So I started at the beginning with us getting the phone call in New York, and I didn't stop until I got to the part about me getting off the phone with Berto a second ago. When all that was done, I asked, "Which means I need your advice on what to do now. Any opinions, Billy?"
"Well, I can't do much about the cops, but I found something on the developer Simmons has been talking to. My team dug up a little leverage on the owner of that development company he has a contract with."
"What does the developer have to do with anything?" I asked.
Billy chuckled, and the sound was cruel. "Men like Paul Simmons aren't worried about such minor nuisances as who owns the land. So long as he thinks there's a deal to be had, he will work to secure that deal for himself. In other words, if we get rid of the developer, then we get rid of any motivation for Simmons to come after Southwind again. Without a way to make money on it, owning more land just means more taxes."
"You have something on the developer?" I asked, assuming that was what he meant by leverage.
"Oh, we have some amazing video of him with the twenty-two-year-old housekeeper. The same housekeeper that his wife of forty years hired herself. The one that her husband has blowing him beside the pool when the wife is at her cancer treatments. I have a funny feeling it's the sort of thing he doesn't want to get out."
"So you're gonna ruin this man's life simply because Paul Simmons wants to buy my land and this developer has gotten tangled up in the middle of it?" I asked.
"Normally, I'd say yes," Billy admitted. "In this case, I think this bastard ruined his own life when he stuck his dick in the wrong woman. You know, I really don't give a shit who sleeps with him. That thing you've got going on with your guys? It works just fine because you're all on the same page. Heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, nonsexual, and anything else - it's all okay. Cheating? That's the kind of betrayal that breaks people. Even worse than that, I have a funny feeling that this man is pressuring this young lady. If she wants to keep her job, then she has to keep him happy, right? As far as I care, that means this fucker brought it on himself. Just doing my part to make the world a little better place."
"Well, I'm certainly not about to call you off this time," I assured him. "I'm just not sure it's Simmons anymore, Billy. I mean, Southwind is approved. He can't stop us anymore, so why would he be doing this?"
"Violet…" Billy groaned. "Honey, sometimes you are just such a nice, kind, and trusting person that I want to slap you upside your gorgeous head."
I had to chuckle at that, because nobody else would describe me that way. I wasn't trusting. I assumed that everybody was going to stab me in the back, and that most people would do it for selfish reasons. I certainly wasn't kind - not unless it benefited me. Nice? Yeah, I did a pretty good job of faking that. I also did a really good job of forgetting the people I faked it to. But compared to Billy, I supposed that I would seem that way.
"None of that answers the question," I pointed out.
He hummed thoughtfully. "Stop and think back to what Simmons has been telling everyone all summer long. If Luke lost custody of his daughter, he would dump you, so you would pack up your shit and go home. If something bad happened to the 'little girl,’ she would get scared off andgo home. All he has to do is make you miserable enough on that land and it won't matter if you own the land, have the rights, have a license, or anything else. In Simmons' mind, all he has to do is fluster the little girl and he will eventually get his way."
"So he's going to keep trying to fluster me," I realized. "It's just hard for me to wrap my mind around that, because fuck him. I am not some weak and fragile little girl to get scared off because I got a little boo-boo. I am certainly not going to walk away from my family's legacy because somebody broke up with me. Not even someone that I'm madly in love with."
"But Paul Simmons is some sexist pig who is stuck in an era where women are supposed to be helpless creatures," Billy reminded me. "He has never seen a woman like you. His idea of a strong woman is Luke's ex-girlfriend. In other words, to Simmons, you are a myth that can't possibly be everything you say. All he has to do is keep pushing hard enough and you will give up so he will win."
"So ruin the developer’s life, Billy," I decided. "And after that, make sure that nobody else wants to do business with Simmons. Don't just take away this option. Take away all of them."
"Yeah, that sounds just like my little sister," he praised. "Your wish is my command, Violet. I'm good to go fuck some shit up."
Chapter Sixty-Seven
In total, seven windows had been destroyed at the cabins. There had been a little graffiti, but this time those assholes hadn't had enough time to finish writing their threats. Yesterday, Scott had gotten all of the measurements and sourced a place for us to buy replacement windows. I'd set up an account so he could pick them up today.
Cy and Luke had offered to deal with painting over the flashes of bright red spray paint. My job was to make sure that Darnell's medical bill was completely covered. There was no way in hell I'd let that man spend a dime for any of this. How many hours had he already taken off work? How much extra effort had he put in for our home? Oh, I knew he would say he was fine. I knew he would try to convince me that this was his home too. I also knew that I made a hell of a lot more money than him.
Next, I was supposed to help Violet go through the teachers who had applied. Last night, she mentioned that Berto had already picked his favorite. In my opinion, that made this a hell of a lot easier. So long as the woman felt the same in the interview as she did in her written application, then we were as good as done.
I'd just gotten up from my chair with the intention of going to check on Luke and Cy when my phone rang. Looking at the screen, I saw Scott's name. There was no way that could be good, so I answered quickly.
"Please tell me they aren't out of what we need," I said.
Scott groaned, making it clear it was worse than that. "No, they have all the windows, hardware, and everything else. The problem is that they're saying they can't put this on your account without verifying your ID and getting a signature."
"What?!" I let out a sigh that was intense enough to nearly be a growl. "I set up the account with them yesterday. The girl I talked to said that there wouldn't be any problems!"
"Well, there's a problem. The manager I'm standing in front of says that the employee who set this up was mistaken, there's nothing she can do about it, and until they have both your ID and signature on file, we can't charge a single thing to it."
Still holding the phone to my ear, I turned my feet towards Violet's office. "Okay, Scott," I said, "can you text me the address there? If you've got something else to do, that's fine. I'm grabbing the keys for the car right now and heading over there to take care of it."
"No, it's about thirty, maybe forty-five minutes to get here. I'll go ahead and just wait. I mean, I'm assuming that you're going to want me to load up and bring them back, right?" he asked.
"That would be tons easier," I told him. "Hey, sorry about this. I'm heading right over there."
I ended the call and shoved my phone back in my pocket just to see Violet holding her keys out to me. "What's going on?" she asked.
