Page 70 of Restitution

“Hmm,” she replies, her eyes snake-like and evil. “So, you’re his mother. I should shoot you right now.”

“You will not,” a deep voice says.

Bernadette’s eyes land on the man beside me. It’s like the world around her vanishes as she stares right at Tobias. She falters, but something flickers behind her eyes as she looks him up and down.

She visibly blushes and licks her lips. “The famous Tobias Mitchell. I’ve waited averylong time to meet you.”

I peek at Tobias, who looks like he’s about to punch her in the face. But he’s remaining calm. His kids are here, and if he loses it, he dies, and then he can’t protect them.

“I’d say it was nice to meet you, but it would be nicer to see you bleed to death. The fuck do you want?”

A wicked grin takes over her face. “I want a lot.”

Aria moves to stand closer to him and takes his hand, trembling with rage and fear but unwilling to be intimidated. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage, Bernadette? Can’t you just leave us all alone?”

“No,” she replies, grinning. “Talking of damage, where is my boy? I miss him.”

“He isn’t yours,” I snap, rage injecting into my veins and making my head throb. “He never was. You’re an old, decrepit whore who needs her head checked. He was nineteen –nineteen– when you preyed on him. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Bernadette rolls her eyes and huffs. “You must be the most annoying person in the world. Why won’t you leave Kade alone? He doesn’t want you. You’re used trash. Where is Kade?” she asks again, and when Barry reaches for his gun, metal presses to the back of my head; one of her men has sneaked in behind us. “Anyone tries anything, her brains will be on the ground.”

They all watch me – Tobias looks like he wants to blow up. Jason raises his hands. “Don’t shoot her.”

“Don’t fuck with me and I won’t.”

But no one tells her where Kade is, and I try not to breathe with the gun pointed at my head.

She glances at Tobias again. An idea comes to her – I can see it in her expression. When it clicks, her face lifts. “You love your son. You’d do anything for him?”

Tobias doesn’t deign to respond, but he does push Aria behind him.

“I’ll give your son his freedom, destroy all evidence of his crimes, and he can walk free. But in return, you’ll be mine.”

Aria steps forward, and we all tense as Bernadette points her gun at her. “Do not test me,” she snarls. “You hold no importance. I will shoot you and take him either way.”

Tobias yanks her back behind him again, scowling at Bernadette. “Don’t you ever point a gun at her again. You hear me? Lower your aim on Stacey too.”

She nods to the person behind me, and my lungs fill as I gasp when I feel the metal slipping away from the back of my head.

“I’ll fucking go, but you leave the rest of my family alone. Got it?”

My brows furrow. “What?” He’s giving in so easily? What happened to taking the empire down and avenging his kids?

“No!” Aria pulls at his arm from behind, but he’s like a statue. “You’re not going with her! We’ll find another way.”

Bernadette rolls her eyes again and clicks her tongue. “He was always the real prize. I couldn’t get to him, not really. He always wanted you,” she says to Aria, the door opening behind her to reveal more suited-up guards – and her husband. “But I guess it worked out well. Your son turned out to be areallygood boy. Isn’t that right, Archie?”

My blood runs cold.

I can feel the horrible vibrations in the atmosphere; the anger between us. Jason’s eyes are bulging as he glares at Archie.Tobias seems to be losing his hold on reality as he keeps blinking, reaching behind him to grab his gun.

“You hurt my son,” he says to Archie. “I’m going to shred the skin off your revolting body and make you eat it.”

Tobias shoots him right in the shoulder, knocking the beast back against the wall with a wail. Guards point their guns at Tobias, but Bernadette huffs. “Lower your aims.” She glares at her husband. “I told you to stay outside.”

The pig stands back in terror, eyes widening on Tobias, holding his shoulder and hiding behind his wife. “You didn’t say he was here,” he whisper-hisses. “He’s fucking standing right there!”

“He’s not a threat. He’s trading places with our Kade. Isn’t that right, Tobias?”