Page 22 of Toxic Things I Love About You

“Tell you what, give me a seat on the board, and I’ll ensure these little mix ups don’t happen again.”

Parks shifted, but it was Emilee that spoke.

“Oh, Uncle. You might have years on me, but I assure you the board doesn’t need another corrupt businessman on it. Not after we just cleaned it up. Wouldn’t you agree, Uncle?”

The red that peaked out from his collar said he didn’t agree, but he kept his composure and stood.

“Of course, Niece.” He glanced at Parks. “Nephew.” And then he looked at me. “Mr. Demarco.”

Slowly, he got up and stepped away from the table.

“You might need my help. I’ve heard of this new gang you mentioned. The Lords is it? Perhaps you shouldn’t write me off just yet.”

Emilee stood and straightened her pink coat and smoothed down her skirt.

“I am not writing you off, not even a little bit. But you won’t be getting a place on my board without me knowing why you’re really here. If you want to spill the beans now, that would save me an awful lot of trouble. What do you say? You tell me why you’re here and I’ll find a use for you?”

This got his attention, but like a true psycho, he laughed instead of realizing how much trouble any one of us in the room could cause him.

“Oh, my dear girl. You are quite beautiful. Perhaps that will get you exactly the right kind of help you need. But it could find you in a lot of trouble too. Here’s my card. Call when you’re ready to find out about your father and his business.”

With that, the man walked away, his bodyguards on his heels. Emilee handed me the card.

“Parks? Let’s head to my office. I need to pet a chicken and we need to figure out what the heck is going on.”

I followed behind, realizing how this woman had me caught up in her little web and somehow, it wasn’t all that scary.

EIGHT

emilee

On the floorin the corner, I should have been in my happy place. Gertie had fallen asleep on my lap as I pet her little feathers.

“Daddy? What did you do?” I asked without looking up. I heard Roman shift from his spot on the loveseat.

“Does she talk to her father often?”

I heard him ask.

“Only when she’s stressed out,” Halle replied.

She’d brought dinner while Parks had one of our best hackers helping him and Roman figure out what was going on.

“It looks like Vincent was given life in prison for the murder of our aunt. She died right around the time I started training with your father, Emilee.”

Gertie chortled and went back to sleep as I placed her inside her little white picket fence house. I didn’t sigh, nor was I all that sad that it didn’t look like I would be getting that, a white picket fence, anytime soon.

“This is exhausting. First the board, now a long-lost uncle. Can we just kill him? I’ve got more poison.”

Halle perked up from her spot in a chair near the food.

“No. We can’t just kill him, Butterfly. We aren’t sure why he’s here yet. For sure, not an ally. But does he know something we need? Also, look at this.”

I went over to Roman and sat down on his lap and looked at the computer screen.

“Is that his release information? He was acquitted? But how? After all these years?”

Parks rubbed his hand over his face.

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