“Erin,” I say again, trying to calm her.
“Unless you are signing over the money to me, I have nothing to say to you,” she spits out.
“That’s why I’m calling,” I tell her, hoping that’s enough for her to listen to me.
“To give me the money?”
“Not exactly . . .” I wince. “I mean, yes, some of it, of course. He was your boyfriend, after all. That was always the plan.”
“Save me the stutters. I don’t want to hear it—”
“I will give you money,” I rush out, “all of it. But first, I need access to it. Seeing as none of my bills have been paid, I’m not sure that’s ever going to happen.”
She lets out a large, angry growl. It sounds like a pissed-off animal. Of course, she is angry. She wants to be the one in charge. I, on the other hand, felt relief at first. If Erin were in charge, there would be no money left by the time I hit twenty-two. It never dawned on me I might have the same problem with Trent.
I don’t need all the money, but I need enough to pay for school and start over somewhere else. Somewhere far away.
“So, why are you calling me?” Erin hisses. “It’s not like I’m the one in charge of the money.”
“I need you to tell me where Trent works, lives, and where you think I can find him. What he’s doing is bullshit.”
Time to stand up to the ass.
7
Trent
* * *
By now, the little princess has probably received my gift. The gift of being totally fucked.
Not fucked—self-reliant in ways she hasn’t needed to be in years, at my family’s expense.
A smile spreads across my face at the thought. I wonder which one she received first . . . Jax tends to hold his cards close when he delves into shady shit, but I trust him enough to get the job done.
Did she find out about school first?
Or maybe her car got towed as soon as she woke.
Maybe she walked out the door, only to realize she no longer has a ride.
I start to laugh as I think about the piece of paper taped to her door.
The eviction notice. The boarded-up house.
The home I bought out from under her.
I wish I could see her as she found the little envelope placed on the mat at her front door. The one that told her that her belongings had been taken to a certain address.
Best part . . . The address is mine. Not that it matters, seeing as I’ve had her car repossessed, but it should be interesting if she tries to get here.
Today is going to be the first good day I’ve had in years. I might not be able to seek my pound of flesh from my dad, but Payton and her sister are the next best thing. After years of my father’s betrayal, I’m seeking my vengeance on the family who put mine on the chopping block.
Dad forever altered my family’s life in order to give these princesses the luxuries they never deserved. Taking it away from them, making them feel even an ounce of the pain and suffering Mom and Ivy did for years, will be my vengeance.
The icing on the cake? It will also be entertaining.
All of Payton’s belongings are currently stored in the basement of this building.
If she’s lucky, I’ll let her rummage through the boxes. If she’s not, I’ll let the incinerator do the work, and she can rummage through the ashes.
I lean back in my chair, waiting for the knock on the door. I have instructed my staff that we might be having a guest today.
There’s no telling when she will come.
But I know she will.
I reach my hand out and grab the tumbler on my desk. The amber liquid slushes across the surface of the crystal.
Will she beg a friend for a ride, or will she take a train?
I canceled all her credit cards.
Who knows if she will even have enough cash to get here?
A train, then a cab from Penn Station.
Yeah, that will set her back, too.
Victory tastes sweet.
I lift the glass to my mouth and take a swig. Then I pivot my chair to look toward the computer.
There’s an email on the screen.
A confirmation.
Her car is now in my possession.
How long have I been staring at my computer? All I know is that my glass is now empty. There is a knock on the front door.
I don’t need to stand to know it’s her. Now I just have to wait for Martha to show her to my office.
“Where is he?” I hear her scream.
Feisty. I wasn’t expecting that.
“If you could please calm down, I’ll show you to Mr. Aldridge—”
My door flies open.
Payton Hart storms into the room like a tornado.
Wild and unpredictable.
Her eyes are wide. I allow myself to watch her. Stare, really.