“Why would he come here? Jack is home and he hates him. If anything, Hamilton should be avoiding this place.”
She let out a sigh. “It’s weird how the places that bring us the most pain can also provide us with comfort when we need it most, yeah? You called your mom when Saint was tracking you down. Hamilton comes here when his world is crashing around him. Go to the backyard. Follow the trail into the woods that leads to the community park. You’ll find him at the base of a sycamore tree between Jack’s property and the house next door.”
“Isn’t that your spot?” I asked.
“It is. But I don’t think he needs me right now. I’ve never seen Hamilton give a shit about someone else besides me. He’s always been too scared to. You should go. I think it will help him.”
I nodded once. Although I felt pulled in so many different directions, I still wanted to make sure that Hamilton was okay. I ached to hop on a train and stop my mother from running back to Joseph. Part of me also craved crawling in a hole and processing everything that had happened these last two days. It was a lot. I hated it.
I pushed open her car door, and the movement made the rusted metal groan loudly. “Oh and, Vera?” Jess called just as I stepped out of the car. I straightened my shirt and looked at her.
She smiled softly. “If Hamilton has his head shoved too far up his ass to help you, I’ll drive you to wherever your mother is, okay? I’ll park right here and wait for you. I already called off of work.”
I was speechless. “Really?” I asked.
She waved her hand. “Don’t get all emotional. I like you. Infinity likes you. Sometimes I wonder if you have anyone looking after you. I guess I’m just trying to say that you aren’t alone.”
“Thank you,” I replied before swallowing the emotion crawling up my throat, and shut the door. As promised, Jess moved to park on the street, and I watched as she pulled out her cell and started mindlessly scrolling, waiting for me.
The guards let me in after I showed them my ID. I was thankful that Jack still had me on the approved guest list. I wasn’t sure how much longer he would allow that. Especially after last night. Between the faked pregnancy, my involvement with Hamilton, and Joseph’s abusive ways, it was only a matter of time before shit hit the fan.
Following Jess’s instructions, I walked around to the back of the house and found the trail she spoke of. Trees lined either side of me as the eeriness of the quiet woods made my steps cautious, my heart a pounding, rebellious monster in my chest. Each shadow looming over me felt like it held secrets. Each step made my skin chill. Every muscle, bone, and tendon in my body was still and on full alert. Something was wrong. I felt like I was on the edge of something major, but I didn’t know what.
“You’re a joke. I’m willing to pay premium—” Hamilton’s voice carried through the air, though it sounded far away and dulled by the wind and surrounding trees.
“You backed out of our last deal. It was supposed to be easy. One picture with you and Vera. Now you’re asking for more when you haven’t paid up.”
The blood in my veins turned to ice. What? Who was he speaking with?
Leaves crunched under my boots as I walked closer. “Saint, I told you. I want Vera out of this. I have a good story that will ruin my brother.”
Saint? No. No.
“Nothing will ruin your brother! You gave me the faked pregnancy scandal, and Jack had it shut down in minutes. I’m blacklisted from most publications, and the ones I am allowed to work with aren’t reliable, trustworthy, or meaningful enough to make a difference. There’s no merit in trash.”
“He’s beating his wife,” Hamilton growled.
“Not to sound heartless, but people won’t give a shit unless you have proof. A video. Pictures of it happening. No one ever believes the victim when the monster is a man in a position of power. It takes concrete evidence, and even then, you still have to smack people upside the head with it. It won’t do anything. I’m in fucking hiding now because approaching Vera put me on the radar.”
“Yeah, well your theatrics are to blame for that,” Hamilton replied, his tone sarcastic. I pressed on, hiding behind the large trunk of a tree while peering at them. Hamilton was wearing the same outfit as last night, and Saint was sitting at the base of a large tree, picking at his nails.
“Look. I’m glad you got the story on the faked pregnancy. Only you could weasel information out of a bridesmaid while fucking her. You must have a magic dick, because she spilled everything. Honestly, that story probably saved what little of a career I have left. I can’t believe Lilah Beauregard went to such lengths to fake a pregnancy. Maybe she deserves a shitty husband. I’m a firm believer in karma.”
Hamilton kicked Saint in the shin and growled. “No one deserves Joseph’s cruelty. Even Vera’s shitty mother.”
Saint groaned and rubbed the spot on his leg where Hamilton kicked him, while peering up at Hamilton with a scowl on his thin face. “I’m just saying. You wanted a scandal. You fucked your niece—numerous times—for the cause. I could have had that taboo treat on the cover of at least a few publications, but you vetoed it. It wouldn’t have ruined the Beauregard name completely, but it would have at least made your family look bad. We tried. Unless you’re willing to pull out the big guns or take down Joseph yourself through illegal means—which is still an option—there isn’t much I can do anymore. My reputation as a journalist is in the toilet. I don’t blame you, Hamilton. You’re my brother, man. I’m here for you. Jack did our mom dirty. I still think you could weasel out a scandal from Vera. I mean her mother had her when she was fifteen. If the court records weren’t sealed, I bet that would be something worth sharing. Jack wouldn’t have done that without a reason, you know?”
Hamilton frowned. I could see the way his beautiful mouth turned sour. “Vera is off-limits.”
Saint rolled his eyes. “You get a taste of pussy and grow weak. I thought we were going to bring down Jack for our mother?”
“Your mom. My mother is dead. I’m not doing this for the woman that gave me up. I’m doing this for—”
“Nikki. Yeah. I know. We all know. I tried, okay?”
Silence greeted me as I processed it all. Saint was Hamilton’s half-brother? It was all a lie.
It was all a motherfucking lie.
I stepped out of the shadows and toward the two of them in disbelief. “Was I just a joke to you?” I asked, my voice wavering with anger and disgust. At my words, Hamilton snapped his gaze to me, his determined face falling at the sight of my tear-stained cheeks.
“Petal.” My nickname sounded like a plea. A prayer. A cry for help.
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped. “Don’t you dare.”
Saint stood up and let out a sigh. “Hey there, Vera. I’m so sorry for my role in this. It’s nothing personal, you see. Just trying to do right by my mother.”
“You’re brothers,” I commented.
“Only by blood,” Hamilton explained.
“Only by any way that actually counts,” Saint replied. “I’ll let Hamilton explain everything. I can’t stay in one place for too long. Ever since the faked pregnancy exposé, Jack’s put the pressure on the police to have my head. I’m not yet sure if I mean that figuratively.”