“What?” Savannah whispers. “Oh my God.”
“I stayed out there watching until all the lights were off, and then the next day, I did it again,” he says. “This time, I waited for you to leave, and then I snuck into your house.”
“You were in her house?” Jacob says, shocked and his hands go into fists. “My son lives in that house.”
“I never would touch your son,” Chase says. “I liked being in your space.” He looks at Savannah, and I want to yell at him to look away. “Anyway, I finally got the courage up to talk to you more, and then I asked you out and you said yes.” He smiles. “I thought I had a chance.”
“One date, officially” Savannah says. “Half a date at that. Coming to visit me at work is not really a date.”
“You didn’t give me a chance!” he yells, and it takes everything I have not to jump over the table and attack him. “Anyway, I started following you more and more, and it just became a habit. I tried to get you to see me. I was right in front of you the whole time, but you were so in love with Beau you didn’t see me.” He looks down. “So I had to do what I did in order for you to see me.” His eyes fill with tears. “Can’t you see I did it all for you?” He goes on and on with the story, and when I walk out of the station, I’m raw.
“You need to calm down,” Savannah says, and I just shake my head. “What do you want to do?”
“The only thing that I can do,” I say, waiting for Jacob outside. He looks at me and tosses me the key. “Thank you.”
I sit in the truck, and she doesn’t say anything until we get there, and I shut off the truck. “You don’t have to do this,” she whispers, and I look over at her. “You don’t even have to say anything about it.”
“Then I’m just as bad as he is,” I say to her and look forward. “It ends now.”
I get out of the truck and walk around, and Savannah waits for me. There is a party going on not too far from here, where we should be, but now we are here. She links her fingers with mine, and we walk up the steps, and I ring the doorbell. I hold my breath when I hear the locks open and I come face-to-face with my mother. “Beau,” she says, smiling. “We didn’t know you would be coming.”
I push past her and look around. “Where is he?” I ask, and she turns and pretends to be confused. “I know he’s here, Mother. I saw his truck outside.”
“Now is not a good time.” She looks at me and then looks at Savannah. “Perhaps …” She continues talking, but I walk to my father’s study and push the door open. He sits on the couch leaning back while my brother’s wife sits in front of him on the single chair, and my brother stands looking out the back window.
“This is great,” I say and walk into the room with my mother behind us. “Family meeting time.”
“She isn’t family,” Liam says of Savannah, raising his hand to point at her. I notice now the empty glass in his hand.
“Is that the way to speak to the woman who had your child?” I say and look over to my mother to see if she knew about it. But her wringing her hands gives me my answer, and I shake my head. “It’s over.” I look at my father who just leers at me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, glaring at me. “But if this is another tantrum you’re going to throw, I suggest you watch your tone with me.”
I laugh now bitterly while Savannah squeezes my hand. “Beau,” she says my name. “You aren’t one of them.”
“You,” my father says to her. “You need to learn when to talk and when not to talk.”
“I love you,” I whisper and lean forward to kiss her lips.
“What the fuck is this?” Liam says. “You barge in here acting all high and mighty and what?”
“The police just arrested Chase.” As I say his name, my eyes are on my father, but just like the poker player he is, he doesn’t even bat an eye. “I’m assuming you have no idea what I’m talking about.”
“Not a clue,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine. “Should I?”
“Well, considering you were going to pay him a million dollars to take out Savannah and Ethan.” I say the words that taste like acid in my mouth. My brother looks at me, his mouth open, and then looks back at my father. “You should know his name.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” my father says.
“Well, here is a surprise.” I let go of Savannah’s hand. “Chase said you might say that so he gave us this.” I take my phone out of my pocket and press play on the video that Chase secretly recorded of my father and him.
“That can be doctored. That proves nothing,” he says, and I want to grab him by his throat.
“The thing you did wrong this time,” I tell my father, “was hire someone who was unhinged to begin with.” I shake my head. “You see, you hired Chase to do a job, but what you didn’t know is that Chase was already forming a case on you, Father. He has meetings of the two of you. He has all of the names of the women who you have fucked over during the years.” I look over at my mother who doesn’t say anything,
“I have a clean-cut record.” He leans forward now. “That man is on drugs.”
I laugh. “Twenty-five abortions. Twenty fucking five. Money taken to pay for these abortions. Money paid for apartments to keep your women close. Fifteen women all around the town all set up. That isn’t even counting the ones he keeps in town. Taking the town’s money to make sure your dick stayed wet.” I look at him. “You’re fucking pathetic. The thing you did wrong. Paper trail.”
“Okay,” Liam says. “So what? He cheats on Mom. That isn’t a surprise to anyone.” He looks at my mother, who is standing there with her hands to her mouth and tears running down her face. “Sorry, Mom. So what are you going to do, rat on your father? He’s your father.”
“Your wife,” I say, looking at him and then my sister-in-law, who sits there with a shocked look on her face.
“What?” Liam whispers.
“You see, dear old Dad,” I say to him, “I found the files.” He glares at me. “The files that you hid under the floor in my office.”
He slams his hand on the desk. “That’s enough of this shit. This is my house!” he shouts.
“My wife …” Liam says almost in shock.
“You are lying,” she finally says, getting out of her chair.
“You see …” I look at Liam, “what dear old Dad does is he gets what little dirt you have hidden away, and then he blackmails them. Pushes them until they have no choice but to give in. He’s been doing it for years.”
“My wife …” Liam says. “You slept with my father?” She turns and runs to him.
“Is it mine?” Liam asks, and she looks at him and then looks down, her hand going to her stomach. “God,” he says, holding his chest and looking over at my father. “How could you?”
“Oh, please,” my father says. “You were too drunk to get it up,” he says, and he’s about to say something else when a shot is fired. Liam grabs his wife, and I grab Savannah, but my eyes are on my father as blood starts to seep through his shoulder.