Page 34 of Bound by Adoration

“Did I hit a nerve? I’ll hit a few more before this day is over. That I can guarantee.” Yeah, I was pissed he had my girl.

The secretary came through the side door and said, “You two can follow me.”

“You can stay here,” I told Raid, but he ignored me and followed as I made my way to the woman. I shouldn’t have even wasted my breath.

“You should call me, Raid. We had so much fun,” she cooed, moving next to him. “You’ve got my number.”

“And I haven’t used it in a long fuckin’ time. What’s that tell ya?” he said, moving away from her and falling into step with me. I’d laugh if I wasn’t so pissed at him for still existing.

But alas, he was in my business just like always. Fucking bastard.

“Go on in,” the woman said as we reached the door.

Upon opening it, my eyes narrowed. “Want to tell me what the fuck you’re doing here?”

My aunt sat in the chair around the table off to the left of David’s desk. Cigarette between her lips, unlit, and when she smiled like the cat who got her cream, I wanted to slap the bitch. It was nothing compared to what she did to me.

12

RAID

What the fuck was that old bag doing here? She looked worse than I remembered her. Skin sagging on her cheeks and dry as a wrinkled bone. Her eyes, though. They were the devil recreated. Always plotting and planning. She didn’t have a decent bone in her body.

I shouldn’t have listened to Liam all those years ago and should’ve gotten rid of her when I found out what she did to him. He made me promise, and my ass listened.

“Hey there, boy. Glad you could make it. Davey here has all the paperwork ready for ya.” Her grin was full of acid and voice scratchy and deep.

“Considering ‘Davey’ works for me, I don’t know what the fuck he’s doin’ with you here,” Liam said.

“Oh come on now, boy. We’re family. I just helped fix the paperwork to be signed,” she cajoled Liam, starting that manipulation game she loved so much.

Deep in my gut I felt this intense urge to protect Liam from her. Wanted to take the blow so he didn’t have to. But before I could say anything he did.

“You old cow. I fuckin’ told you I was handling my shit. My shit. This has nothin’ to do with you,” Liam fired back then looked at David. “You’d better have the paperwork that we discussed over the phone ready for me. I’m readin’ it word for word. Signin’ it and gone. So don’t fuck with me.”

The old hag got up from the table, her eyes shrewd. Yeah, I fucking hated this woman, and she needed to be dealt with.

“Come on, boy. Davy told me what you wanted to change. You know we talked about this, and you agreed to sign the documents I had made up. Now’s not the time to be playing games.” She moved with a small limp which made me smile because Liam gave it to her.

“I ain’t playin’ shit, woman. I’m signin’ what I told David to do. You get nothing. Nothing. That house you’re in is mine too. Dad owned it. You didn’t own shit. You tried to pull one over on me, and I don’t give a fuck what you say, I’m not giving you a damn dime. You need to have all your shit out of that house in thirty days, and you can slink away to whatever snake you came out of. I’m done with your fucking ass.”

She stilled, her whole demeanor changing before my eyes. Gone was any hint of kindness. Instead, we were met with pure evil. “You little shit. Don’t think for one second you can get away with any of this. All James’ money is mine. He fuckin’ hated you and never wanted you to have anything.”

Ouch. While true, no one needed to hear their father hated them.

“Oh he did? Shocker. He might’ve hated me, but he didn’t have a will, and I’m his next living relative. So, you’re fucked because I’m not obligated to do anything for you.”

“I’ll end you,” she said, furious, and by her eyes moving, she was trying to think of a way to get out of this.

Liam chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Love for you to try. I’m not a scared little boy anymore, Clara. You can’t bully or push me into anything. And if you even come near me with a lit smoke, I’ll turn it around on you. I’m ending this. For good.”

Her eyes narrowed as she turned to Davy. “Didn’t you say there was a will?”

My eyes shot to David, awaiting his response as I felt Liam tense beside me.

David started shuffling some papers. “Umm… Just the paper you gave me this morning. It’s not notarized, though.”

Of course that bitch thought she could pull one over on Liam by faking a will.