Page 45 of Ours to Keep

“What’s the meaning of this?” he demands, though his voice quivers slightly. “Who are you people?”

I lean in, my breath hot against his face. “We’re the people you pissed off when you touched Lily Montgomery.”

Something akin to recognition flickers across his features, and he stumbles back, some of the colour draining from his face. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but this is illegal.”

I chuckle darkly, the sound low and dangerous. “Illegal? Like assault and attempted rape?”

His eyes dart to the door and back to me, his bravado slipping as sweat breaks his brow.

I shake my head in warning. “I wouldn’t recommend it. Now, sit the fuck down.”

George flinches but obeys.

Jax’s voice cuts through the tension, cold and measured. “I’m going to cut to the chase. You’re going to drop the diminished responsibility plea. We have more than enough evidence to bury you, George. But we’re giving you a chance to take responsibility for your actions.”

George’s laughter is a brittle, nervous sound. “And if I don’t.”

My hand sinks into my pocket, making contact with my switchblade, but Jax’s sharp look keeps me in check. “Then we’ll ensure everyone knows exactly what kind of person you are. I’m sure your wife and daughter won’t survive the fallout of your precious reputation. Isn’t that right, Elliot?”

Elliot nods, his usually warm brown eyes dark and menacing. “I not only have video evidence. I have witness statements from a number of young women prepared to come forward.”

George’s face contorts in defiance. “Are you threatening me?”

“No, it’s a promise,” I snap, my voice a low warning. “And you’ll do well to fucking listen.”

He meets my gaze, unflinching, but there is a tremor in his voice. “Oh, I’m listening. And if I go down, so does Richard. And then what of his stepdaughter’s precious reputation?”

I react on instinct, my switchblade flashing in my hand, and the cold steel presses against his throat—a thin line of blood beads where the sharp blade nicks his skin.

“Explain!” My voice is a warning, dripping with venom, as I pull the knife away.

George’s breath hitches, his hand moving to his throat, fingers probing the small cut, and he gasps. “I’m bleeding. Y-you cut me.”

I roll my eyes. “Hardly. I nicked you. It barely broke the skin. I’ve seen paper cuts that are worse,” I retort, wiping the blade against his trousers, making him flinch. Something that gives me a small semblance of satisfaction.

Elliot moves beside me. “But unless you want to see exactly what River here is capable of doing with a knife, I suggest you explain yourself. Now,” Elliot says, holding out a tissue with an air of finality.

“And then you’ll let me go?” George asks, his voice a desperate whisper.

Jax leans forward, his presence an imposing force of nature. “Well, that depends on you and what you say next.”

I glance at Elliot, who meets my gaze with a silent question. I nod, giving him a signal that I’m in control despite the red haze that threatens to consume me. I keep the knife in my hand, hanging by my side, the weight an anchor of sorts.

A part of me yearns to make this harder on him, to release all the repressed anger boiling beneath the surface.

“Now, what are you saying about Richard?” Jax asks.

George’s eyes widen, a mix of fear and resignation. “For starters, he’s not as strait-laced as he may have led you to believe. Why do you think he was sharing images and videos of his stepdaughter? There are a lot of people who pay a pretty penny for a glimpse of a little heiress like her. Richard is fully aware of everything—who do you think suggested the plea?”

His words buzz in my mind, a storm of anger breaking the surface. Richard has been selling images and videos of Lily.

I drop my knife as my fist connects with his face, each punch echoing a sickening crunch.

“River, calm the fuck down!” Elliot’s arms wrap around me,pulling me back. If it were anyone else, I might have swung at them too.

Breathing heavily, I shake off his hold. “I’m good,” I grunt through gritted teeth.

George wipes at his face with his shirt sleeve, wincing, his eyes wide and fearful.

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