get here? She did all this for money. For power. For status and expensive clothes.
“But like I was saying, Amanda and Denise cemented their bond growing up, fighting for each other.” She starts explaining again, and I tune back in to look at her.
“As systems go, they were moved around, all over the country really, but they stuck together. Until one day, a man arrived.”
I suck in a breath as the chilling words hang in the air.
“Philip King?” I question, thinking of the asshole that lives up in the King’s mansion. He makes my blood boil and it’s been years since I’ve actually seen him face to face and even then, I wish I hadn’t seen him.
“Oh no, Denise met Philip maybe a couple of years later after Amanda broke her heart and their vow of always being together.”
Huh?
“Denise’s heart was broken by Amanda?” I breathe, feeling the sharp fangs of confusion begin to sink into me. Denise doesn’t look like a woman who has a heart, let alone allow someone to break that damn thing.
“Shocking, but true. It’s my guess that Amanda fell in love and left with this man, leaving Denise in the group home for teenagers. I have no idea what happened after that, but Denise has had a bone to pick with Amanda ever since then.”
I don’t know how long we both remain silent as I try to digest everything that Christina has just revealed to me.
My mother is an orphan. Denise was also an orphan. They were best friends. My mother met a man. She left with said man. And Denise was left heartbroken.
“So that means Denise was in love with this man herself.” I say, trying to make sense out of all of this.
“Maybe. Possibly. It’s hard to tell really.”
“Was this man.” I start but immediately swallow my words, not knowing where to go from there, but I open my mouth and try again anyway. It’s too late to be a cowardly bitch now.
“The man my mother went away with. Could he be. . .”
“Your father?” Christina finishes softly, watching me with that sympathetic gaze that I think I can accept from her.
“I believe so. I’m still not sure who it was. Hank couldn’t find anything either.” She says and I sigh. “But Denise might know though.”
I whip my head up so fast to look at her like she has lost her mind or she’s now inebriated from her scotch.
“Uh, in case you missed the pink memo dipped in blood, that woman hates my guts. There is no way I’m asking her anything.” I exclaim.
“She doesn’t hate you.” Christina says, waving a hand as if dismissing the subject.
“Uh, I know for a fact that she thinks I’m a good for nothing whore like my mother and shouldn’t be anywhere near her son. As if I’m going to destroy him or something.”
If anything, Ace could destroy me!
“She finds you threatening, Astraea. I mean, Denise was never the best of mothers but after she started seeking treatment five years ago, she realized that her son found solace with simply being around you.”
“Yeah but I’m not some woman who wants to play house with her son.” I say, waving my hands. “And how do you know any of this.”
“I might have asked her or I might know her therapist.” Christina says, taking a sip of whatever she’s drinking now, looking anywhere but at me.
“Christina.” I gasp, looking at her in shock.
“I never said I was a saint, Astraea. Don’t look so shocked.”
Damn, this is that next level gossip shit.
“Anyway, it’s not that you want to play house with Alex, it’s the fact that Alex heals when he’s with you that irks her.” Christina says, as calmly as ever.
“Well, he’s been through a lot. . .”
“As apparent as you.” She says, cutting me off.
“Yeah.” I quietly say.
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“I was watching the way you two engage with each other. You communicate with more than words. But then again, it’s always been like that between you two.”
“And that’s why she hates me? That I have a connection with her son that she doesn’t have?” I snort, turning to look out the window. I can just about see the King’s mansion from here. Well, a bit of it anyway. “That’s just rubbish and it still doesn’t give her the ammo to come after me like I killed her puppy.” I grumble.
“My guess is, it has everything to do with her relationship with Amanda.”
Why am I not surprised by that?
“How was Denise able to get rid of my sister?” I question, feeling those strings of pain tugging at my heart and soul, pulling me in different directions.
There’s so much information around me but not enough answers. I have no idea how that even works.
“Your mother was pregnant with triplets yes, we were able to verify that at the hospital where she gave birth but then Hank found out that the records stated that all three children died at birth.”
“What the hell?” I question.
“Remember there is a possibility that your mother was running from something, or someone.”
“So she goes back to Denise to seek what. . .help in getting rid of the ‘dead’ children?”
“It is Hank’s guess that Amanda sought out Denise, who by that time was already a mother with a six month old son.”
“Alex. . .” I breathe out, my chest twisting up.
“Yes.” Christina answers, looking at me warily.
None of this makes any sense really.
“Astraea, I know you probably don’t want to hear what I have to say. . .”
“Then don’t say it.” I breathe out, my stomach dropping.
“I care for you too much to watch you torment yourself when you can confront both Denise and Amanda. Not at the same time, obviously, but you can still do it you know. I can see the questions in your eyes and I can’t help that but Amanda and Denise, they are unfortunately. . .”
“The only two with all the answers.” I finish, feeling like I would rather walk through Paris, butt naked than actually talk to either one of those women. In my eyes, they were both murderers, liars and cheaters. Their word isn’t credible at all.
Vicious Hate (Westbrook Blues Book 2) Page 17