Page 88 of Cold and Broken (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 1)

“Yes. I have everything ready to be sent out in one coordinated wave.” Griff slides a cup of coffee across the counter to me. “Including the admissions offices of all the schools Margaux applied to.”

“Good.” I do not feel one bit of guilt over this. If she would have followed directions this would not be happening to her. “I think we should do it right at the start of the day.”

“Agreed. We’ll be able to see both of their reactions. Did you tell Lilith what we’re doing?”

“No. I want to keep her out of the loop on this one. Protect her from any blow back.” I’m also not entirely sure she’d be completely on board this. Sure she hates Margaux but she also has a big enough heart that she feels bad hurting other people, even when it is deserved. Another reason I have fallen in love with her, that pure heart.

“Morning,” Lev flies through the door with glassy, red eyes and his uniform completely disheveled. He sits at the counter beside me and lays his head on the table, clearly hungover.

“What did you do last night?” Griff asks Lev while he gets a cup of coffee for him.

“Got in an argument with Ivy,” He answers into his hands. “Maybe the worst one yet. She’s never going to give us a chance but then she gets pissed when I bring girls over to the house. I wish she’d say something to Lilith about it, maybe then she’d see it’s not as torrid as she thinks it is. I mean, fuck, she and I go way back before our parents had to go and get fucking married.” He clenches his fists a few times. “Can we set up some fights at the Abyss tonight? I have to hit this agression out.”

“Yeah. After we blast the video I’ll spread the word.” Griff says.

We grab our bags and Griff climbs in my passenger seat. “Fuck, this car is amazing. I surprised my dad hasn’t asked to drive it yet. I saw him salivating over it the other day.”

“He has.” I smirk. “I’m going to let him take it for a spin this weekend.” Yeah, I’m nicer to my friends’ parents then I am my own. Honestly though, Griff’s parents are way more involved in our lives than my or Lev’s parents ever have been.

“Make him sit on a towel. He’ll either piss or jizz in his pants with excitement,” Griff says dryly.

“Noted.” I tap my fingers on the wheel for a few minutes, thinking about what I overheard Sunday night. I haven’t been able to let it go. “Do you think I’m wrong about my dad having an affair and that being why my mom split?”

“Yes,” Griff says with no hesitation.

I do a double take at the surety in his voice. “Really? Why?”

“Victor is not a cheater. He’s not even shady in his business practices. He’s cut throat but you see him coming with the knife. It’s never an attack from behind.”

This is all true.

“That doesn’t mean he hasn’t strayed on my mom.”

“It doesn’t. Have you ever wondered if maybe she was the one who cheated?” I see him steal a glance at me out of the corner of his eye. “You know that maid that quit now lives with her on your family’s estate in Ireland, right?”

“Maybe mom just wanted to keep her as her employee.”

“She’s not working.”

I’m not surprised that Griff has this knowledge, it’s his currency but I wish he’d tell me where it comes from.

“Are you implying that mymomhad and an affair with one of our maids? One of our female maids? My mom is lesbian?” Before the words are even out of my mouth my brain is working over time to find any hints.

“I’m not implying anything just telling you that the facts that I have.”

“I’ve been a huge dick to Victor. Why wouldn’t he set me straight if I was so off the mark?”

“Would you defend yourself against false allegations?” Griff raises an eyebrow at me.

No.

I would fucking not.

“Holy shit.” He could be right. “Can you look into this further? I’m not going to apologize to Victor unless absolutely necessary.” I’m not likely to apologize at all, honestly, but I need to know the truth. It changes things.

“Apologize?” Griff looks at me skeptically. “When have you ever apologized for anything?”

“I apologized to Lilith for being a dick.”

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