percent of the company outright. Right now, I’m looking for anything I can use to make Samuel sign over the remaining forty and the house.”
“Your family problems are no concern of mine,” Emmitt replies stiffly. “That whole damn place could burn to the ground and I wouldn’t even blink.”
I shrug. I’ve given it the best shot I have. “I never did anything to you, Emmitt. Not me. I’ve scoured every document in the archives. There’s not a slip of paper that I haven’t looked over to see if I could find a shred of proof that your great grandfather had bought into Fire Creek. If it ever existed, it’s gone now.”
“Actually,” Bennett interrupts. “It’s not. We have it.”
I shake my head. I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing. I’ve been working like a damned fool looking for something and they’ve had it all along. “What? Why the hell haven’t you done anything with it?”
“The man wants to destroy his family business, let him,” Emmitt answers. “We don’t want it. The very idea of that place leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It destroyed our great-grandfather. Our grandfather lived like a beggar because of it, and our father died consumed with finding proof of it. I hate that damn place… and I don’t have a lot of love for its occupants.”
“Emmitt,” Bennet says cautiously. “I trust him. If we give him this, it gets us all something we want.”
“What’s that?” Emmitt demands. He’s clearly unimpressed with the conversation.
“Freedom,” I reply. I don’t know what it means to them, but to me, it means that I get my life back. I get to spend time with my wife and my daughter and not worry about prison sentences. It means I don’t have to live every day prepared to kill my own father just to save the people I love from him. “It gets Samuel Darcy as far out of the picture as I can get him without digging him a grave. It gives Mia and Bennett a chance to make things right.”
Emmitt looks at Bennett. I can’t say he’s softening. I don’t that that word will ever be able to be applied to him. But there’s less open hostility and that’s a good sign. “All this for that damned girl?” he asks.
“The only girl,” Bennett answers and there’s not a shred of doubt or hesitation in his voice. “But also, it’s the right thing to do. Trust me, Emmitt.”
Emmitt makes a disgusted sound and slams the door in our faces. Maybe I’d counted my chickens too soon. Son of a bitch.
“That was an epic waste of time,” I say and turn back toward my car.
Bennett doesn’t move, just stands there at the door. “Just wait.”
Not even a full minute later, the door opens again and Emmitt shoves a heavy file folder at Bennett. “Do what you want with it. I’m tired of that shit taking up space.”
The door slams again, the lights go off, and we’re left standing on the porch in the dark. I don’t even know what the hell just happened.
I look up at Bennett, barely able to make him out in the pitch black. “Is he always like that?”
“No,” Bennett replies smoothly. “He was actually in a pretty good mood tonight.”
I’m shaking my head in amazement. Unable to really process what just happened. “So what is all that?” I ask gesturing pointlessly in the dark toward the folder.
“Sworn affidavits, signed, witnessed, and notarized from the county clerk who was in office when, in 1962, your grandfather bribed him to make the original contract between him and our grandfather disappear. Your father was present,” Bennett replies.
Holy fucking hell. They’ve been sitting on something that would have entitled them to strip Fire Creek right out of our hands and they’ve never made a move. What the hell else have they been sitting on?
“That’s a thick folder for one document.”
Bennett grins. In the darkness, I can just see the faint gleam of his too-white teeth. “That’s only one thing your family did to ours. There’s the property taxes
“Your family problems are no concern of mine,” Emmitt replies stiffly. “That whole damn place could burn to the ground and I wouldn’t even blink.”
I shrug. I’ve given it the best shot I have. “I never did anything to you, Emmitt. Not me. I’ve scoured every document in the archives. There’s not a slip of paper that I haven’t looked over to see if I could find a shred of proof that your great grandfather had bought into Fire Creek. If it ever existed, it’s gone now.”
“Actually,” Bennett interrupts. “It’s not. We have it.”
I shake my head. I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing. I’ve been working like a damned fool looking for something and they’ve had it all along. “What? Why the hell haven’t you done anything with it?”
“The man wants to destroy his family business, let him,” Emmitt answers. “We don’t want it. The very idea of that place leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It destroyed our great-grandfather. Our grandfather lived like a beggar because of it, and our father died consumed with finding proof of it. I hate that damn place… and I don’t have a lot of love for its occupants.”
“Emmitt,” Bennet says cautiously. “I trust him. If we give him this, it gets us all something we want.”
“What’s that?” Emmitt demands. He’s clearly unimpressed with the conversation.
“Freedom,” I reply. I don’t know what it means to them, but to me, it means that I get my life back. I get to spend time with my wife and my daughter and not worry about prison sentences. It means I don’t have to live every day prepared to kill my own father just to save the people I love from him. “It gets Samuel Darcy as far out of the picture as I can get him without digging him a grave. It gives Mia and Bennett a chance to make things right.”
Emmitt looks at Bennett. I can’t say he’s softening. I don’t that that word will ever be able to be applied to him. But there’s less open hostility and that’s a good sign. “All this for that damned girl?” he asks.
“The only girl,” Bennett answers and there’s not a shred of doubt or hesitation in his voice. “But also, it’s the right thing to do. Trust me, Emmitt.”
Emmitt makes a disgusted sound and slams the door in our faces. Maybe I’d counted my chickens too soon. Son of a bitch.
“That was an epic waste of time,” I say and turn back toward my car.
Bennett doesn’t move, just stands there at the door. “Just wait.”
Not even a full minute later, the door opens again and Emmitt shoves a heavy file folder at Bennett. “Do what you want with it. I’m tired of that shit taking up space.”
The door slams again, the lights go off, and we’re left standing on the porch in the dark. I don’t even know what the hell just happened.
I look up at Bennett, barely able to make him out in the pitch black. “Is he always like that?”
“No,” Bennett replies smoothly. “He was actually in a pretty good mood tonight.”
I’m shaking my head in amazement. Unable to really process what just happened. “So what is all that?” I ask gesturing pointlessly in the dark toward the folder.
“Sworn affidavits, signed, witnessed, and notarized from the county clerk who was in office when, in 1962, your grandfather bribed him to make the original contract between him and our grandfather disappear. Your father was present,” Bennett replies.
Holy fucking hell. They’ve been sitting on something that would have entitled them to strip Fire Creek right out of our hands and they’ve never made a move. What the hell else have they been sitting on?
“That’s a thick folder for one document.”
Bennett grins. In the darkness, I can just see the faint gleam of his too-white teeth. “That’s only one thing your family did to ours. There’s the property taxes
Similar Books
