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Sutton shakes his head once, then twice. “No.No! I don’t believe that. You’re full of shit. My old man—”
“Our old man, you waste of fucking space!”
He brandishes the gun again, waving it around as he laughs dementedly. “He wanted to leaveyourmother to be withmine, but she got pregnant withyouat the same time Mum told him she was havingme.”
Sutton inhales sharply beside me. “He—he wouldn’t—”
Noah cuts him off with a snarl. “He stayed with his picture-perfect wife to live a picture-perfect life, leaving me torot.” Spittle flies from his mouth on the last word, his face turning almost purple with sheer rage.
He narrows his eyes, smiling dangerously at all of us and none of us. It’s almost as though he’s talking to himself.
“But his guilty conscience is what tipped me off. He was paying Mum to keep me—although the worthless bitch snorted most of his hush money—and he paid for my schooling. Unfortunately for him, we became friends.”
His smile widens maliciously as he spears Sutton with a stare. “And wasn’t that a turn-up for the books? Dear old Dad had to see meall the time. I never let that bastard forget it, either. It wasn’t long before he was payingmeto keep quiet.”
He sniggers almost giddily, his gaze travelling over every person paying witness to his supposed glory.
“I saved every goddamn penny and then used you and Cole to help me build Spellman Sounds. I have more money thanheever had. But more importantly, I have more power. So much power that I can controleveryoneandeverythingwithout lifting a finger.”
He exhales dramatically. “It’s quite exhilarating, to be honest. I hold so much power that I can get away with—andhavegotten away with…” He barks a wild laugh and then shrugs nonchalantly, chuckling almost as though to himself. “Just aboutanything.”
Tapping his gun against his temple, he barks a laugh. “Archer thought he was smarter than me. Stupid fucking punk.”
“What?” A shiver runs the length of my body as Caden whispers the question. “What does Archer have to do with you?”
He levels me with a calculating stare. “All these years, you thoughtyouwere the reason Archer North drowned.” His lips tug upwards. “His death wasmydoing, stupid girl. He saw something he shouldn’t have…” he trails off, curling his lip. “Layla knew what she needed to do to keep me safe.”
Clary’s horrified gasp resonates through the night. “My boy!”
My heart starts to palpitate as all the dots join together seamlessly.
“He saw youwithLayla, didn’t he?Youwere her baby’s father.” I flick my eyes to Caden, witnessing the moment it all comes together for him. “You tried to get her to pass it off as Caden’s…but you couldn’t because he wouldn’t sleep with her.”
Noah inclines his head, his lips turning downward in exaggerated distaste. “An abortion was the only option. She understood. She knew I’d look after her. And I did. For years. I made sure she had everything she needed. Caden’s guilty conscience made him easily swayed into the role of babysitting, eventually leading to their marriage. Controlling Layla meant controlling Caden. And that gave me what I’d long desired: full control of theentireNorth family. The one withallthe power.”
His shoulders slump slightly, and his forehead creases. “Unfortunately for Layla, she wanted to get clean for the kid. But I couldn’t risk it…” He glances at Cade, the picture of wide-eyed innocence. “Every time she got clean, her mouth loosened. Her guilt crept in, and…well…”
He shrugs, almost sadly. “I made sure it was quick.”
Oh my God!
Then he focuses on me with laser precision. “And you’d be six feet under now, too—if you hadn’t given the wrong damn sub to that dumb security guy in New York.”
I suck in a breath, but it’s not enough. My head feels light, the floor looks uneven under my feet, and my heart rate quickens beneath my breast. “Wh-what? Griff?”
He carries on, staring into the distance with a thoughtful look on his face. “And when that didn’t work, I wassurea home invasion would see the back of you.”
Pinning me with his stare, he hisses, “But you weren’t home when you were supposed to be.” Then he heaves a sigh. “And so, here we are.”
I can’t move past what he’s said about my gentle friend, and a single tear rolls down my face when I sob quietly. “Oh,Griff.”
“The cyanide in that sub would have been an easier way to go, Summer. Even the home invasion may not have beentoobad.” He narrows his eyes as his lips turn up in a calculating smile. “You can be guaranteed this way won’t be as gentle.”
* * *
CADEN
My mouth drops open when I realise what he’s saying.
