Fuck it. I dragged myself up. “I mean that I will not be going with those assholes. Send me to the group home.”
It was starting to hit me now just how odd this all was. My adoption had been closed, which meant no birth parents involved at all. My mom told me they had no idea who they were, and they’d even tried to find out at one point because of some medical issues. So how the hell were the DNA donors strolling back into my life now? How did they even know my mom and dad were de … gone?
“How rich did you say they are?”
My random question didn’t take her by surprise. I guess she thought everyone was only interested in money, but that wasn’t the reason I’d asked. The way her eyes lit up told me all I needed to know about who wasreallypaying her salary. Fucking everyone could be bought these days.
“Rich enough that you’ve probably seen their names on the Forbes list.”
Right. Well, that explained how they’d found me. They had enough money to keep tabs on anyone. My beaten up body ached again, so I lowered myself back down, and tried to think this through clearly. “Do I get a choice here at all?” I asked. “And … why would people … richpeoplethrow me away in the first place and then want me back?”
Something wasn’t adding up here. This CPS chick was clearly taking bribes but to what fucking end? Why would my bio-parents suddenly want me back?
She nervously shuffled some papers before finally meeting my eyes. “Unfortunately, you have no choice. You’ve already been signed over to them, and they’ll be here in…” Checking her watch, her eyes lifted to the door behind me. “Five minutes.” It didn’t escape my notice she’d only answered my first question. She probably had no idea why I hadn’t been wanted, but it had all worked out for the best anyway.I have amazing parents who love me and that is worth more than all the money in the world.
Had. Past tense. Ihadamazing parents. Now … now I was alone.
Her estimation of an arrival time proved a little off, because the door swung open. I turned my head to find a woman framed in the doorway. If I’d had any doubt she was my birth mother, it was all swept away in that moment. She looked like my older sister: the same bright blue eyes most people thought were contacts, and wavy dark hair. She’d clearly learned how to tame hers, or maybe it was the rich person hairdresser she no doubt went to—mine was always a mess of unruly curls. She stood about my height, five foot nine, but would have been shorter if hers wasn’t jacked up by four inch heels. Very shiny. Very expensive looking black heels with red soles.
“Is she ready?”
Not even a word to me, the cold question was directed right over my head.
The lady, whose name I couldn’t remember, started to fidget nervously. “Oh, yes, Catherine, she’s ready on our end. Her belongings were packed up and are being held downstairs.”
“It’s Mrs. Deboise,” Catherine said in that same icy tone. I made a mental note to always call her Catherine, because she was a stuck up bitch. Mrs. Deboise … seriously...
Deboise…
As in Deboise banking?No freakin’ way!The Forbes thing made even more sense because Deboise was a huge, worldwide bank, originating in Europe. Or at least that’s what their ads said on television.
I’d been staring at the impressive shoes again, and when I lifted my head, I was disconcerted to find impassive blue eyes on me.
“Let’s go,” she said shortly.
I remained seated, continuing to stare at her. She let out a little huff. “I don’t have all day, if you’re going to be difficult about it, let’s get that out of the way so we can make our flight.”
My heart stuttered, and I swung back to the child services chick. “Where am I going exactly?”
I had no idea why I’d assumed this bitch lived in New Jersey too, but I should have guessed that wasn’t the case.
Papers shuffled again, and I was five seconds from reaching across and swiping all of her shit right off the desk, when the corrupt CPS worker spoke. “I believe Mrs. Deboise lives in upstate New York.”
Of course she did, probably had a huge estate out there.
“That’s only a few hours away, why are we flying there?” My brow creased in a confused frown. Shit wasn’t adding up.
“I’m a busy woman,” the older version of myself snapped back, not even raising her face from her phone for a second. God forbid she want to spend a couple of hours getting to know the daughter she threw out like trash.
Whatever, at least I wasn’t moving too far away if I ever needed to escape back to Dante. And speaking of…
“I need to let my friend know what’s happening to me, I don’t want him to worry.” I had no idea why I directed that statement to child services. They were not my guardians, but I just couldn’t bring myself to speak to the ice queen directly. She was actually scarily intimidating, and I felt zero comfort around her.
Nevertheless, it wasCatherinewho responded to me.
“Your friend?” She spat the word with distaste. “Yes, we were told you’ve been getting visits from some tattoo covered gangbanger. All that will change now. No child of mine will be seen associating with such individuals.”
The way she sneered it made Dante sound like some kind of criminal. Like he was the scum of the earth and the type of person this woman wouldn’t piss on if he were on fire. My stomach churned and bile rose in my throat as I processed her words.
