Page 19 of Havoc

“Get out of my chair.”

I looked over at him for a few moments, and worked up the effort not to scream at him.

“Sit down.”

I said it a little more aggressively this time and like a puppet, he sat down on the uncomfortable visitor’s chair.

“As you know, Gideon has expired,” I said, watching as the blood drained out of Jervis’ face. He knew all too well what that meant. Gideon had given him everything, his career, his criminal connections, his protection. “Funny thing is, no one can find his will and since he has a private reading of it tomorrow night, I’m curious.”

“You’re not in them. He thought you were dead.”

“I know, because I saw the papers, he had you draw up to make sure I disappeared.”

Jervis tried to rebut but no words came out. His mouth just moved up and down like a goddamn ventriloquist doll.

“What’s in the past is in the past, Jervis. I want answers now.”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” I asked, moving my legs off the desk and leaning my elbows on the desk. It intimidated him, I could see that.

“It’s private.”

“He won’t get mad at you, he’s dead.”

Jervis still didn’t say a damn word, which only annoyed me.

“I must warn you not to make me mad,” I said, calmly. “Jervis, if you thought Gideon could get mad, you haven’t seen a damn thing.”

“Presley…I can’t.”

“Because you had a couple drawn up?”

“How—”

“He kept them in a safe which I’ve since opened up. Now, tell me who was in his favour before he died?”

Jervis was shaking, fear was evident, but he’d always been scared of everyone. What my father saw in him I had no idea.

“Deacon.”

“Does he know?”

Jervis shook his head. “Tannis thought he would be the next, so Gideon didn’t want anyone to know, not even Naomi.”

“That doesn’t surprise me, he was gearing up to replace her anyway.”

“He was?”

I smiled, liking the fact that Jervis wasn’t in the know about something at the very least.

“Dahlia.”

“He never spoke about a Dahlia,” Jervis told me. “She must have been new.”

“It doesn’t matter, I want to know what he’s giving to Deacon and I want you to give it all to me.”

“I can’t do that,” he said. “It’s not legal.”

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