Chapter 5
Kevin tried mockery next.
“You?”
He laughed.
“You run Morgan?”
“Yes.”
He looked at Dad.
Then back.
“You barely attend half the dinners.”
“Correct.”
“You leave early for Noah.”
“Yes.”
“You don't sit with the south crews.”
“No.”
“You don't even carry men around like some movie gangster.”
I almost smiled.
“No.”
Kevin spread his arms.
“And we're supposed to believe you're head?”
Thomas answered.
“Yes.”
Everyone looked at him.
Kevin's face hardened.
Thomas continued.
“She has been for four years.”
Silence.
Dad looked at Thomas with pure hatred.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Her grandfather told me.”
Dad went pale.
Interesting.
Not everyone had been deceived.
Only the people who wanted to be.
Kevin stared at Thomas.
“You knew and let me—”
“Let you what?”
Thomas's face hardened.
“Pretend?”
Silence.
“You told people you were acting head.”
Kevin stopped breathing.
Thomas continued.
“You used Claire's money to buy dinners.”
Nothing.
“You used her card to make people think you had discretionary control.”
Nothing.
“You built a little court around yourself.”
Kevin's fists tightened.
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“You wanted the lie.”
That hurt.
Good.
Dad stepped forward.
“My father would've wanted his grandson.”
Thomas turned.
“He had one.”
Silence.
Then:
“He chose Claire.”
Dad's face hardened.
“Because she manipulated him.”
I stared.
Of course.
A woman succeeds.
Must be manipulation.
“What did I do?”
“You were always with him.”
“Yes.”
“You handled his medicine.”
“I visited him.”
“You talked about the accounts.”
“He taught me.”
“You made yourself indispensable.”
I almost laughed.
“By doing the work.”
Dad's jaw tightened.
Kevin interrupted.
“And what exactly have you done with command?”
I looked at him.
“Kept you alive.”
His smile disappeared.
I continued.
“Closed the Jackson route after three ambushes.”
Nothing.
“Ended the Harbor dispute.”
Thomas nodded.
“Bought out the Vale debt.”
Dad stared.
Kevin's face changed.
He knew those decisions.
He just hadn't known who made them.
I continued.
“Every order you thought came from a committee?”
Silence.
“Mine.”
Kevin laughed weakly.
“No.”
“The north warehouse move.”
His face tightened.
“Mine.”
“The summer truce.”
Nothing.
“Mine.”
“The reason south crews stopped carrying weapons near family homes.”
Kevin's eyes narrowed.
“You.”
“Yes.”
He stared.
Then something ugly returned.
“And Noah.”
I stopped.
“What about him?”
Kevin pointed toward the house.
“He's why you're ruining everything.”
There.
He had moved from denial to blame.
“You've gotten worse since he was born.”
“How?”
“You cancel nights.”
“Yes.”
“Turn down opportunities.”
“Yes.”
“Make crews wait.”
“When needed.”
He laughed.
“You think being a mother makes you noble.”
“No.”
“I think it makes me aware of what consequences cost.”
Kevin rolled his eyes.
“That's weakness.”
I stared.
“You poured almost a million dollars into men who told you what you wanted to hear.”
His face hardened.
“That is weakness.”
Dad snapped:
“Enough.”
I turned.
“No.”
Richard looked around at the relatives.
“This family does not need to hear internal business.”
I almost laughed.
“This family laughed while my son cried.”
Silence.
“They've already heard enough.”
Madison stood near the picnic table.
No longer laughing.
She looked at Kevin.
“Dad?”
He turned.
“You said Aunt Claire works for you.”
He froze.
She continued.
“You said Noah gets little party because his mom isn't important.”
My chest tightened.
Kevin's face changed.
There.
Not one cruel joke.
A pattern.
I stepped closer.
“What else did you tell her?”
“Nothing.”
Madison spoke again.
“You said when Grandpa fixes things, we get Claire's house.”
Silence.
Kevin turned.
“Madison.”
I stared.
“What?”
Madison looked nervous now.
“Dad said this house is temporary.”
I looked at Kevin.
Then Dad.
This wasn't my house.
It was Richard's suburban home.
But she said Claire's house.
My estate?
Morgan headquarters?
Kevin stared at the grass.
I looked at Dad.
“What were you fixing?”
No answer.
“Richard.”
He looked at me.
“You weren't supposed to know yet.”
There.
Another phrase.
Another plan.
I felt everything inside me go still.
“Know what?”
Dad's voice dropped.
“The family was going to ask you to step aside.”
I almost smiled.
“Ask?”
Kevin laughed.
Dad closed his eyes.
May you like
Wrong word.
Because they hadn't planned to ask.
