Page 5 of Ruthless Legacy

Holden

It’s been a week since we watched the video of Thea’s attack. I’ve gathered all the videos I can find and spliced them together into what I think is a relatively accurate timeline of events. There are still a lot of gaps to fill in, but I’m working on it.

We’re all in agreement that it’s easier to rip the bandaid off, and give Thea the video. We’ve also agreed Pax being there when we do would only make the situation harder than it already is.

Finn and I are standing outside her door. We want to minimize her discomfort, and her room is a safe and familiar space, so it’s the best place to watch it.

She answers the door wearing jeans and no shirt. It’s been a week since Finn and I shared her. A week since she was coming on my cock and clawing at me like it was the best cock that’s ever fucked her. We haven’t seen much of her this week and even though I missed her, I’m glad we had the distance while I worked.

“Did the both of you show up for a morning hook up?” She shrugs and starts unfastening her bra. “Yay, me.”

Finn sighs. “I hope you’re still this enthusiastic about stripping for us after you see what we have to show you.”

“I’ve already seen your dicks. I think we’re good on that front.”

I muffle a groan. This is going to be harder than I thought. Finn walks up and kisses her. I fight the urge to do the same. It would feel too much like a goodbye. No matter how she feels after watching this, we’re not ending things.

Finn assures her, “I want you to know we’re gonna get to the bottom of this. I promise.”

Looking over at me, she asks, “What’s he talking about?”

I love that she looks to me for answers. That she always includes me in the conversation, even when we’re in the dining hall, when she knows I probably won’t answer. There’s no one else around, and I like sharing my words with Thea. I hold up my tablet. “We have some footage to show you. You don’t have to look at it if you don’t want to. We can just tell you what’s in it.”

“What’s in the video? Who’s in the video?”

“You’re in the video.”

She glares at me. “Did you two make a porno of us?”

I wish it were that. Fuck, how I wish that was what was on it. “It’s not a home movie. It’s from…” Now would be a good time for me to suddenly stop talking, but I don’t. I get it out. If anyone’s gonna hurt Thea. It’s gonna be me. It’s always gonna be me. “The footage is from your attack on Mayhem Night.”

She folds her arms against her chest and curls her upper body forward, as if protecting herself from an attack. “Where did it come from, and how did you get it?”

I don’t like the note of suspicion in her voice. Iexpectedit, but I don’t like it.

Finn scrubs a hand through his hair. “I walked in on Eloise and Pax, watching it last week. She had a snippet on her phone and I had Holden hack her cloud and find the entire video.”

“Eloise and Pax?” Her voice is strained. “Of course they’d have this information.”

She turns and walks into her room. Finn and I follow her inside.

I repeat my statement. “Thea, you don’t need to look at it. We can tell you what’s in it, and I know what you’re probably thinking about Pax right now. He wasn’t there. This video proves it.”

“I’m sure it does. How long did it take for you to edit him out?”

So suspicious, yet it’s a valid question. If this were anything else. Anyone else, and Pax was there, I would edit him out of the frames. But I wouldn’t do that to her, not after seeing what she was going through.

“It’s everything I could find. I put the clips in order based on the timestamps in the metadata, and there’s evidence that the longest videos were spliced and segments removedbeforeI got ahold of them. Eloise said she received a copy of the video file she had from an anonymous source.”

Thea sits on the couch, Finn on one side of her. I take the other and place the tablet in her outstretched hands. Her voice is flat. Almost bored when she lowers the tablet to her lap, and says, “I’ll catch up to you later.”

“Pet, we’re here for you, no matter how long you need us.”

“What I need, Finn, is privacy.”

If I were watching video footage of the traumatic moments of my life, I wouldn’t want witnesses, either. I climb to my feet. “Let’s go Finn.”

He wants to complain, but we’ve already discussed doing whatever she requests. Her first request is privacy. He kisses her again. “If it gets too hard, Pet. You call me.”

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