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I wanted to hurl the sheaf of papers on the desk at his stupid face.You made me this monster,I wanted to scream.You did it, you nasty piece of shit.
"You can't write me off your will," I replied instead, my voice cold.He dares not.
He raised a dismissive hand at me. "Try me any further, and I will. Especially if I find out that you've caused any harm to Juniper Davis. Leave, Hunter. I will have no more of this under my roof."
I stormed toward the door, a sudden lurch of fear taking hold of my stomach.
Did he know I'd already done most of what I'd planned with Juniper, and she had a truck full of very expensive and useless stuff headed to her address? And if he found out, would he really—
"What does she mean to you?" I asked again, stopping at the door, my back to him. "Why would you consider ruining whatever is left between us because of a stranger?"
"She's not a stranger. She's your half-sister. Now get out."
The rage. It followed me like a devoted pet for days after that.
It stayed by my side when he called me two days later, armed with the information that I had, in fact, conned Juniper. I didn't know how he found out about it, but he had the resources. He always had the resources.
And that was when I decided I'd always be a step ahead of him.
Juniper did get some very unexpected deliveries. A set of expensive golf clubs. A very pricey doll house. Lots of luxury label clothes, couture fashion and all that stuff. And a lovely note from me.
It explained everything except why I would never rest until I destroyed her completely.
No one would come between me and the wealth that was rightfully mine.
Especially not a damned woman.
29
Juniper
Ihad just finished reading a book to a group of wide-eyed children when I spotted Leia at the back of the reading room.
During our last conversation, I had told her she could call me or visit at work anytime, but something told me she was the kind of kid who would do it only if she was close to the deep end.
That made it all the more necessary for me to spend some time with her. I walked over to her immediately. Her usually bright face was puffy and red. It was clear she had been crying.
I checked to see if Heather, a co-worker, was available to take over the desk for a couple of hours. To my luck, she was.
"Come on," I told Leia. "I know a cute place just five minutes from here. Let's talk there."
She didn't respond save a small jerk of her head. As I watched her make that simple, innocent gesture, an overwhelming wave of protectiveness surged through me.
I would do anything to keep her from harm and shield her from the harshness of the world.
Taking her hand, I led her out of the library, and we walked into the bright sunshine of a beautiful Oakmont morning. I took her over to a small cafeteria minutes away.
The air was filled with the sound of birds singing and the sweet scent of blooming flowers. Once we reached the cafe, I ordered a milkshake for her and a coffee for me, and two sandwiches.
I waited for her to take a few bites of her food. And then, once she gave a slight nod, I spoke. "Talk to me."
Reluctant tears began falling down her baby blue eyes, but she wiped them away before they became too pronounced. "I–I'm fine."
I smiled at her. "Is that why you came all the way to the library, darling? To tell me you're fine? Because if that's the case, I need to get my eyes checked. Please don't tell me I need to do that. I hate the idea of glasses."
She let out a wry chuckle. "It's so stupid," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's Richie. I thought I'd found the one, y'know. Like I was really in love with him, although I'm not yet thirteen. I thought we could become the cliche. Like childhood sweethearts who get married. But he broke up with me because I didn't open my mouth when he kissed me. And then I saw him with my best friend the next day, kissing her like there was no tomorrow."
I put a hand on her arm. "I'm so sorry," I said quietly. "That must have been really hard."
