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13 – Janine
“HELLO, SISTER.”
I must be dreaming, because this can’t be real.
The man standing at my door ...he’s meant to be dead.
Shaking my head, I attempt to wake myself up from whatever hellish dream this is, but it doesn’t seem to matter how much I shake, he doesn’t disappear.Standing in front of me is my brother-in-law Wesley.The last time I saw Wesley was when Derek and I got married.He’s a bad man, worse than Hogan and his club, and seeing him here has my blood running cold.
Derek told me he was dead.
I hadn’t seen him since before Ebony was born, and I figured Derek was telling the truth, and that he was dead.
But here he is, standing in front of me, grinning because he knows just how shocked I am to see him.
“Don’t look so shocked, Janine, I haven’t changed that much.”
What the fuck is happening?
“You’re ...Derek told me you were dead.”
“That’s what I wanted him to think.I had business to take care of.Now, Derek is dead and I heard ...Well, you know I heard you have something that belongs to me.”
I know what he’s talking about.
Before Derek died, he showed me a safe full of money, weapons, and diamonds.He told me he was looking after it for the club.When the Hell’s Knights took his club down, I figured it was gone, but it turns out he had it hidden in our old house.I found it after he died and quickly hid it, figuring that one day I would use it for Ebony’s future.After all, it’s the only thing he left behind.She can have a house, go to college, and her entire future will be set up.Max’s too.I was never going to let it go to waste.
I don’t know how much money is there, or what the total contents are worth, but just looking at it tells me it’s a lot.
I haven’t sat down and counted it, or even tried to figure out it’s worth.I just haven’t been able to bring myself to.I’m scared about what else I might find in there.Things that maybe I don’t want to see.The weapons alone are something I don’t like touching; they could have been used for anything.
At the time, I was going through a lot, so, I put it all in a safe in my house and haven’t opened it since.
Not even Muff knows about it, because, frankly, it isn’t something I’ve wanted to talk about yet.
I know what is in that safe is illegal.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, shaking my head, keeping my hand on the door as if that will stop him coming in if he decides he wants to.
“Oh, but you do.My brother told you about it, I know he did.Now, Janine, we can make this easy or hard, either way, you are going to give it to me.”
It would be easier to just give it to him, but then Ebony is left with nothing.She deserves the world, especially after the life she had, and I don’t want his grubby hands all over the only thing I have for her future.She deserves it, and I’m tired of being bullied by people in this family.For years, I was pushed around by them, and I’m done being so fucking nice all the time.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say again, my voice unwavering.“Derek didn’t tell me anything, and he certainly never trusted me with anything.Whatever it is you think I have, you’re wrong.”
He grins.“We can play this little game if you want, but I promise you I will win.I will be nice, for now, but I’m not going to stay nice forever.You know just what it is I can do to you, Janine, and we wouldn’t want little Ebony in the crossfire.”
“Do not threaten my daughter,” I whisper, my voice a low hiss.“I swear to god, you will regret it.”
He grins.“Janine got a backbone.I never thought I’d see the day.I’ll give you some time to find what it is I want, and if you don’t ...Well, I guess I’ll see you again.It was wonderful seeing you, Janine.Talk soon.”
With that, he turns and walks away.
I watch him go, climbing into a black truck and disappearing down the road.Wesley is a bad, bad man.I know he will get what he wants, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get it, but the idea of handing over the only thing I have for Ebony’s future isn’t something I want to do.Derek took enough from me; his brother isn’t going to come in and ruin my life too.
