Page 8 of Twisted Legacy

While I’m searching on this screen, my other screen is tracking Rescue 822. I wanna know where it’s taking her, then I’ll get into the hospital system to find out exactly what’s going on with her treatment.

I let Thea out of my sight once. I won’t do it again.

Chapter6

Finn

My father, Finley Jefferson Rhodes Junior, is about as straight an arrow as you can get. I’m what everyone calls the polar opposite of him. I can’t stand numbers, and boring ass business meetings, but he gets off on that shit. I guess that’s what makes him so good at his investment banking job. We spent thirteen years overseas. Four in Italy, four in Japan, three in Paris, and two in England, before moving back to the states. Talk about a culture shock. I was used to being the new kid in town, but because of the military bases nearby, I wasn’t the only new kid in school. I also thought it was pretty weird that nobody spoke more than one language. Latin doesn’t count. I learned that shit in church.

I was a scrawny kid, but being multi lingual and world traveled made me a catch. I said a few words, smiled, and the girls let me finger them. Sometimes do more than that. I knew how to sweet talk the ladies. I was mischievous, with a knack for sneaking in and out of places. I learned that trick from a guy at the parkour course I hung out at. Dad paid the membership dues, because he thought it was a good outlet to help me burn off some of my excess energy. But given the fact that I use these skills for campus challenges, I no longer believe it was just a coincidence that I was always surrounded by navy seals and thieves.

My dad is type-A, but there’s no better man than him on this planet. I walk into the skyscraper where his office is held and ride the elevator to his floor. I didn’t make an appointment or call and say I was coming. I never do. My dad stops what he’s doing to see me. Each and every time.

Today’s no different when his assistant announces I’m here. He tells me to go straight back. Dad’s finishing up a call when I walk into his office. I head to his beverage cart, ignoring the look he gives me, since I’m not old enough to drink the scotch and soda I just fixed. He buzzes his assistant. “Hold all my calls for the next two hours.”

I don’t need two hours of his time. He’s busy and I shouldn’t be here now, taking him away from his work, but I’m so glad that he said that. He gets up and closes the door before sitting back down behind his desk. “What can I do to help?”

That’s it. It’s always what he says, without knowing the situation or if I’m the one who messed up. “I need to know if… Thea. How sure is The League that she’s this missing legacy kid?”

He chuckles. “The high council loves their dramatics, don’t they?”

“So it’s a test?”

“Oh, no. Her family was once very active in the league, but there’s a lot of confusion about her parentage. The birth certificate on file at school says Hailee LaReaux is her mother. No known father, and Scott Hughes is listed as her uncle on her admission application.” He gives me a look. “But we’re all fairly certain that’s a lie, because the Hailee we’re familiar with isn’t a Hughes, and she’s related to the wife, Moira.” He sighs. “That’s what triggered The Leagues’ interest. Years ago, Hailee was pregnant, or The League was led to believe she was pregnant and lost her male child. She never came home after giving birth. She ran off to heal and disappeared into her grief.”

He leans back in his chair before continuing. “So when Thea showed up at school and ended up on your floor, nobody cared about what we assumed was a computer error. Then the complaints started coming in from some of the other legacy families. We fully expected the housing office to transfer Thea out of the dorm next semester. Getting her moved wasn’t a priority until Malcolm Senior visited Pax on campus. The residents of Vale Tower were quite vocal about the housing issue.”

“I’m sure they were.”

“Once the council agreed on upping the priority, it didn’t take long to find out that her birth certificate has some discrepant data on it.”

This sounds a lot like Malcolm’s theory. I nod. “She forged it and came here with an agenda.”

My dad surprises me when he says, “I don’t believe so. I’ve seen some of the files the researches have collected. Her history, it’s all documented. She never once went by a different name. We’ve spoken to people who have known her at different stages of her life, and a woman going by the name of Hailee LaReaux raised her until she went into the system. I found one file photo. It’s the Hailee I grew up with.”

“Then what the hell’s going on?”

“That’s a good damn question, son. Scott and Moira brought her here, but I don’t think they expected anyone to pay attention. They certainly didn’t consider The League would dig into who this girl is, since everything we were told and all the paperwork we’ve seen documented that the baby Hailee gave birth to was a boy who was stillborn.”

How many levels of lies are surrounding her birth? Is the birth certificate Holden found legit or not? “Is she Moira’s niece?”

He smiles at me like he knows I already have the answer to that question. I won’t admit it and get Holden into trouble.

“We were willing to let that narrative play out.”

“But?”

“But as of an hour ago, that’s no longer an option. Moira and Scott needed to establish a medical proxy for the girl. They couldn’t do that if she’s nineteen and not legally responsible for her.”

I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. “What did they do?”

“They submitted to DNA testing, and provided a copy of a birth certificate listing them as her parents. And since she’s onlyeighteen.”

He’s confirming what I already know. My Pet’s entire life is one big lie, right down to her age. I need another drink.

The last text I got from Thea said she was going to grab some stuff from her aunt and uncle’s place. The next time I saw her, she was drunk and begging me to fuck her. I know what hiding from your feelings looks like, but I was too mad to ask why. If she learned the truth while digging through her belongings, I understand why she was drunk.

“Now, son, I’ll ask again. How can I help?”

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