Page 128 of Property of Chaos

Warm lips press against my temple. “You can call it quits and leave any time you want. Nobody controls this but you.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the preppy asshole with fashionable black-rimmed glasses says. “Thank you for waiting.”Not that we were here that long.“Counsellor Kuniss and Mr. Faith are ready for thoseinvitedto the reading.” He stresses the word, narrowing his focus on the extra men in the room.

The minions look to the bikers, who glare right back at them.

It’d be comical if I weren’t ready to snatch the assistant’s trashcan and heave my near-empty guts.

Evelyn moves first, head held high, as my phone vibrates in my pocket. Chaos glances down when I anchor myself to the spot, tugging it free to see a message from Marianna.

You got this, babe. I’m so proud of you!!

Fuck it.I have goddamn mascara on and eyeshadow that took me ten fucking minutes to get right—on one eye. I amnotgoing to cry.

“You want to leave?” Chaos whispers, hand sliding to cup the side of my neck.

I tilt my head back and meet his eyes, falling in love again with this complete paradox of a man. “No. I’m good.”

I’m better than good. I’m fucking alive and winning because I have people who love me.

People who care.

People who want to be there for me without expecting anything in return.

Without me needing to earn it first.

“This won’t take long.” I press up on my toes and plant a quick kiss on his beautiful mouth. “See you soon.”

My heart thunders, pressing hard against my chest wall as I walk into the office. Evelyn lifts her arm, snaring my attention and ushering me to her side on the left of the large oak desk. I walk toward her with short steps, not trusting my legs to carry my weight properly and take her outstretched hand as I lower myself to the seat.

My chest knots painfully when I see him, phantom pain shooting down my arms.Fuck.

“Daughter.” Abraham tilts his head as he regards me from his position strategically to the lawyer’s left. As though this ishisgoddamn meeting.Hisblood relation he speaks for.

“I am not your daughter.” I fight to keep my voice level. “And I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from speaking directly to me for the rest of this meeting.”

Evelyn squeezes my hand.

He looks so much older—Abraham—and I don’t know why the hell that surprises me. Almost two decades have passed since I last saw his face. Since I last suffered the sound of his voice. Why the fuck did I think he wouldn’t have changed?

He looks…frail. And I love that for him.

“We’ll keep this brief,” the lawyer pontificates from his oversized chair central behind the equally oversized desk. “There’s a lot of tension in this room. A lot that needs to be said. But today is not the day for hatred. We’re here to remember the life of?—“

“I’m sorry,” Evelyn interjects. “But is this a will reading or a fucking celebration of life? Because I’m sure the latter has already occurredwithouther family in attendance, and to pretend that this is what that is now is quite frankly an insult.”

The lawyer leans back, jowls wobbling as he checks his rage at her outburst.

I squeeze her hand.

“If you could please compose yourself, Ms. Faith.” He slams a hand down on the leather top of the desk. “Perhaps this isn’t a courtroom, but I sure like to think we can hold ourselves in the same esteem as one and obey simple etiquette.”

“Please dismiss the far side of the room,” Abraham intones. “They hold savage, corrupted hearts.”

Yeah—by you, you fucking asshole.

“Proceed.” He sets a hand on the back of the lawyer’s.

So simple. Such dominance.

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