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“How so?” Savage asks, taking the bait.

“Think about it. Hammer’s MC is done since we killed them all. Now he doesn’t have the numbers to be on the streets taking the women he needs for his supply. Somehow he crosses paths with Royal and his cult. Royal hits a town, converts people with the promise to save their souls, asking them to move to Louisiana to join his church. These people willingly follow him, giving Royal and Hammer the women and children they need. They then sell them and Roman’s stolen drugs to the Cordoza cartel. Did I miss anything?”

Marx nods, running a hand down his beard, nodding, “It’s a fucking marriage made in fucked up heaven for Hammer.”

“OK, then how the hell does Niko fit into the whole thing?” Pixie asks. “With all the trafficking, it makes no sense that Royal would split his attention between that and trying to get my son. Wire? Chewy?”

“The only thing we could find was your will, Blanche, that you lodged with your lawyer, leaving all your possessions to your children. That and an alternative will that leaves your inheritance to Niko solely,” Wire answers.

“I only have one will, the first one you mentioned.” Pixie says, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Nope. There was another one lodged by Carterton, Munson and Associates,” Chewy states.

“Who the fuck is that?”

“I-I might be able to answer that.” All heads snap toward Lovely. She almost reminds me of Remy when she first arrived. Before Remy went all badass. Still sweet, but she won’t hesitate to kick a man in the balls.

“We would love to hear what you have to say, Lovely. Any information you have will be super helpful,” Remy says, gifting her with a gentle smile that Lovely returns in kind.

“Well, when that policeman found us he said that both me and Bee had to go with him. He said that Blanche told him she’d made a mistake taking us and that I needed to go back to the Keep and hand over my inheritance to Royal. That paying him was going to be the only way to keep him off our backs. I told him to have Blanche call me so I could hear it from her own mouth. That’s when he went mad and Pleasant Dupree stepped in and told him to leave.”

“What inheritance? You didn’t give it to him did you?” Pixie asks, frowning at her sister.

“I can’t. It’s not mine to give,”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Chewy asks, staring at Lovely, head tilted. “Also, what does that have to do with Niko?”

“My mother was Celine Surette.” Lovely says softly.

“Hold up, she’s related to my mom?” Pixie asks Lovely, staring into the face that looks so much like my Ol Lady.

“My mom went to Eden’s Keep looking for her big sister. She found Mercy Landry instead.”

“I remember her! She married him just before we were kicked out,” Pixie’s brother says. I think this one is Dom. His brow is furrowed, as if he’s trying to remember more about her.

“Wait, how come I don’t remember her?” Pixie asks her brothers.

“You always steered clear of Mercy’s wives. You spent your time with Loyal and her mom,” Chris answers, Pixie nodding in agreement.

“She was wife number 12.” Lovely carries on. “She died two years ago. Mercy had caught a nasty cold, and I was caring for him when the lawyer came to read her last will and testament. If your mom’s will is the same as mine, it would stipulate thather husband would inherit an annual stipend for every year they were married. The rest of her belongings would be split between their children equally.”

“We were so young when mom died. I don’t think I even knew she had a will let alone what was in it,” Dom frowns.

“It’s not unusual for Eden’s Keep to keep things secret, either,” Pixie adds bitterly.

“Let me see if I can get access to Adeline and Celine Surette’s last will and testaments,” Chewy says under her breath. She types away on her laptop, Wire and Remy doing the same as if it’s a race to see who can hit the jackpot first.

“Ooooohhhhh,” Remy breathes out, obviously the winner.

“Care to share with the class?” Marx asks drily.

“Your moms were cunning. Their lawyers have the wills and inheritances tied up so tight that in the event of your deaths, your money bypasses your spouses and goes to your children. Although that doesn’t really make sense, given that you have three other children and Royal only wants one,” Remy says, looking to Pixie for an answer.

“Does the will stipulate biological children?” Pixie asks.

She reads her screen before looking up at Pixie, nodding.

My woman blows out a breath before looking at everyone in the room with a hard look on her face. “Sage, Cove and Elio are not my biological children, but they’re mine all the same.”

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