AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I stole a glance at Sasha, who’d turned at the mention of kidnapping, arching a brow at her.
“Please tell me he still doesn’t thinkwehad anything to do with that…” I pushed her backward gently, putting on my most concerned expression and looking over at Sasha sadly.
She sniffed and wiped her nose before answering. “I think he’s projecting. Between the bank robbery and what you went through. Then the… disagreement” — her eyes flicked to Sasha — “at the restaurant. I think he’s under a lot of stress and he didn’t know what he was saying in that hospital. He even spoke with the police but they said there’s nothing worth pursuing, whatever that means!”
Sasha’s hand, which had previously been resting on the mantel, moved a fraction of an inch closer to the vase. If she kept talking, I had a feeling he was going to swat it off the ledge like a cat. Time to redirect the conversation before I was picking up six-thousand-dollar shards off the floor.
I patted her hand, faking my empathetic nod. “So why was he arrested? Did they say?”
“Oh, God, honey. I don’t remember!” She tsked me and touched her forehead before waving her hand in little circles, like it would help dredge up the memory. “Fraud! All sorts of fraud. Wires and security. And tax evasion! Who do they think he is? Al Capone?” I mean… thatwaswhere I got some of my ideas from, so it wasn’t a stretch.
She looked up again, grabbing my hand so hard it actually hurt. “Oh my God! They took everything! I don’t have my phone, my computer. They told us our bank accounts are frozen.” An exasperated laugh spilled out of her, followed immediately by more tears. “There was hardly anything left in the accounts. I had to give it all to the kidnappers! Oh, your father was so angry, Roan… He told me I should have never given them that money and he was right. Look at us now. We have nothing!”
I disentangled my hand from hers, putting it back on her own lap with another little pat. “I know this is a really bad time right now… but have you called Milton?”
“What? No! Why?” Her eyes widened and she leaned forward, latching onto my forearm.
Feigning a grimace, I looked away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Tell me!” She squeezed my arm, on the verge of tears again.
Returning my gaze to hers, I let my shoulders slump, trying to make myself look as small and sad as possible. “I don’t know, Mom. I think you should cover all of your bases. You don’t want to go down with him. Remember what happened to Beth when her husband was busted for insider trading?”
“What?!” Her jaw fell open as she breathed out the word. “Why would — butIdidn’t do anything!”
“You’re married, so all of your assets aremaritalassets, Mom. If he’s found guilty, like John was, you’ll lose everything. Where is Beth now?” I blinked solemnly, practically wincing when I said the answer. “Indiana…”
She put a hand at the base of her throat, her chest heaving. No doubt, her way of life was diminishing before her eyes, receding into the corn like poor, penniless Beth. In reality, I had no idea where the fuck the former Mrs. Randolph was, but clearly neither did my mother.
“But,” I said, glancing away again. “No, never mind. You should talk to Milton.”
Sasha narrowed his eyes at me from across the room. He looked amused and borderline concerned, much like the night he demanded to know the entirety of the plan. I didn’t dare smile at him, even though every part of me wanted to. Someone should put me in for a fucking Oscar after this performance.
“But?” Mom looked up quickly.
“If you file for divorce, you can at least protect what’s yours.”
“How?”
“The prenup,” I replied simply. “It guarantees you the money you brought to the marriage. So you at least have whatever Grandpa set up in your name. Plus, it will distance you from Dad’s criminal case in the eyes of the authoritiesandpublic opinion.”
“I’d have nothing.”
“No, Mom, you’d have Grandpa’s trust. And I’m sure all of your friends would help you get back on your feet after such a…hugebetrayal by Dad.”
She leaned back, staring at the coffee table again with a vacant expression. I’m sure it was a lot for her to process. The only decisions she had to make in her day-to-day life was where to shop or which elaborate vacation she wanted to take by herself. Anything related to the house, or finances, or, you know,me, were left to my father. With him gone, it all fell on her delicate little shoulders.
After she mulled it over for what seemed like an eternity, she looked up, resolve written across her face. “Can you call Milton for me?”
A smile started to pull at my mouth until I forced it into a frown, slipping my phone out of my pocket. “Of course, Mom. And don’t worry. I’ll help you through this however I can.”
Across the room, Sasha snorted and disappeared from sight.
* * *
Hours later,Sasha and I finally slipped out of my mother’s house with promises to check in later. Mom and Milton, the trusty family attorney, bade us goodbye and returned to their task — going over legal documents and preparing all of the paperwork that would be needed for her pending divorce. Even Milton agreed she needed to act quickly to preserve her “interests,” namely his outrageous fees.
“I am simultaneously impressed and a little bit scared of you right now,” Sasha said as we pulled out of the driveway and headed for home. “I didn’t realize you could lie so well.”
