Page 113 of Roots of the Wicked

James was smart enough to take a few more careful steps back. Amanda’s yells continued in the background as Chase’s murderous gaze held his father in place. James lifted his hand in surrender.

“Chase, I couldn’t allow you to expose a five-billion-dollar empire to just anyone? When I noticed how serious you two were about each other, I had to intervene.” He cast his gaze in my direction. “No offense Jax, I like you because you’re smart and you’re not afraid to work, but you don’t have enough clout to be a good match for my son.”

“What the hell are you talking about with your crazy ass?”

James ignored me and my question and concentrated on Chase. My fist tightened, ready to punch Amanda in her mouth, if she didn’t shut the fuck up with her useless yelling that no one cared about.

“There is only one place Amanda could have gotten your gun, and that’s from your bedroom. You’re a despicable son-of-a-bitch. Let me guess. You allowed this woman to get ahold of your gun, then send her to pick up Jax.” Chase took another step closer, dragging me along now, as his father took two more steps back.

“Heather Amanda NewCastle. Does her surname ring any bells to you?” James asked Chase.

“I don’t have time for riddles. You better tell us what the hell is going on before I do something I can’t take back.”

“Heather’s the daughter of Lieutenant Governor, Herbert NewCastle.”

“So what?” I blurted. “I don’t have a single fuck to give about whose daughter she is. The bitch kidnapped me at gunpoint and belongs in a mental facility.”

Chase’s mind must have latched on to something because he shook a stiff finger at his father.

“You’re at it again. You’re the reason Amanda kept getting to the top of my dating list. She didn’t have the privilege of being raised by you, so she had no idea that you were using her. Blake married who you chose for him. Now, you want me to marry Lt. Governor NewCastle’s daughter, so you can somehow claw your way into more power.”

My teeth bit into my lip, still aching to rip the man apart. This was all about power. He was pimping his son out to a possible soon to be Governor’s daughter. Was this a taste of the kind of lessons, and overbearing guidance Chase was exposed to growing up? He’d mentioned on several occasions how tough a son-of-a-bitch his father had been.

How had Chase turned out so normal, if this was who had raised him? Without his mother’s influence there’s a good chance that he would have probably turned out just like Blake.

“Nothing about what you’ve done is right, yet you stand your balled-up ass there like you’re the god of all decisions. You’re a delusional, power-hungry dick-faced asshole!” I shouted, somehow hoping my words had the power to punch his ass in the face.

James cut his eyes at me. Chase was good at holding his piece, but I wasn’t. James made me look normal, when I’d believed myself broken beyond repair.

“Let me guess. You’re plan was to break me and Jax up so that I could marry Heather? The only reason you would have for wanting to talk to Jax alone would be to get her on board with whatever sick plan you’ve hatched. Has it ever occurred to you that the Lt. Governor is using you for your money? His daughter marries me, and he gains exposure to an endless supply of campaign money.”

“Son, this would be an excellent opportunity on your part as well. This endeavor can groom you for a possible seat in the government. Your celebrity status would make it an easy transition.”

“Are you serious right now?” I asked James, not wanting to believe it, but knew he wasn’t joking. It appeared he wanted to live Chase’s life for him, or better yet, live his life through Chase. I glanced at Chase and started talking while James was in the middle of his sentence.

“Is this the twisted kind of bullshit you’ve had to deal with all your life?”

Chase nodded while staring daggers at his father.

“Hey asshole!” I called out to James whose gaze was reminiscent of Blake’s. I pointed at my stomach. “I’m pregnant with Chase’s child. How did you think a marriage with another woman was going to factor into your fucked up equation?”

Off a deep sigh he shook his head. “The pregnancy was never supposed to happen, but what’s politics without some scandals? Besides, you’re carrying a Taylorson now, you would have more privilege in his life than some wife. With Chase as his son-in-law, Herbert would be a shoo-in for governor. In return, he would groom Chase.”

James said all this with a straight face. Like this type of twisted shit was normal. Amanda’s angry scowl revealed that she was getting a true depiction of what she’d wanted so badly to buy into.

“James, you’re a fucking lunatic. You’re the kind of crazy that runs too deep to be reasoned with. I’ll climb through the fires of hell before I let you anywhere near this baby, and that’s a fucking promise,” I spit the words so intensely at him, I forced Chase to recapture me.

Chase aimed an angry finger at James as he struggled to contain himself.

“So let me get this straight. You and Herbert, your golfing buddy, if I’m remembering correctly, planned this. Use me and your money to help him become Governor. In return , you get to run the state for him, playing him like the puppet you would turn him into. Then, groom me for politics to keep the power train rolling.”

James didn’t look bothered by Chase’s breakdown of his plans.

“You think you’re helping me? How far does this go? The drone, my signature, sabotaging our efforts to find you out, exposing my private phone calls, digging up an illegal video to threaten Jax, and sending someone to break into her apartment.” Chase shook his head in disbelief. The man he assumed was helping us, had been manipulating the hell out of us the whole time.

Angry tears streamed down my cheeks, as I prayed for Chase to let me go, so I could beat the shit out of this old man and pray for forgiveness later. I thought Blake was a snake, but he was at least man enough to tell me to my face what he thought.

“Yes, to the drone, but I recently discovered that Amanda has kept a key she made to your penthouse years ago and must have found a way to record your phone conversations. I didn’t hire anyone to break into Jax’s apartment either.”

All eyes landed on Amanda.

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