Bella helped Mrs. Montgomery back on the sofa and sat next to her. “Will you please eat something?” she whispered. “Can you eat a muffin or maybe just drink some water?”
“No, sweetie. I’m not hungry. I’m just--”
“Get your goddamn hands off me!” The ruckus had come from the hall.
Bella recognized Nicole’s voice. The door opened and Taylor’s sister blew in like a tornado.
When Victor waved off the Secret Service, she made a beeline for her mother. “How’s Daddy?” she questioned with tears. “I wanna go and see him.”
Victor stood, pulling Taylor up with him. She tucked her head into the crook of his arm and cried as he walked her over to a window. Bella stood and stepped out of the way so Nicole could sit next to her mother.
But instead of Nicole taking the seat next to her mother, she stood over her, pointing an accusatory finger. “He’s dead isn’t he?” she interrogated.
“H-he.. he didn’t make it,” Mrs. Montgomery whimpered.
“Whaaaat?” Nicole shook her head with her eyes trained on the floor. “Why is my daddy the only one dead? Who was the target?”
Nobody responded because nobody knew who the actual target was. Since the Asian man had set out to avenge the assassin's death, Bella, Lucas, or anyone they loved could’ve been the target.
“What happened to my father?”
“He was shot, Nicole,” Victor confirmed. “Niyah and my mom tried to save him, but he didn’t make it.”
“Who the fuck is Niyah?” Nicole peered at Victor through narrowed lids. Her eyes darkened to the color of hatred. “It’s you! It’s this fucking family!”
“Nicole, that is enough!” her mother admonished.
Nicole shook her head frantically. “No, it’s not gonna be enough until we’re all dead.”
“What are you talking about?” Taylor questioned.
Nicole rushed across the room and pointed a pink-painted nail in Taylor’s face. “You would risk all of us just to be in the fucking family!”
Taylor pushed off of Victor. “What the fuck are you talking about, Nicole?”
“I mean look at what your desperate need to be a part of this family has done to me.” Nicole threw her hands in the air. “My life ain’t been shit since that man darkened our doorstep.”
Taylor chuckled. “Wait! What?”
“You heard me!”
Taylor’s brow wrinkled. “Did you just sayyour lifehas been impacted by my marriage?”
Nicole’s face twisted in a most hateful manner. “That’s what I said. Your relationship with that man ruined my life.”
“Bitch!” Taylor scoffed with a chuckle. “The only thing that ruined your life was your insane need to be with that lowlife, piece-of-shit convict that you call a fiancé!”
“Husband,” Nicole connected. “And he ain’t the reason why Daddy is dead, is he?”
Taylor lunged toward her sister, but Victor held her back. “Um-mm,” he muttered. “She ain’t getting that out of you.”
Nicole bolted forward and punched Victor in the chest. “I hate you!” she screamed like a banshee.”
Taylor struggled to get free from Victor. “Let me go!” she growled. “She ain’t gonna do that!”
“Nicole, stop it!” screamed Mrs. Montgomery.
She swung at Victor a second time, but Bella stepped in front of him and caught her by the wrist. If she had not, and Nicole had hit Victor again, he wouldn't have been enough to keep Taylor off her sister’s ass. “Hey,” Bella whispered. “Calm down.”
