Page 8 of Havoc

She did, begrudgingly but her eyes were wastelands. She wasn’t really there. When she looked away again, I felt my heart break. She’d always wanted Gideon’s love, always wanted to be in the crowd.

“Yes.”

Her voice was so weak, so sad. I could feel my heart break, not only because she was giving me up but because I couldn’t tell her it would be okay. She was signing my death right now.

“Why would you consider leaving?”

“To get away from you.”

“I see,” Gideon said, pacing around her, intimidating her. “And why would you want to do that?”

She remained silent.

“Speak,” he commanded.

She finally looked up, tears welling in her eyes. She looked back down at me, and I could see her resolve. She was going to do what Gideon wanted because even though she loved me, she wanted her father’s love more.

“He killed Ma-Manville.”

Fuck.

I looked to Gideon immediately as he ushered Presley from my sight, but I knew she was still close by, keeping an eye on what happened to me. Gideon moved back in front of me, a grin on his face.

When Deacon had killed one of Gideon’s friends Manville, I knew someone would take the fall for it. No way would Deacon ever go away for it, he was the favourite after all.

“Did you think you could weasel your way into my organization, earn my trust and steal my daughter?” Gideon asked me with a tone to his voice that actually gave me goosebumps.

“She won’t be your lapdog forever,” I spat at him. “One day she’ll be the end of you, and I can’t wait to hear about it.”

Gideon scoffed. “You won’t be seeing or hearing much anymore.”

Everything went dark as I felt an elbow connect with the back of my head.

Presley

Current Day

Sonora moved through the door, looking at the busted lock, and then at me. “What happened?”

“Naomi tried to lock me out of the office,” I told her, without looking up. “I showed her a lock wouldn’t keep me out.”

“Fair enough, why’d you want me to meet you down here?”

Sonora took a seat in the chair opposite the desk. “What’s going on, sweetie?”

“I need your help with these accounts. I can’t find where he funnelled his money.”

“He split it up in several accounts, hidden from Naomi.”

“And me.”

“I’m sure there’s a trace somewhere.”

“I’ve looked everywhere.”

“You said she was in the office the day he died,” Sonora replied. “Maybe she found the paperwork while she was squirrelling about.”

“It would make sense why she hasn’t been down here since.”

---