Page 76 of Rough Ride

“Of course, Crysta, I can give you my own personal information if you’re interested.”

Eli opened his mouth, but she wasn’t in the mood for another round of fighting.

“Sean, first of all, we are one step away from being related and, well, I don’t want Eli to get arrested for killing you.”

Sean shook his head and wrote down the information, then handed it to Dillon. “Call that man. He’ll give you all the information you need.”

Dillon took the paper and his eyebrows rose. Crysta knew then that Dillon knew the man on the paper and that probably meant Sean was telling the truth.

“Now I’d like all of you to leave.”

“Before we do, I want a bloody answer,” Eli said. “Why did you and Sam split ways? It couldn’t have been because of money. You went into the military and Sam was almost out of it by then. Truth is, everyone said that once you left, he lost everything, so they assume you were handling most of the aspects of the business. So—why the problem? Did you want more of the business?”

Sean’s face turned darker. It was a far cry from the man who had tried to charm her the first time she met him. He paced away, stopping at a window.

“I came out to him.”

There was a beat of silence. “You’re gay?” she asked.

He glanced over his shoulder at the Eli, then settled his gaze on her again.

“No, I have a feeling he would have accepted that more—which is funny and sad at the same time. I admitted to being a bisexual. Sam didn’t like that. Didn’t like it one bit. Wanted me to take it back and, being the stupid twenty-year-old that I was, I refused. So, he kicked me to the curb.”

“What made you do that?” Crysta asked. “I’m not judging, but you know exactly how much hate is in that man.”

He shook his head. “Wasn’t exactly my choice. Sam Jr. found out and told his father.”

“Really?” Eli asked.

“You don’t think that little shit hates me?”

Of course, he did. Everyone knew it. They were just a few months apart in age, but Sam and Sean had never been friends. In fact, it was evident they rarely talked to each other.

“So, he finds out, tells his father and gets you kicked out,” Eli said.

He nodded and turned around to look out the window again. “Sam Kaheaku only allows you one mistake. That’s how he put it. A mistake. Of course, I found out soon enough he had already tapped into the inheritance that I was supposed to get when I turned twenty-one, so I enlisted.”

“Wait. You wired five thousand dollars to Sam. Why would you do that?” Dillon asked.

Sean turned around to face them. “What the hell are you talking about, Dillon?”

“You had a meeting with him. Sent him money,” Eli said.

“I traced it and it wasn’t hard to find,” Dillon said.

Sean sighed and turned to pour himself a glass of something. He downed it in one swig.

“I’m trying to get my mother’s ashes. That bastard spent her money and refuses to give me her ashes. Junior boy is supposed to help me.”

“You paid him five thousand dollars?” Eli asked.

Sean said nothing. Instead he poured another glass of liquor.

“It is the only piece of his mother he has left,” Crysta said quietly.

Sean looked at her, then to Eli. “Yes. He sold everything. He destroyed everything. There isn’t a picture left of my mother anywhere.”

Sean looked at Crysta, who blinked back tears.

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