“I didn’t know Ev would be there until he walked up. He got done with his assignment early.”
My brows pulled together. “Aren’t you guys partners? It doesn’t seem like you work together that often.”
“Yeah, it’s complicated. Pops, Zo, and I are supposed to keep our eyes on Azrael, Jack, and Ev, but Malachi let’s Ev and Jack go out alone sometimes. It all depends on their mood. Everett’s been pretty decent this last month or so, off and on, but there have been times when I’ve had to keep him from going on sprees or going too far with our victims, worse than with the guy the other night. That was nothing. Anyway, it’s not important, he’s gotten better over the years, I think it comes with age. Is that woman your mom?”
I wish I could have seen him in that kind of manic state. He always seemed so controlled, so sure. I would have been interested to see him lose it. For research purposes, of course. “Unfortunately,” I muttered, watching the men drag that dolly through my yard. I glared at them. “Martin didn’t warn me about her coming today. They’re finally bringing the company’s information over.”
“And the cop?”
“Yeah, he…he’s just being friendly,” I finally decided. “You guys didn’t vet the people on the street before I moved in?”
She laughed. “And what? Make everyone who seemed off move out? Of course we didn’t. I had my suspicions that youmeant more to Ev than he was letting on, but even if you guys had done the deed, so to speak, before you moved, vetting isn’t really our thing, not unless we are going through another round of recruiting. Happens once a year, although with Everett’s plan, that’ll change at some point.”
I had so many questions. “Yeah, well, like I said, the research I do isn’t always accurate. It’s difficult to tell fact from fiction when researching serial killers and the mafia’s code of conduct.”
“Speaking of, how is your book going? Any more gun fucking?”
I frowned deeply. “Do you even have a job or are you just spying on me all the time?”
“Little of both,” she smiled. “I love when you walk around the house in just that sheer pink robe and panties.” She inhaled sharply. “Fucking sexy.”
My cheeks burned bright red. “Fuck,” I mumbled, grasping the bridge of my nose. “I didn’t even think of that.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ve touched myself to the image of you around 14 times since that fateful day in your bedroom, don’t tell Ev. As far as we know, nobody else watches the cameras but the two of us and Malachi from time to time. Maybe Azrael, but you’re not really his type.”
I straightened, glancing back to the yard, my curiosity outweighing my embarrassment. “He has a type?”
“Screaming and chained. Pretty sadistic. Anyway, I do have work to do, I was just curious who she was. Seems like you’ve got a party going over there. Keep your head up, baby girl, they can be draining.”
Mom was now touching Wade’s chest, Everett watching the men with an unwavering, chilling stare. “Yeah, thanks.” I hung up and Wade immediately noticed, as if he had been watching me the entire time. He took the opportunity to step out of mom’s reach and hold up his hand at me.
“See you later, Liv. Enjoy the paperwork!”
I nodded, but didn’t respond, turning my attention back to the boxes they were carrying into my house. Thank God, he was leaving. One less thing to worry about today.
I was glad the paperwork was finally being dropped off, but seeing the actual amount of it really made me regret the decisions I had made.
“He seems nice,” mom said, walking up the steps, Everett not far behind. “Very respectful. Are you two dating?”
“No, mom,” I replied bitterly. “Why did you have to come? Martin had all the paperwork figured out himself. In fact, he should be here.” Why wasn’t he here? He said he would walk me through everything just in case. He should have been here.
She walked over to the porch swing, only to sneer at it when she noticed that it wasn’t bleached clean and scented with whatever the new essential oil of the week was. “I told him that I wanted to come. That I could handle it. Afterall, you are taking the company from me, leaving me broke and in the gutter. I should be here to witness my own daughter ruin me.”
I felt the guilt grow in the pit of my stomach, mixing with whatever else had already been in there, dragging me down. “You bankrupted the company, mom. It isn’t my fault that you were signing contracts without reading them.”
“We were taking care of a child, doing interviews, and running a company, Olivia, we didn’t have time to play around with the fine print.”
“And it’s a good thing too,” I said, standing. “God knows what would have happened had you kept your hands gripped around it. You would have gone down in history as the worst business owner in the world.”
She gaped. “Excuse me,Scarface, I am your mother, you cannot speak to me like that.”
My cheeks blazed red.Scarface?Scarface! “I can speak to youhowever I want,” I replied evenly. “I don’t care what you think you’ve given me or what you think you’ve done for ‘my own good’, you fucked me up, mom. Before all of your half-assed confessions, you fucked me up. Now it’s my turn to be the adult in this family and try and revive this company before the Lemont family name is actually ruined.”
“Says the woman who fucked her own brother,” she hissed, stepping up to me.
Lucy snarled a warning, moving closer to me, causing my mom to stop and glare. “Control your mutt,” she spat.
“He was not my brother, and you haven’t seen her out of control yet,” I threatened. “Say whatever you want to say, mom, but right now I’m picking up the pieces that you aren’t strong enough to handle. Whatever you have done is nothing. It means nothing. Not to me, not anymore.”
