Page 150 of Trust Me
“I’ll take that as a yes. Dean Walsh came to you to report that bullshit you had written up months ago, and he passed the files in the thumb drive about the supposed abandoned houses we own? Next week Ryan Nick will hold a press conference exposing my family with this information. Did I get all of that right?”
I don’t wait for his answer.
“Here’s what’s going to happen instead. You’re going to write up a series of eight articles about those houses, since they’re all part of Townsend’s homeless to homeowner charity program. Each article will interview the new homeowner.
“I prefer you pass it along to an all-female staff since you don’t have a problem with having others do your work for you. The first article and interview will run next week on the day after the press conference. One article per week for eight weeks total.
“Once the series is complete, you’ll resign from your position and never seek out a job in this arena again. Is that clear?”
“I-I … it wasn’t m-me.”
“Stop talking, you’re going to give me a headache. Are we clear?”
He nods.
“Good. Get out of my sight.”
Seconds later, Uncle Brutus escorts Hartcliff out of the room.
My father turns to me. “You didn’t even break his nose?”
“Kennedy did that when he tried something on her, remember?”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m going to call her to ream her out for not telling me about it three years ago when the fucker harassed her. Then I’m going to pay him a visit myself.”
“Can’t it wait until after the articles are done?”
He scoffs but agrees. “I need to get up to the office for an eight a.m. meeting.”
“Good.” I nod. “This next visit is more personal.”
A rare expression breaks out on my father’s face. “Make sure this one doesn’t leave unscathed.”
I crack my knuckles. “Don’t worry about that.”
Minutes later, my Uncle Brutus is strolling through the door with Wallace Jr. behind him. My lips spread into a devious smile because this is the real meeting I’ve been waiting for. Hartcliff was a warm-up.
“I thought we were meeting in your office,” Wallace starts. “But this big, burly guy met me at the hotel I’m staying at to bring me here.”
I wait for Uncle Brutus to exit, leaving me and Wallace alone. “Yes, consider it a special Townsend service. We are family after all.”
“What’s with this room?” He looks around. “Your office has to be fancier than this shit.”
“It is.”
Wallace, who had his back to me, spins around. That’s when I punch him in the softest part of his belly. He doubles over.
“What the hell?” he strains to ask, while trying to upright himself.
I don’t let him get that far when I land a right hook to his jaw. “I wouldn’t let you within ten feet of my office. It’s bad enough you were at my fucking home,” I grit out.
He stumbles backward. “This is an attack.”
“No shit,” I say before throwing a jab at his face. The crunching sounds immediately followed by the waterfall of blood out of his nose speaks of the bone break. “You should’ve kept your conniving, lying, stupid ass wherever you were.”
Anger overtakes me and all I can think about is the look in Riley’s eyes last night when Eve and I entered our home. There was fear in them. That accompanied with her immediate insistence that she had no idea he was coming pissed me off. Like she assumed I suspected her of working with him or something.
I know she wouldn’t.