After the Ex Games (The Ex Games #4)(7)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“Well, well, well.” Patsy walked into the office with a small smile on her face. She stared at me for a second and then looked at Brandon. “What’s he doing here?” She almost spat out the words, hatred in her voice.

“I do still own the club.” Brandon gave her a cutting look and her face grew red.

“Well, you co-own the club.” I spoke up and Patsy gave me a look of thanks. Ever since Maria had died, Patsy had never seemed to look at Brandon the same way.

“I wish you’d buy him out, Greyson.” She came up to the desk and brushed something off my shoulder. I wasn’t sure if there had been something there or if she’d just wanted a chance to touch me. I stifled a sigh as she looked up into my eyes with a look of adoration.

“Greyson, I was hoping we could chat for a few minutes.” She looked at me seriously.

“You know he’s dating Meg now, right?” Brandon spoke up.

Patsy turned around then and looked at Brandon for a few minutes before speaking. She took in the grey bags under his eyes and his disheveled hair. She took in the worry lines on his face and the almost imperceptible air of worry that hung around him, and then she started laughing. Only her laugh sounded like a cackle and she looked at Brandon and then at me with a haughty, snide look.

“I never thought I’d see the day when both of you were brought to your knees.” Her voice sounded evil with pleasure, and I had a feeling that she wasn’t talking about our love for Katie and Meg.

“What did you do?” Brandon walked over to her and grabbed her arms. “What the f**k did you do?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She pushed him away from her, but I could see that she was trembling. “I think the question you should ask yourselves is what the f**k do you think you did, both of you.” She looked at me then. There was such a look of hatred and pain in her eyes that I flinched. “If you only knew how much I loved you.” She shook her head. “The things I did.”

“Did you send us the letter?” Brandon’s voice was angry, and I could see that his fists were clenched.

“What letter?” She frowned and looked at both of us strangely.

“Nothing.” I gave Brandon a look. “Is there anything else I can help you with, Patsy?” I took a deep breath, not wanting her to see how much she was annoying me.

“All children should be loved,” she mumbled under her breath, her eyes hard.

“Sorry, what?” I stepped towards her and she backed away from me.

“Nothing.” She looked at me with empty eyes and I felt my heart racing. What was she talking about? “You love Meg?”

“Yes.” I nodded, knowing I was hurting her, but I had to tell the truth.

“I see.” She looked from me to Brandon and walked to the door. She paused and looked back at us, and there was a glow in her eyes. “Life is funny, isn’t it? Murderers seem to get away with everything.” She stopped for a second and looked at the ground and then looked up at us and smiled. “But life doesn’t always go the way that we intend it to, does it?” And with that, she walked out the door, leaving Brandon and me staring after her, wondering what she was going to do.

Chapter 5

Unknown

I watched them as they sat at the table waiting for me to show up. The power I felt as I observed them both had been expected. The sorrow I felt about the potential devastation I was going to inflict hadn’t. It felt odd staring at them, these men who were so handsome and collected, so calm and cool. I was about to shake things up a bit. I was about to bring a hurricane into their lives. And I didn’t care if there were any tragedies. Brandon and Greyson didn’t deserve happily ever afters, and I was going to ensure that neither of them got one, no matter what the little voice in me tried to tell me. I was out for bloodshed, and I was going to enjoy watching each one crumble with every move I made.

My heart broke as I stared at him. He was so tall and so confident. It was weird looking at him, not really knowing him, but knowing everything about him. He was my father. My father. It felt weird even thinking it. It didn’t make sense to me. First, I discovered the truth about my mother, and then I found out about my father.

When I’d received the email from Greyson, I’d been scared. I hadn’t expected the letter to work or to scare them. How could a letter scare men as powerful as they were? I stood in the shadows, waiting, watching. I couldn’t keep my eyes off Greyson. He looked so handsome, so dignified. I understood why someone could love him so much. I understood why someone could lose her head over him. He was that kind of man, had that kind of charisma and character.

I was about to step out of the alleyway and go and join them when my phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Don’t meet them,” she hissed into the phone at me. “You need to leave.”

“What? Why?”

“Just leave. Now is not the time to reveal yourself.”

“But I thought this is what we want.”

“It’s not enough.” Her voice was angry. “They need to pay.”

“I thought my coming out and telling the world I was his daughter was enough? It would destroy his relationship and the backlash to everything that went on would ruin their lives? I thought that’s what you wanted?” I spoke quietly, my eyes never leaving the table. I wanted to go over and speak to him. I wanted to say hello.

“That’s not enough.” She shook her head. “He didn’t care then and he won’t care now. There needs to be a greater retribution.”

“I don’t understand.”

“They did more than take our kids from us. They are murderers. They made people murderers.”

“What?” My heart dropped at her words. I didn’t understand what she was saying.

“When everything is taken from you, you are left with nothing.”

“You have me now,” I whispered, scared and unsure. None of this was feeling right anymore.

“They have to pay,” she spoke into the phone, but I could tell her mind wasn’t with it. “They will pay.” She hung up then and I stood there for a few minutes with tears streaming down my face.

I had to listen to her. She was the one who had told me the truth. I watched as the two men waited for me, both of them looking stressed. I ran my hands across my temple and then walked back down the alleyway, my stomach feeling empty. Today was not going to be the day I revealed myself to my father. I felt incredibly sad and relieved at the same time.