Page 130 of Property of Chaos

“As did we all,” Abraham sneers. “I wouldn’t get too cozy with the idea, Vanessa,” he grumbles, leaning forward to set his elbows to knees, hands clasped before him. “I plan to contest this ludicrous document.”

“Ludicrous, how?” Evelyn snaps, releasing my hand to lean forward also. “Because you didn’t get what you wanted?”

“I don’t give weight to the opinion of whores,” he seethes, looking as though he contemplates killing his sister.

She wets her lips and smiles, nodding her head slowly. He wants a fight, and she refuses to give it to him.

She’s stronger than most.

“And as for this harlot,” Abraham gestures to me. “How can you gift wealth and riches to the little bitch who killed her?”

“She fucking died of cancer, you asshole,” Gage snaps. “Because you refused her treatment that could have saved her life.”

“The hell?” My head swivels between the two of them, Abraham now out of his seat, demanding ownership of the room with his height over us all. “What treatment?”

“Tell her,” Gage prompts. “Tell her how youpaidthe fucking doctors to give hersalineinstead of the chemotherapy drugs.”

“The ever-loving fuck?” I stand also.

“Watch your whore mouth,” Abraham roars, finger poking the air in my direction.

“If it’s a whore mouth,” I yell, “it’s because you made it that way.”

“Vanessa?” Evelyn asks, her head pulled back.

“Shut your hole.” My stepfather storms across the room, coming straight for me.

Gage rises between us, body-blocking the abuser.

“What’s the matter?” I ask. Anger at the injustice of my mother’s death overrides any fear I may have in his presence. “Does nobody else know those little secrets? Whydopeople think I left?”

“I’m warning you, you little bitch.” He reaches around Gage, grasping for me. “If you don’t shut your mouth, I’ll do it for you. Permanently.”

I take a step back, calves bumping the chair.

“Wow.” My laugh pierces the air, and I smirk at the fuck. “All these years, I thought they all knew. That they supported you. Do they? Or have I just uncovered why it is you wanted me dead so badly?”

“Vanessa, you fucking keep those lies to yourself.”

Gage pushes Abraham back with both hands, struggling to keep the man off me, even as the lawyer stands, fists leaning on the top of his desk while he hollers at the madness to stop.

Evelyn rises to her feet, hand to the front of my arm, ready to pull me to safety behind her.

“Youdaretry to bring those untruths to light, and I will fuckingdestroyyou. You hear me?”

“You already did,” I seethe. “When you shoved your cock down my throat and told me it was whatallgood girls did to get to Heaven.”

FORTY-FOUR

CHAOS

The soundof yelling comes through the closed doors, too muffled to make out what’s being said. I rise to my feet, Crow doing the same as we lock eyes across the room.

“We doing this?”his gaze asks.

“Fuckin’ oath, we are,”I convey back.

I stride to the door and lean my head closer, straining to make out what’s being said. Crow waits at my shoulder, Circus licking his lips as he slowly rises to his feet.

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