“Fuck you, Brad. I might not have anything from a legal standpoint, but I can still do damage.” She turns to Jaxon and Jacinta. “You know it’s you two, don’t you? I can see on your faces you’ve realized that your mommy made a killing off selling the two of you. The only reason she came back in your teenage years is because she’d blown through all that cash and wanted to see what else she could get out of that spineless father of yours or the two of you idiots.”
Jacinta gasps, and Jaxon reaches for her hand, his eyes hard as he stares down the woman trying to cause trouble.
“It’s no big news that the woman was despicable, so that isn’t a surprise to either of us. I’m not sure why Dad thought he would have to keep it a secret.” Jaxon’s tone is nonchalant, but I can see the hurt he’s trying to hide.
“Oh no, that’s not the exciting part. The exciting part of it iswhyyour mother sold you to him. Why did she approach your dad of all people offering him her children? It wasn't known that Brad was looking to adopt more children back then. He had only just adopted Declan.”
“Cecelia, don't do this. Let me tell them, and I’ll allow you to walk away with a generous severance,” Dad warns her.
“No fucking way. I told you not to mess with me,” she snaps at him before turning back to the twins. “The reason is because your father was one of Brad’s best friends, just like Chuck is. The three of them were the three goddamn musketeers back then. Brad, Chuck... and Dragos.” A gasp escapes Emma’s mouth, but I’m still feeling a little too confused to grasp the weight of this big reveal.
“Ah, I see you’ve put it together. You must be the lesbian caretaker from across the road.” Cecelia looks down her nose at her. “That’s right. Dragos is Count Bucataru’s only son, which means that Jaxon and Jacinta are the count’s only grandchildren and the heirs to the giant estate across the road. Yourfathermight have given you a wealthy life after he bought you, but he’s also been lying to you and kept you from your true family legacy. How does that feel? Hurts, doesn’t it, to know that the parent you’ve relied on has been completely full of shit.”
The room is silent after Cecelia drops her final bombshell. Dad just looks defeated, and Molly grabs his hand, giving a little squeeze of encouragement.
Jacinta, however, is on her feet, that cold regal mask on her face. “Get out! There is no reason for you to stick around now. Consider this your notice of severance. We will have any personal belongings sent to the address that personnel has on file for you. Don’t be expecting any references. When I am done with you, there won’t be a single business in California that will hire you. In fact, I’m pretty sure I can have you black balled throughout the United States. Maybe try the fast food industry. They might take you on.”
Cecelia shrugs, her twisted expression showing none of the worry she should rightfully feel at the moment. “My work here is done. If it causes trouble in your miserable family, I’m pretty fucking happy about that.”
Jaxon stands up this time, wrapping an arm around his sister’s shoulder. “That’s the thing though, Cecelia. What you don't realize is that something like that isn’t going to cause trouble. We are secure in the knowledge Dad loves us, and if he kept this information from us, it’s for a good reason. We trust him, and I’m sure he will explain everything to us once the trash has been taken out.” Dad looks up and meets the twins’ eyes, relief shining in his.
While Jaxon was talking, Thomas moved to Cecelia's side, and he now takes her by the arm. She screeches and tries to pull away, but he has a firm hold. She starts to struggle, but then her eyes meet mine, and the mania clears as another smirk appears. What the fuck is that about?
“Fine, I’m out of here.” Her gaze moves to Dad. “Butyouare going to regret crossing me.” She yanks her arm out of Thomas’ grip and storms back up the stairs with him following close behind.
The tension is fierce as we all absorb what just happened, sitting in silence until a whistle leaves Oliver’s mouth. “Holy fuck, she was on a rampage. I thought she was going to turn green and Hulk Smash.”
His comment breaks the tension, and everyone explodes into a cacophony of questions. But my eyes are on Jacinta and Jaxon. Although they are putting on a brave face, I can see that this has affected them. Dad must see the same thing as me because he gets up and goes over to them. He approaches them carefully, and as we watch, he reaches out. I can tell by the stiffness of his movements that he’s bracing for rejection, but he had nothing to fear. Both twins melt into his hug like nothing has changed.
He pulls away from them. “Come on, I’ll tell you all the story so I don't have to repeat it. Do you mind if Emma and Molly hear it too? Emma’s going to need to hear it anyway so she can let the trust people know that heirs have been found.”
“I’ll pour some more drinks.” Holden jumps up and goes behind the bar, Kai getting up to help him. Thomas returns before Dad can start.
“She left like a bat out of hell. I’ve told security that she’s not allowed back on the premises, and I called Jake and told him to look into her deeper. I don't like all of this. How did she know all the facts? I wonder if she has a connection to the twins’ mom. She disappeared off anyone’s radar when they broke into this place and hasn't surfaced since.” Thomas asks as he throws himself back into the chair. “Emma and Molly, I think it would be better if you stayed here tonight. You guys are vulnerable over in that cottage, and now you're on her radar. Not to mention the fact that whoever told her about the twins’ dad may be interested.”
“Do you really think that she would target Emma?” Molly leans over and grabs her partner’s hand.
Thomas shrugs. “Probably not, but no point in stressing about it. That being said, I would recommend talking to the trust about upgrading the security for the estate.” He breaks off, thinking for a moment. “Or I guess that will be your guys’ responsibility now,” he says, looking at Jaxon and Jacinta. They’re still in Dad’s arms, neither of them answering Thomas’ claim.
Jaxon pulls away and helps Jacinta back into her seat before taking his, and Dad does the same. Emma and Molly drop hands, but I notice each of them giving him a squeeze of encouragement on his arms. Aww, they're so good for him. I want that to work out.
Dad rubs a hand across his face and sighs. “Cecelia isn't wrong. Dragos was my best friend, and although Mom and Dad speak fondly about the count, he wasn't a good guy. Yes, he threw flashy parties, and outside, his public face was eccentric and well loved, but the man was a demon behind closed doors. Dragos was terrified of him; it’s why he spent more time here than he did over there. His fortune was not made through entirely legal means either. Don’t get me wrong, the money was laundered and is now squeaky clean, but most of it was originally made through drugs, guns, and sex trafficking. Dragos didn't want anything to do with his father and had managed to avoid the family businesses until Carmen, Jax and Jazzy’s mother, came along. He fell for Carmen hard, but it was a setup. Carmen was one of the count’s working girls, but Dragos didn't know that at the time. He fell in love with her and thought she felt the same way. Who knows? She might have had genuine feelings in the beginning, but maybe his dad had something over her or threatened her life or to expose her role in his businesses, or I don't know...”
Dad goes over to the bar and pours himself a very large glass of whiskey, tossing half of it back. “I don't know what happened, but two weeks later, all three of them disappeared—Dragos, his father, and Carmen. The authorities searched high and low, but there was no trace of them, not until Carmen turned up a month later, pregnant and claiming amnesia. Nobody believed her, but they also couldn't charge her with anything, so they let her go. With no significant leads, the case grew cold, and she disappeared not long after that, only to resurface four years later with you.” Taking advantage of Dad’s pause for a breath and another gulp of his drink, Holden and Kai distribute drinks to everyone else before they both take a seat back at the table. Everyone’s focus is still on Dad, but his is on the twins.
“Carmen was always a bit of a party girl. I mean, we all were when we were younger. But I could see she was headed down the same road as Harlow's mom was, and I had tried to warn Dragos, but he didn't want to see it. I think he just wanted one good thing in his life that was just for him, and he thought Carmen was it. When she turned up on my doorstep years later, I could tell she was well and truly addicted to something. I’m not sure what. I didn't care to ask, and I was going to close the door in her face, but then the two of you peered out from behind her skirt. In that moment, she knew she had me. She dragged you both out and shoved you at me. Do you remember?” Dad asks, and both nod their heads shakily. “By then, Mom had come out to see who was at the door, and she took you away to get something to eat. You looked like you hadn't eaten in days.”
“I remember. I thought she was a beautiful guardian angel coming to save us,” Jaxon whispers, his eyes lost in memories. “And when I asked her, she just hugged me and told me she would do the best she could. Violets have always given me a sense of relief since that day.”
“She was the first person other than Jax to tell me how pretty I was,” Jacinta says quietly, “and that I was a good girl.” The room is silent as we all acknowledge the fact that she was four before anyone apart from her brother said anything kind to her.
Dad clears his throat, his eyes a bit misty. “Anyway, she told me that you were Dragos’ and threatened to kill you if I didn't give her money. She didn't want much, at least not to me, and I couldn't stomach the idea of letting you go anywhere else with this woman. The signs of abuse were obvious, so I made her a deal. I gave her a much larger sum in exchange for you—permanently. My lawyers drafted documents, and she signed away her parental rights. There were a couple of caveats, of course, but I just needed to get you away from her. I was told that it probably wouldn’t hold up in court if she ever sobered up and came back, ready to fight for you guys, not to mention the legal issues of paying someone off in exchange for their children… The term ‘child trafficking’ might have been thrown out there, but I was already too far gone. I took one look at the two of you and fell in love. I wasn't letting you go, and I knew that Dragos, if he were able to have a say in it, would have wanted you with me. I needed to honor my friendship with him and do what was best for you two, no matter any of the potential costs to myself..”
Tears are streaming down both Jacinta and Jaxon’s faces by now, not to mention Emma and Molly’s, and I can see that all the guys are feeling the emotions swirling through the room as well.
Jaxon suddenly stands up, his chair falling over in his haste, and throws himself at Dad. “Thank you,” is all he says as he hugs him hard. Jacinta quickly follows after him, her arms locking around both Dad and her brother.
“Hey, Thomas, I hear you’re the sharp shooter. Why don't you show Molly and I how good you are at one of these games?” Emma stands up, dragging Molly with her to one of the arcade machines. Thomas jumps up, the gratitude for this woman shining bright in his eyes as the rest of us move away to give Dad and the twins a private moment.
