Page 101 of Sinner's Malice

“She didn’t feel that way.”

“Who didn’t?”

“Amelia,” I said, turning to look at him. “She carried me for nine months and the second I was born, she handed me over and walked away. She told me she never looked back. She just walked away like she was returning a pair of shoes. Even when I found her years later and she was damn near dead, I still meant nothing to her.”

“Like you, Amelia suffered at the hands of Devlin Scott. The trauma she endured was tremendous. It weighs heavily on her. I saw evidence of that last night when she talked to the club. Amelia may have survived Devlin Scott, but she still lives the nightmare every day. She will never be what you need her to be, Malice. She can’t be. She doesn’t know how.”

Sitting back down, I leaned forward, resting my head in my hands. “I don’t understand. When Montana told me Arianwen was pregnant, something burst inside me. For a split second, I was happy. Genuinely happy for the first time in my life. And then it was all gone. I wanted that baby, Torment. I wanted it so badly.”

“You admitting that now shows me you will be a wonderful father someday. Even with the life you’ve lived, you will make a remarkable dad and I, for one, look forward to the day when Arianwen tells you the good news,” Torment said, closing his notebook. “I think we’re done for the day. You are free to go.”

I didn’t need to be told twice.

Walking out of his office, I headed for the main room when Mercy called out, “Malice. Got a minute?”

Grumbling, I nodded.

Walking into his office, I noticed Montana sitting in the corner, talking with Pippen.

“Yeah.”

“Your mother. Will she be staying in the city for a while?”

“Until we find Popeye or this Gray Greer person, why?”

“Here. Take this,” the man said, throwing a set of keys at me. Catching them, I frowned.

“What’s this?”

“Keys to one of the furnished apartments at Davenport Tower. A place of her own, so to speak, while she stays here in the city. Got enough going on around here. Plus, your mother doesn’t seem like a woman who would enjoy club life. It will afford her the privacy and space she needs, without all the fucking fanfare, and allow her to stay close if shit goes sideways.”

Pocketing them, I looked over at Montana and Pippen. Huddled together as the both of them scoured some papers. Turning back to Mercy, I asked, “What’s that about?”

“Pippen found something strange in the ghost file.”

Staring at Mercy, I waited.

The man sighed. “It’s nothing. Well, I’m hoping it’s nothing. With all the crap happening lately, it better be nothing. Oh, before I forget, here, take this.”

Holding out a file, I looked at it, then at him, refusing to take it.

The man sighed. “They are documents for Silver to sign, so Montana doesn’t have to take your brand.”

I stood there, confused, waiting for Mercy to explain.

“You’re broke, asshole,” Montana said flatly, never looking up from what Pippen was showing him. “Can’t be on the board if you’re broke.”

Still refusing to move, Mercy groaned.

“After you claimed Silver, you signed everything you owned over to her. You can’t be a sitting board member if you can’t pay your club dues. Just have her sign the papers and get them back to me so I can forward them to Storm.”

Still standing there, I refused to leave.

“Work with me here, Malice. You know the club rules. Every sitting board member must be able to maintain club dues and charitable donations while continuing to build his wealth. According to Storm, you are broke. You have no money. You signed it all over to Silver. Just have her sign everything back over to you.”

“Why?”

“Because if you don’t, the board will force me to take your fucking brand, dickhead,” Montana sneered, looking at me.

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