Page 39 of Claimed
The room went silent, probably because everyone shared the same sentiment.
“We have to go see this woman—this madam,” Bryn said.
Katie’s eyes widened with terror.
“It’s okay, Katie. You’re with us now,” Asher said. “We’re going to make their asses pay for what they did to you—whatthey did to us…”
“They’re going to be shitting pennies until the day they die,” Bryn said.
She and Asher smirked at each other. It had always been that way. When the two of them decided on a plan of retribution, there was no stopping them, no point too low to sink to. Hell had to be paid. That was something their father had learned on the night before he took his last breath.
It wasthree hours before midnight when Spencer called them all into the media room to inform themthat Arthur Valentine had been financially neutralized. Spencer had been working with Jasper all along, which was probably why he was behaving more maturely than usual. Randolph had never allowed Spencer to get his hands on the family business. Keeping them afloat was supposed to be Jasper’s job, and Jasper was supposed to pass the torch on to his son—not a daughter, only a son.
Spencerexplained how Arthur Valentine’s father, Conrad, had violated a moral no-contest clause in the last will and testament of Thomas Valentine, the oil baron. Apparently, when Conrad Valentine faked his war-hero story, he’d violated that clause, which meant he had to pay the other inheritors 60 percent of the original distribution amount with 3.7 percent interest, which began accumulating on the dayof the violation.
“So Arthur Valentine is a thousand-aire and not even a millionaire. He’s done.”
Spencer informed them that they still couldn’t leave until they knew for sure that Valentine’s power was neutralized to the point where everyone was safe. But it was too late—Bryn, Katie, and Dale had already made a plan. Bryn had transferred copious amounts of cash into Zach’s bankaccount. At midnight, the three of them, all bundled up and packed for a few days away from home, crept to the barn, saddled up the horses, and rode sixteen miles to the only road that journeyed past their remote location. The horses knew how to follow the trail. Once the three of them had ridden out, they sent the animals back. Asher was to have them put back in the barn, where they would be fedand watered.
As the horses raced up the trail, Bryn was worried. She had given Zach a lot of money on the word of the twin sister she’d just met. What a relief it was to see the black SUV parked at the end of the trail. Not only was he there, but he was also intelligent enough to follow the Google Map pin drop to a T.
Katie and her boyfriend kissed as if they hadn’t seen each otherin years. There was a lot of passion between them—far more than what was between Bryn and Dale. Bryn had to clear her throat to make them stop. Zach then introduced himself, and as they shook hands, he seemed rattled by how identical she was to his girlfriend. He had made all the extra plans they’d discussed—the private plane, the rental car, and the hotel reservations in Nashville.
Andnow, it was the next day, and they were on their way to a candy store on Fifth Avenue to meet a woman named Martha Lamb. According to Gina, she was the madam they were looking for.
The bellson the door jingled when they entered. Bryn felt taller than usual, walking among barrels filled with all sorts of candy. A girl who looked to be in her late teens was behind the counter.
“Welcome,” she sang, doing a double take and smiling when she saw the twins.
When they approached the register, Bryn noticed that the girl was platinumblond, wore a boatload of makeup, and had on a tube top even though it was freezing outside. She was definitely sexualized, which made Bryn wonder if she was a prostitute.
The girl looked caught off guard when all four of them stopped at the counter. “Is there something I can do for you?” she asked. Bryn detected a hint of trepidation in her eyes.
“We’re looking for Martha Lamb,”Dale said.
The girl frowned. “Mrs. Lamb?”
“Yes,” Bryn said.
“She’s not here. How can I help you?”
Dale was about to speak when Bryn raised a hand to keep him quiet. The fastest way to handle the situation was Jasper Christmas style.
“Could you please get Mrs. Lamb on the phone and give her an address?” She looked at Katie. “What’s the address of the house yougrew up in?”
The shop attendant’s eyes grew wide, and they expanded even more when Katie recited the street name and number of the place she used to live. Without another word, the girl started to search the top of the counter. Her hands were shaking when she picked up a phone and hit three numbers on the keypad.
“There are people here to see you.” She paused. “They say it’s about…”She repeated the address. After a moment, she hung up.
Suddenly, the door opened behind the girl, and out came a woman who looked like a pudgy, happy-go-lucky soccer mom next door at first glance, but the longer Bryn glared at her, the more she saw how the lines on her mouth were formed by too much frowning, as was the pucker of skin between her eyes.
“My name is Bryn Christmas,and my father was one of your clients.”
Martha studied them with an intensified frown then finally she scoffed. “Randolph Christmas. I heard he died.”
Bryn sniffed. “If there’s a hell, then that’s where he is.”
The woman kept a straight face.
