Page 127 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“How does it feel to have no choice?” Elise said. “This is how I feel being married to you. That you control it all. That you don’t let me have what I want.”

“You’re drunk and you don’t know what you’re doing,” her father said.

“I don’t know why you have this gun. I found it a few months ago when I was looking for the password to your accounts. Are you afraid of your wife?” Elise asked, almost taunting him and waving it around.

“Put the gun down,” her father said.

Elise pointed the gun at herself and cried. “What is wrong with me? Why don’t you love me like you used to? Why don’t you shower me with gifts anymore?”

“Elise. I love you. Even when I hate you like this, I still love you. You need help.”

“I don’t need help,” Elise shouted and pointed the gun back to her father, her hand shaking this time.

Her father started to slowly move closer with his hand out. “Just give it to me,” her father said. “You need to sleep it off.”

Her father was close enough that he lunged for the gun to get it and the two of them were fighting over it. Her father managed to get it away and she held her breath while Elise screamed, “You’re a fucking coward!”

Her father walked away toward his office and she realized the fatal mistake was him turning his back. Her lower lip started to tremble and she was terrified she was going to start choking on her grief.

Elise attacked her father from behind, knocked him down, got the gun, and then fired, hitting her father in the chest.

Justine pushed her chair back to get up and escape but saw Elise drop the gun and rush to her father’s aide.

The damage was done and Justine was running out of the office trying not to throw up.

39

KNOW THE TRUTH

Garrett was up quickly and dashing after Justine.

Karly had paused the video and was talking to Jordan.

He saw Justine running down the hall toward the bathroom, caught up with her, and brought her in. He didn’t care if there were other women in there or not.

“Deep breaths,” he said calmly.

“Fuck the breaths,” she said. “I just watched my father get murdered on video.”

She was sobbing and he pulled her into his arms. “Shhhh,” he said. “I know. I know. It’s hard. You knew it was coming. Jordan is right. You needed to see it yourself. You needed to know the truth.”

“He didn’t deserve that,” she said, crying and holding onto his shirt as if it was the only thing anchoring her to stay upright.

He wanted her to sit down, but there was nowhere that he felt was sanitary to do in here. He would not let her sit on the tile floor.

The door opened and he turned to see his cousin Hailey Bond Knight come in. “Bring her to my office to lie down,” Hailey said. “Come on.”

He helped Justine walk and shielded her from any eyes, but there weren’t many.

He passed Roark’s office and moved with Hailey a few doors down.

“Thanks,” he said when he sat with Justine on the couch.

“I don’t know what to do,” she said. She hiccuped as she tried to catch her breath. He didn’t want her to pass out.

“You’re going to lie down and I’m going to get you whatever you want to drink,” Hailey said. “Then we are going to leave you alone in here or we can get your sister on the phone. You need a few minutes alone.”

“I’ll stay with her,” he rushed out to say.

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