AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Parker set down his fork and knife and met his brother’s gaze. One look, and he knew Dale was thinking the same thing he was.
For that society maven to lower herself to a place like this, something was definitely up. And Parker was willing to bet it wasn’t anything good.
Mrs. Maxwell ordered a Crown and coke. So far, neither woman had said a word of greeting.
Moments later a waiter brought both their drinks and left.
“All right, I’m here, Norah. What’s this all about?”
“I thought you’d like to know I’ve come up with the perfect plan—a way for us to each get our own back against those fucking Benedicts.”
Parker still had his cell phone in hand. He activated the camera, reversed the lens and switched to video. He saw his own face, panned it to show the surroundings, including Dale.
Then he slowly and gently slid farther into the seat, toward the wall. He held his cell in his left hand until he was holding it so that it was just past the edge of his seat. He hadn’t known if this would work, but as soon as he saw his aunt’s sour face on the phone’s screen, her narrowed gaze focused on Liz Maxwell, he mentally breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’re one of those ‘fucking Benedicts,’ Norah. Of course, George is divorcing you. Or is that already a done deal? How do you plan to get him back, and why should I care?”
“We haven’t settled the money yet because he’s being a prick, as usual, and not giving me a tenth of what I deserve for all the bullshit I put up with all these years. But I know a way to fucking beggar the bastard, to ruin him, and then I’ll own that fucking ranch. And I can damn well guarantee you what I have planned will practically destroy those whelps of his, too.”
Dale’s eyes widened, and Parker knew how he felt. How could a mother talk that way about her own children?
It wasn’t just her monstrous attitude that pissed Parker off. Norah wasn’t being very discreet or quiet in her vitriol. Likely, the two women were meeting here because this restaurant was so far away from their usual stomping grounds, and so far beneath them, that they were certain no one they knew could possibly be here.
“All right. You’ve roused my curiosity. What’s your plan?” Liz asked.
“I’ve got an appointment with my lawyer in three days. I’ve been acting emotional for the last month with the guy, and he’s convinced that I’m hiding something. On Thursday, I plan to break down and confess how George molested the kids—the girls, certainly, as well as those two little bastards, Jesse and Barry. Of course, it’s all a big lie, but you can bet your ass I’ll do a damn good job of convincing him it’s true—and then, I’ll leak the whole fucking story to the press.”
“You think anyone is going to believe that, coming from you?”
“Have you not been paying attention to the news, lately? All you have to do anymore is accuse someone of sexual misconduct…and then sit back and let public opinion do the rest. Those fucking bastards won’t know what hit them.”
Liz Maxwell didn’t say anything for a long moment. “It might go over better if we can come up with a young woman who’d be willing to testify against him, says he did her, too. I can pay for that. When the shit hits the fan, you can tell George you have a witness who’ll come forward, unless he stops fighting and gives you everything you want. That would clinch it.”
“I like the way you think, Liz. It’s just like old times.”
“I’m not doing this for you, Norah. When this is over, we’ll still be done, you and I. This is for my sweet boys. Maybe I can get them to cop to having been molested by George, too. It might get their sentences shortened.”
“I’ll say it was so to back you up. Let’s drink to it, shall we?”
Parker heard the sound of glasses being clinked, and a few seconds later, a glass being set down. He felt the movement, so he pulled his hand back and stopped recording.
Bare seconds later, Liz Maxwell left, and then, two minutes after that, so did Norah Benedict.
Parker looked at Dale for a long moment. “Holy fuck, man. I thought our family was shit.”
