Page 22 of Whiskey's Redemption

“She’s going to be pissed at you, Whiskey. You know your sister. She’s going to fucking lose it on you for not showing.”

Don’t I know it. “Can’t avoid it.”

Sighing into the phone, I know Harlow is biting her tongue. When Harlow’s being the sane one, you know shit is fucked.

“Jamieson Crown, you’ll owe me an explanation for why I’m lying to your sister if she asks me.”

Yeah, I know that, too. “Tell her I’ll call her later if she needs a rundown.”

“You owe me, gorgeous. Don’t think I’ll forget it. I’ll come calling, and you’ll pony up, Mister.”

I know that, too. “Thanks, Harlow. Gottago.” Hanging up, leaning on the bank of windows, I try my best to control the steam rising in my soul.

Fuck, I hate this. I’m not sure why the lawyers even want to see me. Being cut out of the will years ago, it’s had no impact on me at all. None of it makes a difference in my life anyway. I’ll fly home, hit the snow and never look back. Maybe that’s part of the problem, Iwon’tlook back. My brother and sister are fair weather riders, where I’m a snow and cold kind of guy. We’ll never see each other unless we make the effort to travel.

Closing off my mind to the possible reasons as to why they want to see me, I head out to deal with the sharks—I mean, lawyers.

Driving down to their office, my mind is a blur of thoughts. I’ve done everything I can to ignore the death that surrounds me. I’ve tried to be strong. I’ve tried to keep it together forthem. Wyatt can’t deal with this shit, his mind is made up of fragile walls at best, and if last night is any indication, China’s hanging on by a thread, too.

I hope her shit goes well today. I wish to hell I was there for her. Yeah, lawyers are assholes, that’s a given, but why subpoena me for the same time? It’s like they want us separated.

Maybe that’s it. They want us apart, divided.

Damn, I’m gonna have to be on my toes today.

~~~~~~~~~

Traffic was evil. Snarling through every street, I reached the office with only twenty minutes to spare. Looking up at the glass and steel monstrosity, all I see is a temple to power. The gleaming brightness of it reminds me of how much I hate the heat. It bounces off the building, creating steaming tendrils of tangible California sunshine. Walking in, the strong air conditioning cools me instantly, thankfully.

“Hello, Mr. Crown,” the young woman behind the front desks greets me. Her candy sweet smile beams as she sits up just a touch straighter.

Jelly bean, fender bender girl. “Nice to see you again,” I tell her, then ask, “How’s the car?”

She grins. “Dinged, but that’s what it’s for.” Rising from behind the desk, she motions for me to walk with her. “They’re waiting for you in the meeting room.”

I don’t want to drag this out, I want it over fast, so I follow as directed, even as I rail against it internally. “My mom can’t meet with you today as she’s in court—”

“With my sister. Yeah, I know. I’m supposed to be there, too.”

Grimacing slightly, she continues on. “Sorry about that.” With a soft knock on the door ahead of us, she turns the knob and moves to the side for me to enter first. “I’m sure they didn’t expect—”

“Kimmy!” a sharp voice calls out from the interior of the room, effectively cutting her off. Watching her sweet smile disappear from the quick reprimand, Kimmy steps away, closing the door behind her without another word.

Turning to address the boisterous gentleman at the end, I decide to wait. He doesn’t deserve it yet. I look around the room instead of giving him my attention. It’s exactly what I’d expect a lawyer’s meeting room to contain. Sparsely decorated, the room is devoid of character—no artwork, neutral walls, a long black and steel table, and chairs spaced perfectly along each side. Regimented and stark. Not very inviting at all.

Clearing his throat, attempting to garner a reaction, he speaks. “Jamieson. Glad you could meet with us. I’m Carter Kelly, and this is Miss Mann.”

Yeah, I want this over, but I’m not going to let them think I’m glad to do it. “Not much of a choice when you subpoena me. And I’m Mr. Crown to you. Now, tell me why I’m here.”

With of wave of his hand, Mr. Kelly motions for me to join him and the young woman in attendance at the end. He sits at the head of the table, expressly meant to show power, as she sits on the right of him. His comb-over is stringy. His dark red complexion shows horrible blood pressure, and his huffing breath gives away he doesn’t care for his health. She on the other hand is well kept, with curly hair that’s neat, a nice pant suit that is tailored but loose fitting, and a sweet demeanor.

Rising, grinning tightly, she pulls out a chair a few down from her side. Instead of taking the offered chair, I walk down the opposite side to select one directly across. Pulling it out, sitting with a ‘fuck you’ smile, I look for a reaction from the pasty man.

Sucking in a breath, he narrows his gaze. “Thank you again for coming down here. We have a few things to discuss, and I hope you don’t mind giving us a few moments of your time.”

“I’d rather be with my sister, so let’s get on with it,” I say sharply.

“As you suggest.” He flips open a file. “You know that the late Jaxon and Marca Crown had adjusted their wills a few years back. If you remember, you left abruptly during the meeting. As they were still in charge of their full affairs, Jaxon felt it was best to leave you alone and readdress the subject at a later date. The later date was unfortunately—”

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