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“Yeah, about that.” Ileaned forward and began spreading the pages across the table. “Teach, I’m not gonna even try to figure out how you got all this information. But, looking at it all together proves that Hogg was planning a major move long before my Poppy died almost 10 years ago.”
“Yeah, some of it dates back almost 20 years. Wasn’t hard to find if you knew where to look.” He looked over to Gates. “Most of it, I got off back up servers after I was taught how to get to it and what to key in to find what I was looking for.” Gates just smirked.
“Well, however you managed it, you’ve proved a history of inquiries about the easiest way to circumvent inheritance laws. He asks law offices only one question and moved on to another office. These queries are spread out across the state regarding divorcing a woman, omega age of consent, death certificates, both with and without a body for missing persons, and things like that. Mako tells me that if he would have just ask his lawyerthese questions, the lawyer would have seen it as a red flag and had to report it to the courts. I think it was a 2-sided coin. He got the advice for free AND discovered the best way to get his hands on my Poppy’s money. I know Poppy left Gavin his business and I’m pretty sure Gavin would have turned it over to his father, but the money he left me was untouchable until I either died or turned 25, so he locked me away.” I shivered and leaned into Owen, who wrapped his arm over my shoulder. Yeah, he’s my best friend. Mako is my heart and soul, but Owen is my confidante.
“Yeah, well, he’ll never see a dime of it now that you’re mated to Mako and under the protection of the club.” Clips’ rough voice was louder than I expected from such a quiet man.
Gates shook with laughter before speaking. “Besides, Gavin ran the business into the ground within a year of getting his hands on it. He’s broke and living off mommy and daddy now. That 50+ million sitting in your trust is what they’ve been banking on for years.”
My body froze, and I started shaking. I could hear voices, but I comprehended nothing after 50+ million. Poppy left me 50 million dollars? Bit by bit, my body began shutting down. Mako. Mating. My father. So much money. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t hear, and my vision dimmed to minor points of light. Chairs crashing and the table shaking. Yelling, so much yelling. Then nothing.
Soothing hands and voices. The smell of my alpha. My stomach cramped. Maybe not my alpha. Was I mated to a lie? That’s how my life went. It’s what I deserved. I was so happy. Too happy.I didn’t deserve happy. My family was right. I was worth more dead than alive. Then growling. So much growling, then I was squeezed into a hard hug.
“NO! Just no. I don’t give a shit about any money. You are worth it baby; you deserve to be happy. Those people are NOT right, you are worth everything. YOU… not your bank account. I love you, but if you want to go, then I’ll let you go.” Mako whimpered. The hug was released. I felt the cold seep back into my body.
“No, Mako, you can’t let him go. You’ll both be miserable. For the rest of your lives. You’re mated now.” Owen spoke as he helped me back into my chair.
Confused, I asked “What happened?”
Mako was back in his chair with his arms stretched in front of him, palms flat. He stared at the floor between his feet. “You had a panic attack when Gates mentioned how much money your grandfather left you. Before I could get to you, you passed out and fell to the floor. Owen caught your head so you wouldn’t get hurt.” He spoke so softly. As if he were a broken man. “Gates, give him the papers.”
Gates spoke softly too. “But Prez…”
Mako slammed his fist on the table. “Give him the goddess damned papers, NOW!” he growled.
Gates slid an envelope across the table to me. “Open them Theo, look at the dates too.” Mako never raised his head.
I emptied the envelope onto the table. An ID with no photo, a bank book with 20 thousand dollars, passport, birth certificate and various other things that would allow someone to do, literally anything. “Who is Evan Freeman?” I looked at Gates.
Shaking his head, “That’s you Theo. Before we even met you, Mako had me contact a guy I know who could give you a new identity and travel documents. To get you away from those people until you could turn 25 and contact the lawyer for yourinheritance. That was the plan. That was always the plan. Give you a fresh start somewhere omegas had equal rights. You, being Mako’s fated, changed all that.” Now all the guys were looking at the table. Owen was the only one looking at me.
“This was only ever supposed to be a pit stop for you. Let you heal and move on with your life. Not that it will be much of a life now. That mate mark will never fade, and you’ll feel our leader’s pain everywhere you go. For the rest of your life.” Owen didn’t even try to hide his disappointment. In either me or the situation.
“Don’t let me be a determining factor, Theo. I know pain. You’re not the first, but you’ll be the last. Not once did I consider the money beyond being pissed at Hogg for being a greedy bastard. I never wanted it. I wanted you, but I knew I never deserved you. Mating you makes me a greedy bastard too, just for something different.” Mako got up from his chair and headed to towards the door. “Bear, it’s on you, brother. Get the info, hold the vote. You get my proxy.” I knew Mako was walking out of my life. Through our bond, I could feel him shutting down. I broke as the door closed with him on the other side.
I leaped from my chair and headed for the door. From behind me, Bear spoke. “Theo, we need you here, buddy. You’ve got to give us the information so we can vote.”
I turned to him like a viper, ready to strike. “Fuck that shit, Bear! Owen knows everything.” I turned to Owen. “Tell them everything I told you. I’m going after my mate, goddess dammit.” I slammed the door behind me as I headed to the office.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Mako
How I made itto my office upright, I’ll never know. Every ounce of my being burned, and for the first time in my life, I saw nothing to live for. Not even the deaths of Gramps and Pops affected me this way. Fuck, not even the shit show that Pacey put me in hurt this badly. I needed a drink. After popping the cork on the bottle, I poured an entire glass to the brim and downed it. I didn’t even feel the burn in my throat that I knew should be there. Nothing could overshadow the hurt in my chest.
As I was finishing my second glass and pouring the 3rd, there was a light knock at the door. “Go the fuck away. I’m not in the mood right now.” Hopefully, the person on the other side got the hint. The knock came again. “I said, go away!” Even I could hear my speech slurring a bit. Meh, who the fuck cares. I deserved to get piss drunk to not think about the shit show that was my life.
“Mako? Please let me in. The door is locked.” Theo was the last person I wanted to see right now. Seeing him would hurt too much. Best to leave things as they were and let him go onhis way. Shit, my rooms, my bed would smell like him. Fuck, maybe Bear would change rooms with me. He always liked my bathroom. “I’m not leaving. We need to talk.”
“Nuffin to talk bout Feo. Go on wif your life, be happy.” Goddess knows I won’t be happy.
“If you won’t open the door, I’m just gonna sit here and talk. You just need to listen. When I’m done, I’ll go away. Forever.” After his last word, I heard a hitch in his breath. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Mako, so sorry. There is no excuse for my reaction to hearing about the money. No one ever said anything to me about it. I assumed that Poppy left me a few thousand dollars. Gavin was the oldest and an alpha. I figured he got left with the lions share of the estate. To say I was shocked is an understatement. I panicked.” I listened as his back slid down the outer side of the door.
I made my way across the room, bottle in hand. No glass needed anymore. I’d drink straight from the bottle. I sat with my back against the door, hoping to feel his warmth one last time.
“My mind was spinning and for the first time in my life, everything made perfect sense. I saw it like they did. I’m worth more dead than alive.” He was crying from the stutter of his voice as he spoke.
“Yeah, you was mumbling as you woke up. You think I mated you for your money? I didn’t. I love you. It’s OK Feo. I’ll let you go to prove it to you. I wants you happy.” Crying just wasn’t my way, but getting pissed and tearing up was OK as the alpha to a club of bad ass bikers.
