Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Victoria glowered at him haughtily. “You can make me sign under duress, but it won’t be legal. My lawyers can have these documents voided.”
The bitch actually snapped her fingers at him. That was going to cost her the ring he had been going to let her keep. Saving that for later, he continued instead of breaking her fingers.
“Your lawyers will tell you to shut up and thank me for the offer I’m giving you.”
“Thank you …? Are you insane?” she screeched at him.
“Victoria, shut up,” Bradford whispered to his wife.
“I’m not going to shut up! They aren’t going to kill us. We have security cameras all throughout the house.”
Kent didn’t turn around. “Do they, Jackal?”
“Nope, the Internet seems to be jammed.”
“It doesn’t matter, anyway. We’re just having a friendly chat. Aren’t we, Bradford?”
Bradford nodded his head vigorously.
“Now, where were we?” Kent pointed to the paperwork Bradford was holding. “The third document states that you will gift your son’s widow a generous three hundred thousand dollars.”
“I won’t give her one penny!” Victoria slammed her hand down on the couch cushion. “She’s the reason my son is dead.”
Kent wanted to strangle the lying bitch, but he had promised himself not to murder her if he didn’t have to. He planned to be in Colby’s and Tinsley’s life, and he didn’t want their grandparents’ deaths on his hands if he could find another recourse.
“The only person responsible for your son’s death is you,” he said chillingly. “I have the police report of the officer who arrived first on the scene on the night your son’s house caught on fire. Glory and Denny’s next-door neighbor saw a woman come to their door right before the fire broke out. The officer took down a good description of the woman and placed it in the file. The only reason the police didn’t look into it further was because Glory had accepted the blame. The candles had started the fire, just as Glory had said, and the fire department did collaborate that with their findings.
“Jackal went to talk to the neighbor. She still lives there, by the way. Mrs. Yardly was very informative. She said she was willing to testify she didn’t see any candlelight or flames until the woman visiting had left.”
“I don’t care what she saw. There is no proof I was ever there! Anyone could have walked in the way they kept their door unlocked.”
“Victoria …” Bradford looked at his wife as if he had never seen her before. “Tell me you didn’t kill our son!”
Kent almost felt sorry for the man but couldn’t. If Bradford had cared anything for his son, he would have made sure Glory and his grandchildren were taken care of, not tried to break them apart.
Anguish filled Victoria’s expression. “It was an accident. I went over there because I was angry Denny wouldn’t let me keep the girls. They let Sage keep them instead of their grandmother …” A smothered sob escaped Victoria. “I heard them in the bedroom. I lit a couple of the candles. I swear I was going to go in there and show them how irresponsible they were for leaving the candles … Before I could, one of them caught fire on a napkin. It happened so fast … I left …”
Kent turned. The Predators were strategically circling the room. They all held the same revolted expression as he did.
Bradford started crying. “You killed my son.”
“No, I didn’t! Glory did.” Victoria had a crazed, faraway look on her face, as if it all made sense to her.
“Your wife also paid someone to kill Sage,” Kent enlightened him further. “There were unsuccessful attempts made on her life.”
Victoria didn’t deny the allegation, sitting silently under the condemning gaze of her husband.
“I’ll have a cashier’s check drawn up this afternoon in the amount you think Glory is owed,” Bradford said thickly. “I will also make sure that my wife gets the help she needs.”
Picking the documents up from the floor where they had fallen, Kent handed the legal papers back to Bradford.
“Jackal, text Mrs. Boward to come inside.”
“Done.” Jackal moved to take a seat one the chair Bradford had been sitting on.
Victoria’s hand moved to cover the slit where she had hidden her ring.
“You needed me, Mr. Bryant?” Mrs. Boward asked, coming down the step. “I brought my seal with me, as you requested.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you coming. I just need you to witness their signatures and place your seal.”
“Yes, sir. I’d be happy to.”
Bradford signed the documents first, then handed the pen to Victoria, showing her where to sign.
Victoria seemed about to refuse.
“Sign the papers, Victoria. You’ve cost me my son, my grandchildren, and any future ones I could have had. Sign the papers, or you’ll be signing our divorce papers.”
Victoria signed.
Kent took the documents from her, attached his own signature, then handed them to Mrs. Boward to attach her seal.