Page 179 of Hidden Ties

Kent didn’t have to wonder what the husband and wife were staring at behind him.

“Please, excuse my friends for not knocking,” he said pleasantly. “Anyway, Sage and I are getting married.”

“Sage?” Victoria’s eyes flew to her husband. “I’m not sure …”

Kent gave them a thin smile.

“Please don’t pretend you don’t know who I’m talking about. We all know I’m talking about your daughter-in-law’s sister.”

They both nodded.

“Congratulations. Let me extend my best wishes.” Victoria sounded anything but congratulatory.

“Cool.” Kent decided not to take issue with her lack of warmth. He already knew she was a coldhearted bitch. “Now that we all know who we’re discussing, I’m going to make this short.” He motioned to the couch. “Bradford, if you would be so kind as to take a seat next to your wife; it will make things so much simpler.”

Shaking, Bradford moved to the couch, keeping his eyes toward the back of the room.

Kent opened the envelope and pulled out a legal document and ink pen. “All I need is your signature on this document, reimbursing Glory Ashwood for the legal fees she has had to spend retaining custody of her two daughters. The document under that, if you flip the page,” he instructed them, “you will see the next document states you will cease any visitation the court has ordered, explaining you no longer have any desire to maintain a relationship with your granddaughters.”

Victoria glowered at him haughtily. “You can make me sign under duress, but it won’t be legal. My lawyers can have these documents voided.”

The bitch actually snapped her fingers at him. That was going to cost her the ring he had been going to let her keep. Saving that for later, he continued instead of breaking her fingers.

“Your lawyers will tell you to shut up and thank me for the offer I’m giving you.”

“Thank you …?Are you insane?” she screeched at him.

“Victoria, shut up,” Bradford whispered to his wife.

“I’m not going to shut up! They aren’t going to kill us. We have security cameras all throughout the house.”

Kent didn’t turn around. “Do they, Jackal?”

“Nope, the Internet seems to be jammed.”

“It doesn’t matter, anyway. We’re just having a friendly chat. Aren’t we, Bradford?”

Bradford nodded his head vigorously.

“Now, where were we?” Kent pointed to the paperwork Bradford was holding. “The third document states that you will gift your son’s widow a generous three hundred thousand dollars.”

“I won’t give her one penny!” Victoria slammed her hand down on the couch cushion. “She’s the reason my son is dead.”

Kent wanted to strangle the lying bitch, but he had promised himself not to murder her if he didn’t have to. He planned to be in Colby’s and Tinsley’s life, and he didn’t want their grandparents’ deaths on his hands if he could find another recourse.

“The only person responsible for your son’s death is you,” he said chillingly. “I have the police report of the officer who arrived first on the scene on the night your son’s house caught on fire. Glory and Denny’s next-door neighbor saw a woman come to their door right before the fire broke out. The officer took down a good description of the woman and placed it in the file. The only reason the police didn’t look into it further was because Glory had accepted the blame. The candles had started the fire, just asGlory had said, and the fire department did collaborate that with their findings.

“Jackal went to talk to the neighbor. She still lives there, by the way. Mrs. Yardly was very informative. She said she was willing to testify she didn’t see any candlelight or flames until the woman visiting had left.”

“I don’t care what she saw. There is no proof I was ever there! Anyone could have walked in the way they kept their door unlocked.”

“Victoria …” Bradford looked at his wife as if he had never seen her before. “Tell me you didn’t kill our son!”

Kent almost felt sorry for the man but couldn’t. If Bradford had cared anything for his son, he would have made sure Glory and his grandchildren were taken care of, not tried to break them apart.

Anguish filled Victoria’s expression. “It was an accident. I went over there because I was angry Denny wouldn’t let me keep the girls. They let Sage keep them instead of their grandmother …” A smothered sob escaped Victoria. “I heard them in the bedroom. I lit a couple of the candles. I swear I was going to go in there and show them how irresponsible they were for leaving the candles … Before I could, one of them caught fire on a napkin. It happened so fast … I left …”

Kent turned. The Predators were strategically circling the room. They all held the same revolted expression as he did.

---