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“Yup! That's exactly what I'm telling you. Her mom did not make a good impression, neither did her husband, according to them.”
“Husband?” I choke out. “Her mother has never been married. Didn't they check into her?” I bark out.
“Hold your panties tight, Jer. Geez. Of course, they did. Their—well, how do you describe four men marrying one girl? Um, boyfriend-in-law, as one of them likes to put it. He's in Veritas with me. He checked into Sable and gave them the heads-up. So, they put a stop to it. They knew she'd take all of Journey's money if they didn't do something drastic. That's why the money was hidden her whole life. Apparently, Corbin West knew how to pick his ladies.”
“Well, that explains the marriage,” I say, rubbing my chin.
“My thoughts exactly. I'd say Uncle did all this on purpose.”
Of course, he did. My father doesn't do anything without intention. He knew this would be the outcome.
He has her under his thumb, via her sister hidden away. Somewhere. Using Sunny as strings above her head so she acts like his little puppet. Then, he marries her off to his own flesh and blood, getting the money. Something she never knows about. How? I don’t know. Or even why he’d get access to it? What the hell does my father have to do with the situation at all? Maybe Sable truly sold her own daughter off, but why? Would he keep her around after her money went to him? An eerie feeling creeps through me, making my hair stand on end at the thought of what he’d do to her once he was finished with her.
Too bad I'm always a step ahead of him. I dart my eyes to Shepp, who looks on with concern, constantly waiting for an update.
“Well, how about you bring the West boys down sometime so they can visit with their sister and sign over her inheritance to her,” I hum with confidence, picking at a piece of lint on my white button down.
“Jer, they can't just sign it over. It's in the rules that she's not twenty-one and she's not married.”
“Well, dear cousin. That's where you're wrong,” I say with a grin, patting my obsession with Journey West on the back.
“Wrong? How can I be wrong?”
“In so many ways, Liv.”
“What do you have up your sleeve?” she hisses, knowing me all too well.
I chuckle, straightening my collar. “Have them come for a visit tomorrow and to bring the paperwork. Our main priority should be hiding that money from Gabriel Viotto’s prying eyes. And Journey deserves to know her family.”
“Jericho!” she shouts. “What did you do?”
What did I do? Only the most ingenious thing I could ever think of. Sure, we could have tied Journey to us by putting a baby in her belly. Or we could have handcuffed her to us for eternity.
But I wanted more.
I wanted it all.
Whether she agreed to it or not.
“Let them know that Journey is married. I trust you'll set this up for me?” I chuckle at the silence on the other end of the phone.
“You… Jericho!” she breathes.
“Wow. I thought the days of stunning Olivia Viotto into silence were over. I've won, yet again.”
“Does she even fucking know?” she hisses, finally finding her voice.
I smile. Truly fucking smile at her words.
“It's something I'll discuss with her. Can I trust you, Liv? This is vital. My father cannot get his hands on that money, you understand that right? Whatever he has planned can't be fucking good.”
“Yeah, yeah. I got it. I'm just… really fucking horrified right now. That poor girl. She's shackled to a goddamn psychopath!” she shouts into the phone.
“Careful now, Liv. You'll wake the manic in your bed,” I quip, imagining the Viking husband she has towering over me with his demonic blue eyes and scary-large fists. “I do recall he did something similar to you.” That’s what gave me the idea. If he could marry my undercover cousin without her consent, then so could I.
“Manic is… fuck. He's on the prowl. Listen, I'll talk to them. But I am absolutely not telling them their sister has no fucking clue she's married! I can't believe I said that. Holy fucking shit, you're in so much shit!”
I imagine her pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. All the while, my grin stays in place.
