Page 34

Story: C is For Corruption

My body responded before my brain had a chance to catch up. I stepped around the coffee table and dropped to my hands and knees, lifting my gaze to catch his. Joey widened his stance, facing me fully, a satisfied smirk creeping across his face. I crawled slowly toward him, giving him ample time to change his mind before I leaned back on my heels by his feet. I reached for the button of his pants just as he reached down and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

His smirk was gone, a sneer in its place as malice danced across his features. “So fucking desperate for any scrap of attention.” his fingers dug painfully into my chin before he shoved me backward hard enough for me to topple over. “Anything you think will keep you in our good graces so you can tear us apart from the inside.”

“Joey, I–” tears welled in my eyes and threatened to spill over as I sat on the ground trying to catch up with the mental whiplash he was causing me.

“Joey, I.”He mocked. “I told you already, Victoria, I’m not falling for your bullshit anymore. I’ve seen the fucking light, and I’m not addicted to your fucking poison anymore. You. Are. Nothing.” He spat, squatting down to place the file he held in my lap before patting my cheek roughly. “You’re not even a fucking Bristol.”

He rose to his full height and strolled from the living room. I sat there, dumbstruck, for several more minutes before I remembered he’d left the file in my lap. I couldn’t make sense of his parting words, but I had a feeling the second I opened the manila folder, I would. I just wasn’t so sure I should believe whatever I found.

I forced myself off the floor and stumbled to the couch, collapsing onto it as I clutched the folder. My hands trembled as I situated it in my lap and flipped it open. The first thing I saw was a report that looked like it was written on a typewriter and had been dated for just shy of three months after I was born. I read it and then reread it.

“No, no, no, no, no. This… this can’t be right.” I said before flipping through the remaining documents in the file.

There were three DNA tests, the final one dated around my fifth birthday, all stating that Hugo Bristol was not my father. There were another two that stated the same for Uncle Theo. And there were pictures… Pictures that showed my motherclearly involved in a romantic relationship with Theo. The angles made it clear my father had his suspicions and hired a private investigator to follow my mother. I couldn’t tell from them whether the photos were before or after I was born. The fact that my father had Theo tested for my paternity led me to believe the affair must have started before I was conceived.

The longer I looked at everything, the more things made sense. My father stopped acting like he gave a damn about me after my mom died. I hadn’t seen him more than twice between her funeral and the Gala fire. I’d told myself the reason Theo had fought to keep Az locked up for my attempted kidnapping was because my father was too injured to be in court, but that didn’t explain how he’d so easily placed me in their care after Az’s release.

I mentally started tallying the number of times I’d seen or heard from him since. There was the one dinner at his house and a handful of voicemails after the manor was blown up, but there had been nothing since. Panic coiled low in my belly, and my breathing grew erratic as pieces I’d ignored seemed to fall perfectly in place. I shook my head hard, trying to dislodge them. My father was a well respected prosecutor. He wasthebest in Sacona. And yet…

The sound of someone walking into the living room tore my attention away from the papers in my hand and lap. Jerking my head up, I caught sight of Craig as he made his way into the room, clutching his bandaged abdomen with his face twisted in a pained grimace. The moment he noticed me, worry flashed across his face.

“What’s wrong, Bunny?” He asked, making his way to my side at a pace that was clearly causing him more pain.

I held the papers up as if they were a smoking gun. “I think… I think my father is the one behind everything.”

Chapter Nineteen

Leighton

“Could you please stop drumming on the dashboard?” Az growled from the driver’s seat.

We’d been driving around our territory in Southside in a rusted-out Toyota all morning. It wasn’t my fault that the streets were quiet, and I didn’t have another outlet for the energy pumping through my veins. Shit was too quiet, and it was making me nervous, like we were about to walk blindly into a trap at any second.

“This shit is eerie, man.” I sighed. “It’s like the Jackals got raptured or something. They should be crawling all over the place to claim what’s ours. It’s not like they don’t know wearen’tdead, when they’re the ones who had us and they just walked the fuck off.”

“I know.” Az replied, one hand moving to tug at his hair. I was seriously tempted to find Dawn when we got back to the Innocenti’s and tell her she owed me for the bet she set and then canceled. And they calledmethe cheater for that one. “Have you noticed they don’t even have girls on the street? I’ve seen the freelancers, but not a single one of theirs.”

“You think the Devils sent them packing?” I asked, trying to come up with anything to explain what was happening.

“Highly unlikely. Helen is handing over Candy day after tomorrow so we can add that to our little interrogation, but based on what Craig relayed, the bitch was undercover. Even if she found something big enough to make Helen put out the order, they wouldn’t have had time to wipe out an entire organization. And as far as the Jackals are concerned, Helen has no reason to intervene on our behalf.”

As my mind worked, I drummed out another mish-mashed beat on the dashboard, earning a glare from Az. “Fucking let me out, then.” I snapped. “You know I think better when I move. It’s this or you let me hit the pavement like I wanted to in the first place,Dad.”

Surprisingly, he didn’t snap back at my comment, instead easing the sedan up to the curb. Putting the car in park, he turned to face me.

“Fine.” He sounded so fucking defeated I almost hugged him. “I want check-ins every half hour. If you miss one, I’m going to assume you’re in trouble, and by God, Leighton, you better fuckinghopeyou are in that case.”

“You gonna take the belt to my ass if not, Pops?” I snickered.

“No. I’m going to make sure you’re restrained and can’t get loose and then leave you there, fucker.”

“Woah man, that’s harsh.” I replied, putting my hands up in surrender. I didnotenjoy being left alone with my thoughts and unable to move. I’d rather have bamboo shoots stuck under my fingernails, and Az knew that. “I’ll check in. Scouts honor.”

“You were never a boy scout, L.” Az shook his head.

“Fine, I swear it onMa Petit’sperfect pussy. You know I worship at that altar like my life depends on it.” I chuckled.

Az slapped the back of my head before leaning over me and opening my door. “Get the fuck out, Leighton. Before I change my mind.”