Page 50 of Claimed
Jasper flexed his jaw while staring at Bryn. “Everyone who’s part of production, get out.” His tone reflected a sort of constrained rage.
There was no doubt that he meant business. His presence was so threatening that even I wanted no part of what was to come next. But I continued standing by his side, ready to scamper out of the room the moment he asked me to.
Sabrina glancedat Bryn as if she wanted to thank her for the interview, but then she focused on Jasper and seemed to think better of it. When the last person on the production team had left the room, Jasper walked over to pull out a chair and motioned for me to sit down.
My chest was tight with anticipation of what could possibly come next as I sat. Jasper took the seat beside me and leaned forward, settinghis elbows on his knees. His eyes were on Beth. “I’m sorry for what my father did to you.”
Beth watched him as if he were a swarm of deadly bees about to descend on her and sting her to death.
“We’ll pay you restitution,” he said.
Bryn grunted bitterly. When we both turned to her, she was shaking her head.
“That’s your solution? Throw money at this fucking problem?”Bryn asked, snarling.
He threw up his hands. “What more do you want? You just brought our family down.”
“No, I didn’t,” Bryn snapped back. “And you know it. Jasper, if you want, you can stop this whole fucking process. You can make us all out to be liars, and everyone would believe you!”
He was very still for a moment and then sat up straight and readjusted in his seat. Hereleased a pent-up breath. “I’m not going to do that.”
Bryn’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No?”
“No.” He glanced at me then settled his attention back on Katie and Bryn. “The question Sabrina Lowland asked you about Amelia is based on the truth. It seems when you hired Holly to investigate our family, she did a hell of a job.”
Oh gosh.I didn’t know what to say or do. I wishedI could have continued sitting there like a fly on the wall.
“Bryn didn’t want to be imprisoned by your family anymore,” Dale said.
Jasper pointed a finger at him. “Shut the fuck up. You’re lucky she fucking loves you, at least for now.”
“No, you shut the fuck up!” Dale roared back. “And is that a threat?”
Jasper rose to his feet, fists balled, standing like a toweringmenace. “I will toss you the fuck out of here if you say another word.”
Perhaps it was the calm way in which Jasper spoke that made Dale flop his hand at Jasper, shake his head, but keep his mouth closed as he sat. I’d been around Jasper frequently enough to know he didn’t make empty threats.
Jasper composedly retook his seat. “Beth…”
The woman raised her eyebrows. “Um, yeah?”She hacked into her fist.
“Are you currently taking any drugs?” Jasper’s tone was like that of a doctor.
“No,” she said, sounding like a little kid who said she hadn’t done it after getting caught in the middle of a naughty act.
“Are you open to drug-abuse rehabilitation?”
“I’ve been sober for six months,” she said with a nod. It was clear she wanted to convince Jasperthat she wasn’t just a druggie nobody. “I lived a long time on the streets. But now I have this job, and it pays me enough to keep a place where I’m warm, and I have some food in the refrigerator too.”
Jasper’s expression hadn’t change. “Are you willing to enter a proper rehabilitation center?”
This time, Beth nodded more enthusiastically. “Yes, I sure am.”
He looked at thetwo men in the room. “My sisters and their mother are returning to the compound with us.”
“No, we’re not, Jasper,” Bryn said. “Dale and I are going back to LA.”
“Arthur and two other men were in the vicinity earlier. He wants leverage. Until he’s fully neutralized, you, Katie, and Beth will be kept in a secure location. No arguments. You will go of your own volition or not.”
