Chapter 19
“Kids: the ultimate cockblockers.”
-Flint
Fucking cockblockers.
Celia’s twins certainly knew how to get on my last nerve. And the way they ordered their Mama around caused me to grind my teeth to remain quiet. The little shits have been treating her terribly since before Christmas, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could watch without setting these idiots straight.
I held my tongue as we sat across the table from them at Hugo’s. The Spanish restaurant had the best Cuban sandwiches in Tampa.
“Boys,” Celia began.
Lance held up his hand. “Don’t give us the song and dance. Tell us what’s going on.”
I opened my mouth to tell this little fucker to mind his tone, but Celia beat me to it.
“That’s about enough,” she snapped. “From both of you.”
I raised my eyebrows as both of them shut the fuck up.
“Now,” Celia began. “We’re going to have a civilized conversation about this, or you can leave.”
“Fine,” they both ground out.
“Fine,” she smiled. “What do you want to know?”
“Why did Papa leaveyoueverything?” Logan rasped.
Celia shrugged. “I don’t know. But if I had to guess, he felt sorry for leaving us with nothing all of those years ago and wanted to do right by his family.”
“If he wanted to do right by us, he would have included us in the fortune giveaway,” Lance sniffed.
Celia bristled. “And have you piss it away before you turn thirty?”
Lance opened his mouth to retort, but she gave him the Mother of All Stink-Eyes. He snapped his jaw closed.
“Exactly,” Celia nodded as the waitress sat down our orders. “Octavio may not have spent a lot of time around you, but he knew what you were up to. I made sure of it. He was aware of your successes. And failures.”
Lance blushed. He was the one constantly sinking money into businesses, then bailing out on them.
“Does that mean you’re going to share the wealth?” Logan hadn’t taken a bite of his sandwich.
Celia grinned. “Indeed it does.”
Logan and Lance smiled at each other. I blew out a breath. That’s the last thing those shits needed was more disposable income.
“I’ll be sharing the wealth with all of Octavio’s victims,” Celia grabbed her sandwich and bit off a huge chunk.
I smirked.
The twins sounded like they were choking. “What?”
Celia delicately laid down her Cuban sandwich. “Your father bilked a bunch of people out of their hard-earned money. Just like he tried to do with me for years. And it wasn’t just people’s retirement. He stole more than a half-million dollars from a church! A church! Those good people were trying to start a daycare center in their neighborhood so those who wanted a job could go to work without having to worry about who was watching their children. That center could mean a world of difference for someone unemployed who feels like she has to choose between a higher-paying job and child care. Since Octaviostolefrom all those people, we’re going to make it right.”
Neither boy said a thing.
“And, you didn’t think I’d just giveyouall that money, did you?”
