Page 62 of His Last Will

It was like watching a tennis match without a clear leader.

Anthony lifts his chin, making him appear even taller. “Is that what this is about? Maria?”

Jameson’s patience, if you can call it that, starts to crack as his anger surfaces. “Of fucking course it’s about Maria. You killed her when you found out she was my mistress.”

So, Anthony killed this guy’s mistress. This seems like an awful lot of hassle to go through for a good cunt and maybe a few feelings.

“A mistress that died twenty-two years ago, Jameson. Why are you still hung up on this?”

A twenty year old grudge is the reason I’m tied to a chair right now in an abandoned warehouse and not sitting on Aiden’s dick. You have got to be joking.

Anthony truly looks like a cat that ate the canary. Taking a cigarette from his pocket, he lights up and takes a deep inhale, blowing the smoke in Jameson’s face. Jameson is done talking. He takes his gun from underneath his belt and points it at Anthony.

Not even the smoke can hide Anthony’s smile as he says, “Did you know that Maria was pregnant?”

For the first time, Jameson falters, the gun in his hand shaking a little. “What?” he bites out.

Anthony shakes his head as he takes another drag. The asshole isn’t even sweating after admitting to killing a mistress and her unborn baby.

Jameson refocuses on the gun, the fury pouring off of him in waves. “Did you kill my mistress, knowing she was pregnant? You killed my fucking child?” Jameson is almost screaming at this point, and I am sure whoever this guy has outside can hear.

Anthony takes the final drag of the cigarette, then puts it out with his shoe. Staring Jameson directly in the eye, he says one life-altering word: “No.”

Jameson’s anger bursts from him as he waves the gun around. “What the hell do you mean, no!?” His voice turns to acid, giving a glimpse as to why he is the current head of the Cartwrights. “What did you do to the baby?” Jameson cocks the trigger as he waits.

And with more arrogance than one should possess, Anthony responds, “The babe was already born, Jameson. You just didn’t know. She didn’t want you to know.”

Jameson turns and shoots an entire cartridge of bullets into the far wall. At this point, I am not even sure why I am here. If Jameson really wanted to get to Anthony, he would’ve taken Aiden. But Aiden was supposed to be in the car with me. He was in the parking lot while we waited. Until Anthony dragged Aiden away unexpectedly. And the night outside the arena was dark, and I was alone. Making myself an easy target.

So maybe it wasn’t me they were really after, but I was simply available.

Okay, brutal realization. However, it meant there was a strong possibility that I would at least make it out of here alive. Maybe a few scratches, some light torture. Fine, I was going to get through this. I was going to see Aiden again. Those beautiful gray eyes and that devious reaper’s smile.

But the next words out of Anthony’s mouth destroy everything I ever thought I knew about myself. “Jameson, I’m not sure why you felt the need to shoot the wall like a child when she’s in the room with us.”

She. She. A fucking girl.

Jameson had a mistress who gave birth to a baby girl.

He spins on his feet to look at me, and it confirms everything that I am thinking. There aren’t any other women in the vicinity it could be.

Jameson Cartwright is my actual father.

“You’re lying,” he spits at Anthony, but doesn’t take his gaze off me.

Anthony laughs at that. “Can’t you see it, Jameson? She’s the spitting image of you. Maria told me before she died about your baby. Wanted me to save the child and bring her to you to raise. But how does that help me? What would I get from that? Nothing.

“But my Elena, she wanted a baby girl desperately, and that was something I couldn’t give her. So I took the baby and gave her to Elena as an anniversary gift. I told her that some lowlife scum fathered her and the baby needed a new home—which was the truth. I’ve never seen Elena as happy except for the day Brodie was born. I knew right away that I’d made a good decision, with the added bonus of knowing you would one day find out about Maria and try to destroy me. Only to have your life turned upside down with the knowledge that I raised your daughter. Gave her my wife’s maiden name, Ashbourne, and raised her under my roof.”

Silence has taken over the warehouse. Even the guards are unsure what to do. When I find my voice, Anthony looks over at me. “How could you do this to me?” I feel the tears slipping down my face as I speak. I don’t even know who I am anymore.

Without an ounce of remorse, Anthony starts heading for the exit as he calls over his shoulder, “Enjoy your night, Cartwright. I’ll see you at home, Ari. Take peace in the knowledge that he’s not going to kill his only daughter.”

Anthony left me here. Just walked right the fuck out.

Jameson and I are at a standstill. He lowers the gun but doesn’t holster it, just lets it hang loose in his hold. Not that it matters, since all the bullets are now in the wall.

“I don’t know what to say,” is what I go with when I finally break the ice.