Page 117 of Hide From Me

“Who’s your friend again?”

Grandpa Whitehall was not a patient man, that was certain.

“Just sign the papers, you little bitch. All I need is that DNA sample and these papers. You can go on to live your life in squaller after that.”

I tilted my head.

“A, my life really isn’t in squaller. B, I assumed you would be killing me. You know, like you killed everyone else. I assume you were the one to chase my mother into oncoming traffic, or am I wrong?”

I don’t think that I’d inherited my mother’s side when it came to evil looks. Grandpa just didn’t do evil well.

“Look, I’m sure we’re related and all, but I don’t see why I have to sign anything. As you said, I’m poor. Not like squallerpoor, but, well, my apartment would fit in the bathroom kind of poor.”

My head whipped to the side as a slap cracked across my cheek.

I’d been tied to the chair as most of my appendages had woken up, so there was no fighting anything off and no rubbing away the sting. No slapping that stupid sweater vest guy back.

“That was rude. This is my first family reunion, and here you are, getting all mad at me for wanting to bond with Grandpa here.”

Finally sweater vest spoke.

“Your mother was smart. Figured out what was happening before we could get to her. You? Well, you have her smart mouth. I still don’t know where she met that gangbanger, but she hid herself well for a while. Once we figured out where’d she’d gone and let him know she was worth millions, well, let’s just say he didn’t do a great job of keeping her locked up until we could retrieve her.”

I eyed the guy. I kind of wanted more information. I sort of wanted to know who he was. Maybe I would just listen for once.

He took my silence as something positive, I guessed, because he kept talking.

“Your mother’s death was unfortunate, but it was her choice.”

I glanced at the ropes.

“Was it really her choice?” I asked.

He sneered.

“His bad guy look is better than yours, Grandpa. You sure I’m not related to him?”

Another crack broke the silence as he slapped me.

“Good, now both sides are even. I don’t really know why I’d wished I’d had family all this time. No wonder mom left.Between you two and my aunt? I’m good at being poor. Take the millions. I’m not claiming it.”

As if the paper was what was offending him, he took it and shook it in my face.

“I’d love to. But your bitch of a grandmother was too smart for her own good. It was supposed to go to your mother, but she ran away. The trust has provisions that it must go to a female heir in her bloodline, and that is you. Sign the papers.”

I wiggled my hands.

“Right. Well, you’d have to untie me.”

He nodded to the guy in the vest.

“Wait. If I do, can I leave?”

He smirked, and I didn’t like it.

“I can assure you, once this is signed, I will cause you no more issues in the future.”

I was thinking about what he said. No more issues in the future. Sweater vest was untying my wrist.