Page 56 of Forever Filthy

“What did you find?” she hedges.

“Money.”

Her brows furrow. “Huh?”

“The guys thought that they could torture members for intel on Thomas and hey, they did get what they wanted but it wasn’t enough. The Saints have enough money to own the town. Hell, they pretty much do already.”

“I’m not following, Vivian.”

“The only way to truly kill the snake and make sure it never comes back is to take away every resource it has and that’s what I’ve been doing.Ezy Ais a company I opened before I took over the Saints.” Her eyes widen in surprise. “That company has been funneling the income from the Saints and investing in other companies, legitimate companies. Like Lividica, they think with how busy it has been since the grand opening that they are making huge amounts of money. They have even put money into The Brotherhood's accounts to go toward building more hotels just like Lividica.”

“Won’t they know you are ripping them off?”

“No. When the accountants check the bank balance they will see millions of dollars on the screen but it's all smoke and mirrors. The account they are actually viewing is mine.”

Nova gasps and reels back. “Vivian, they will kill you for this!”

“They can’t touch me. The money I have taken from them is already invested and I am already building other hotels. They think they are about to triple their incomes but none of it is under The Brotherhood, it's all under Ezy A. The more money they keep sinking into The Brotherhood means they are emptying their accounts. Once they are all broke they won’t have a leg to stand on. All I have to do is push a button and the remainder of the money's gone. They have all been restless because none of them have seen a return on their revenue but with the promise Lividica has shown and the lies I tell about the new builds costing more money than we thought, they keep buying my lie. David owns an accounting firm and is helping me.He is the only person that knows what I have planned. You can’t tell Vox,” I beg.

“I won’t say anything but, Vi, they would have helped you.”

I shake my head. “No, the money isn’t the only thing,” I admit somberly. She studies me for a long moment then suddenly she gasps and reaches out to place her hand on my arm.

“What the fuck have you done?”

“What I had to do, Nova. They are all killers, they ruined families and destroyed countless lives. We live in a corrupt world and I am the leader of the worst of them. They need to pay for what they have done, so I struck a deal.”

She stares at me with a horrified look on her face. “They won’t let you go, they will need a fall guy.”

I nod, pain washes over me but I push it aside. “I know but I made sure the four of them, our families, yourself and a few members of the Saints that I know and trust will be granted freedom and they will never come after any of you. It’s okay, Nova, I know it’s a cruel existence and it feels like there is no point hoping at all, but I am at peace with my decision.” Tears fill her eyes. I smile sadly, unable to appease her worries more than I have. She reaches for me and wraps her arms around me in a tight hold. I hold her close and breathe in her scent, utterly grateful that she came into my life.

When we arriveat the new house, Nova has her face plastered against the window. Unlike my house, this place is gated, patrolled, bullet proof windows, alarm system, cameras, motion sensors and the rest. This place will make it hard for the fucker to get to me now. Nerves begin to thrum throughme when I climb out of the car and see David standing in the entrance. Nova follows after me.

“Welcome to your new home, Lordess,” David says as he steps aside and lets us pass by. The house isn’t anything overly huge, four bedrooms, two baths, two entertainment areas, heated pool and gym.

“Thank you, David,” I say as we follow after him into the living area. I freeze when I see the box on the little table. David nods confirming that it is what I think it is. Nova stands beside me looking out of place. I grab the box off the table and turn to face her with it in my arms. She looks at it then looks at me and shakes her head.

“I don’t want whatever is in there.”

I scoff and roll my eyes. “This isn’tthat!” I chastise her. She just purses her lips. “This is me trying to make my wrong right. I couldn’t let you see Kelly that way, Nova.” Instantly her gaze drops to the box. “David and I had her… cremated.” I tense in preparation for her to rage and yell at me for making that decision for her. I warred with it for a long time given the fact Vox cremated Waylen without her consent as well.

She shakily reaches out and lifts the lid to expose the cream colored urn, she reaches in and pulls it out. I had it engraved for her as well, on the front of the urn it reads.

Kelly Quinlin,

Beloved mother of Nunu.

A mother holds their child’s hand for a while,

But, she holds their hearts forever.

Rest peacefully, until we meet again.

4221…

Tears roll downher cheeks unchecked as she rubs her thumbs over the inscription. I look to David for confirmation that I did the right thing. He smiles and nods, then silently excuses himself to give us some time alone.

“I never needed friends because I had her,” she chokes out. “When Waylen came into my life I thought everything was perfect. I had my mom and my best friend and that was all I needed. When she met Thomas I was happy for her because it was the first time she had ever done something for herself. She revolved her whole life around me and she never complained once.”

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