Page 33 of Hold ‘Em Tight (Solidarity Academy #4)

I spent a week making this video perfect. It starts with Missi cheering beside me when we were freshman.

“Oh, Lenny. This is so sweet,” Missi squeals, and I lean over.

“Just wait, babe. This is only the beginning.”

She preens and turns back to watch. I added a few extra photos of the team, and her with her friends, but when the song changes to animalistic grunts and moans, I know I have her attention.

It’s the sex tape she took that night, but it’s not me in the video… Nope, it’s my good old dad, Lennox ‘The Lion’ Crane, fucking her while I am unconscious beside them. The crowd starts shouting, and I am grateful that Missi made this an adults only event.

Little eyes and ears do not deserve to be scarred. “Turn it off!” Missi screams, slamming her hands into my chest. Mateo joins us and restrains her hands behind her back.

“That will be the last time you ever put your hands on my man,” he growls, and fuck, that’s hot.

She squirms, trying to get free, but I point to the screen. “For those who haven’t figured it out yet, the little girl inside Missi’s stomach is, in fact, not my child, but my half-sister. She lied to me, blackmailed me, and abused me.”

“Lenny, please, don’t do this,” she croaks, but I shake my head. I have been going back and forth for weeks, trying to think of the best way to handle all of this, while dealing with my own heartbreak.

I still love that baby. I know she’s not mine, but she is still my blood.

Missi freezes and looks at me. She smirks, and I know exactly what she’s about to say.

“I still have that little tape, Lenny, and now the whole world is going to learn about what you did,” she hisses, and I toss my head back, laughing.

“What tape? I took care of that, and all of the extra copies. You’re fucked, Mis.”

“What the fuck?!” my father roars, and I turn my attention back to the screen, grinning like a fool. “Those are all lies!” he continues to shout, and I glance over my shoulder. Donny and Colt have him restrained.

My mother didn’t just give me the proof of Missi and my father’s affair, she included some personal documents that he thought he had shredded a long time ago.

The video ends, and you can hear my recorded voice. “You should have known never to mess with a Black Widow. They have a killer bite.”

A bit cheesy, but it got the point across.

The church doors open and two FBI agents walk in. I step forward. “Perfect timing. He is all yours.”

They grab my father and put his hands behind his back, cuffing him. “Lennox Crane Senior, you are under arrest for fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion.”

“No, no, those are all lies. I am an upstanding citizen. A public figure!”

Donny snorts. “So upstanding. You slept with a psycho and tried to trap your son.”

They drag him out of the church kicking and shouting. The guests stand and mutter about what’s going on. I turn back to Missi.

“What are you going to do to me?” she whispers, her shoulders slumped. “I’m still pregnant, Lenny.” She looks up at me with tears running down her cheeks.

I step forward and place my finger under her chin, then give her a huge smile. “I have a special place for you. You see, you didn’t only blackmail me, but a very dangerous organization. You know who the Black Venom Crew is, right?”

Her eyes widen and she tries to drop to her knees. Teo grunts and lets her go. She shuffles closer to me and clings to my leg, begging. “Please, Lenny, I’m so sorry. This wasn’t just my plan. Your father made me do it. Don’t let them hurt me!” She's hysterical.

Rylee, Donny, Trevor, and Colt join me, making sure Missi is circled and can’t escape.

“They won’t touch you. I’d never let them hurt my baby sister, Missi. I’m not a monster… Now you, on the other hand… There are some people waiting to take you where you belong.”

Rylee grabs Missi’s shoulder and pulls her to her feet. I take Missi’s hand as she cries and begs for me to change my mind.

“Daddy, please!” Missi screams once she sees her dad. He looks sick, but he moves closer to us.

“I have put up with your scheming and blackmailing for too long. But you have gone too far this time. You slept with Lennox’s father.” He shakes his head and gives me a nod. “I won’t stop you. I saw who was in the parking lot. She needs help.”

“What?! You asshole! Daddy, please!” She continues to shout for him as he walks away, wiping under his eyes. We gently drag her out of the church and guide her down the steps to where a van is waiting for her.

A man in a white uniform is waiting with a clipboard. “I just need you to sign here, and we will take her to BVC Psychiatric Hospital.”

Missi screams and tries to bite me as they gently pull her away. We don’t want any harm to come to the baby, but she needs to be locked away for a long time.

I sign the form, glad that she made me her emergency contact and put me in charge of all of her medical decisions before the wedding. Though, given the way her father just dismissed her, he may have signed her rights away anyway.

When the van leaves, we all walk back into the church and I stand on a pew.

“Well, that was quite an event, wasn’t it? I think it's safe to say there won’t be a wedding today, but we thank you for coming. The reception hall is still open for dinner and drinks. Please, go and enjoy yourselves.”

Rylee moves in front of me and gives me a sweet kiss. I know that we still have a lot to work through, but now our obstacles are out of the way, it’s time for us to have our happy ending.