Page 106 of Between Now and Always

“What are you talking about? Cameron is your daughter,” I shout at her.

“Just do what we ask, and you’ll be fine,” my father says.

“What? Marry Duke? I’d rather die,” I spit my disgust and Duke laughs.

“Don’t worry Beth, all I want is the money. That’s all we’ve ever wanted.”

I look at my father and grandmother, both of them now sitting on the loveseat under the window, watching like the morally bankrupt emperor and empress watching their enemies destroy each other.

“You’re fine with your wife having an affair?” I ask him.

He glances at her with complete disinterest and then shrugs.

“She’s proved more useful as a collaborator than a wife. He’s welcome to her and their share of the money that will become his when he marries you. I just want to make sure the Wolfe fortune doesn’t fall into your incompetent hands.” His smile is cold, cruel as he watches me expectantly. Maybe he’s hoping, I’ll scream or cry or beg.

I don’t even blink. I’m ahead of him, again. He doesn’t know that we found out the truth about the will. He is misleading Fiona and Duke because they still think marrying me is the way to the fortune.

“So, that’s your plan?” I say with as much disdain and ridicule I can muster

Fiona sneers. “I forget you’re slow. We toldyou. You’re going to marry Duke, sign over that money to us. And then you can go. Or you can fight us, and your friend over there is going to find her limp fingers on the trigger of the gun in my purse. I’ll help her pull the trigger, set the house on fire before she shoots herself. Then, you’ll be dead. Either way, Duke we’ll have our money.”

I glance at Dina, and hate the way my heart trips at the thought of the scenario she just talked about playing out.

I need to stall for time. I test the bindings at my wrist and almost laugh when my fingers brush up against the smooth cotton of a bedsheet. It’s tied, but it’s not the gripping knot of rope that I’d have no hope of working loose.

“So when I leave here, you think I’ll just never look back?”

“We’ll ruin your boyfriend. He paid us for those pictures, tell him thanks for that, by the way. But we’ve got copies.”

At the reminder of their extortion my anger spikes.

These people are such fucking cowards. For all their privilege, they still have never found anything more important than money they didn’t earn. They’re lazy and full of shit and even if I die today, I won’t ever be afraid of them.

“Get on with it, Fiona. We just need an unimpeachable signature and we’ll be done,” Agnes drones, sounding about as bothered as someone running late for lunch.

It’s time to see what happens when they realize they’re being double crossed.

“So, have you told them the truth about the will?” I look at my father.

He looks startled and then his expression smooths.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, so you haven’t, I see. I guess I don’t blame you.”

I turn go look at them. “ You didn’t bother to even read the terms of the will you’re prepared to kill for. You don’t deserve a single penny anyway. Good plan, Dad.” I give him an approving smile.

I don’t expect Fiona to believe me, at least not right away. But Duke, takes the bait, immediately.

“What does that mean?” he asks, looking pointedly at my father.

“Ignore her. She’s lying,” he snaps.

“Oh, I’m not lying. And it’s easy to prove it if I am. Show them the will.”

“What does it say, Drew?” Fiona says, her voice growing dark with menace.

“Ican tell you. It says that once I get married, any money I may have inherited goes tohim,” I say cheerily.

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