Page 165 of Reaper

“That’s none of your concern! And as for Anthony, I’ve made it clear that we never want to see him again. He isn’t allowed to have contact with either of us. He isn’t wanted or needed in our lives.”

“Ah, so you just take his money each and every month while continuing to keep Chris from his uncle.”

I pause as I look around the house again with a more critical eye when I catch something that makes my blood boil. I look down at Chris and he gives me a tight smile and a curt nod, no doubt guessing what I just saw. Turning back toward Julie, she reels back like I’ve slapped her when she sees how pissed I am.

“Are you seriously fucking the guy thatactuallycaused your son’s accident while also cutting Anthony out of your life? Anthony, the man who kept your son from being killed during that same accident?”

Both Cannon and Atlas freeze as they stare at me in shock and then their faces turn hard with anger. Cannon backs away a bit as he continues to talk to Anthony, and I know Anthony’s going to be fucking livid when he gets here.

“That’s enough. I don’t owe you any explanation, but just so you know, Roger got released due to lack of evidence. He wasn’t the one that caused my Chris’ accident.”

I can’t stop my huff of frustration. “Of course, he got a slap on the wrist and was set free. He’s the son of a judge! The same judge who was somehow able to preside over the same trial his son was the defendant in. Yeah, if that doesn’t stink of bullshit and the crookedness in our justice system, then I don’t know what does.”

“I don’t have to listen to this. Christopher, get your ass inside and back upstairs.”

For a moment, I think he’s going to listen to her, but then he straightens and levels her with a hard look. “No, Mom. I’m going to see Uncle Reaper and the rest of the guys for my birthday. I’m staying overnight so don’t wait up. Then, tomorrow after school, Aunt Lark’s going to show me how to shoot a bow and start teaching me how carve wood.”

Julie stares at him in shock, most likely not used to him standing up to her. He ignores her sputtering as he reaches forward, unlocking the wheels before rolling down the ramp and stopping next to me before turning so that he’s facing her again.

“If you leave and go withthem, that’s it, Christopher. Your shit will be gone and the locks changed. You’ll be dead to me, just like your worthless uncle.”

I step forward and into her space, fury licking in my veins. I can’t even fathom giving a child the sort of ultimatum that she’s giving Chris. I open my mouth to tell her exactly how this is going to go when the sound of beer bottles falling over pulls my attention from Julie to Roger who’s trying to get his drunken ass off the couch and failing.

“Close the fucking door, you worthless cunt! It’s fucking freezing! I don’t work my ass off to pay for the heat only for you to heat the fucking outdoors.”

“You’re a drunk, fat and lazy asshole,” Chris sneers while looking at Roger, his lip curled in disgust. ‘You haven’t worked the entire time you’ve lived here. You take most of the money Mom makes from her jobs and what Uncle Reaper gives her just so you can get high and drink it all away.”

Roger stumbles as he rights himself and drunkenly glares at Chris. “And you are a worthless waste of space who should have just died and saved us all the hassle.”

I turn my glare on Julie, waiting for her to stand up for her son… but she says nothing. Indecision is evident on her face asher emotions rise to the surface, but still, she doesn’t stand up for Chris.

“Pathetic. Fucking pathetic. He’s your son and you’re just going to let Roger talk to him like that?”

She lowers her gaze, and when she slightly turns her head, I spot the bruises along her jaw and neck that are still fading.

“You don’t understand,” she whispers but then stops when Roger throws a bottle and it breaks against the wall. Then she seems to pull herself up straighter, but the look in her eyes isn’t as hostile as it was a moment ago. “Chris, I mean it. If you leave, you won’t be allowed back.”

I huff in frustration. “You aren’t allowed to give that sort of an ultimatum when you don’t evenownthe house you live in, Julie.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

Internally, my body sags in relief that he’s here, but I don’t let it show outwardly.

“The house is in my name, not yours Julie.”

“Iownthis house, Tony. It’s the least you can do for almost killing my son,” she hisses as she crosses her arms over her chest and glares up at Anthony.

I spot Python behind Anthony and gesture to him when I see what he brought. Surprisingly, I also see Chief Riggs pulling up to the house and he quickly strides across the lawn until he reaches us. Julie’s expression faulters a bit with his presence and I wonder how close they all are.

Python opens the laptop and when Julie sees what’s paused, she grits her teeth while shaking her head.

“I’m not watching that. I already know what happened. All of that is… is bullshit you’ve manipulated. You forget that I know what all you can do Python.”

She steps back to head inside but I’m not having any of that. I grab her by the arm and pull her outside, shutting the doorbehind her. Gripping her chin with my other hand, I make her look at me.

“Now here is how it’s going to go. You are going to watch whatreallyhappened. This isn’t shit that was made up and doctored.This,” I say as I let go and jab my finger toward the laptop, “is the truth that you are refusing to see. You are punishing the wrong people. And to add insult to injury, you’ve been fucking the man that actuallydidhurt your son.”

I don’t recognize the strangled sound that reaches me and when I look up, I realize it must have come from Chief Riggs who has now stepped forward to stand next to Python.