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“I tried to kill myself, Amberlea. With everything swirling around me, knowing I’d fucked my sister, it messed my mind up. Seriously did a number on me, and I wanted to end it. Gran found me, and I swear I’ll never put her through anything like that again. I nearly broke her. The judge ordered me into protective custody, and he placed me in a psychiatric hospital for six months. The docs ruthlessly forced me to work through the facts Tinsley had knowingly fucked me despite the fact we were siblings and that she planned to murder me.
“Shit like that took time to overcome, and meanwhile, Tinsley was trying all sorts of bullshit to wriggle out of it. But none of it worked, and she got sent down for ten years. She got out about two years ago, but we’ve had nothing to do with her. That bitch wrote her own ticket to hell,” Gauntlet said.
“I should have beaten her harder,” I muttered, so angry I could barely think. Who the fuck does that shit to someone? It was disgusting and worse than she was his sister. Why did money mean so much to people? It was filthy, soul-destroying and as long as you had enough to live on, why did it matter? God, money really was the root of all evil.
“This is what you hid from me?” I asked, wondering if there was anything else.
“Ain’t it enough?” Gauntlet demanded, and I saw the shame on his face.
“It’s plenty, but it doesn’t mean shit to me,” I said bluntly, and he jolted. Gauntlet’s expression was closed off, ready to hear me reject him, I realised. “Oh, Gauntlet, do you really expect me to kick you to the kerb? This wasn’t your fault; you were the victim, the same as me. We both got scars from loving the wrong people, but don’t you see? We’re in love with the right person now. That’s all that matters.”
“You love me?” Gauntlet demanded.
“Yeah, thought that was obvious,” I answered, frowning. Had I not shown him enough?
“We’ve never said the words,” Gauntlet replied.
“Well, I am completely and utterly in love with you. You’re my future, Faelea’s future dad, and we’ll have more little ones. I want a big family and a big house, and I want the craziness around Rage. What Tinsley did doesn’t mean anything to me. That’s on her head. Not yours. I am not disgusted, although we may need to find a way to rephrase ‘I fucked my sister’, but I’m not going anywhere,” I said firmly.
Gauntlet looked at me for several long moments that turned into a few minutes. Just as I was getting uncomfortable, he pounced on me.
Taking me to the bed, Gauntlet murmured, “Love you more than anything, baby.” And then proceeded to give me the goodies in a very satisfying way.
Chapter Twelve.
Amberlea
I sighed as the argument between the old ladies grew. It had been two months since everything blew up, and there had been many changes. Gauntlet was lighter, more balanced and happier. He was a full brother and happy in his role. We’d settled down in my house, and Gauntlet terrorised the neighbours into behaving. Including the asshole who’d gone for his Gran. Chas’s home was now up for sale. In fact, it went up immediately after Gauntlet moved in. That amused both of us.
Faelea stopped calling him Gauntlet that same week and bellowed Dad at him all the time. She had him wrapped around her finger and was making the most of it. In return, Gauntlet spoiled her rotten and let her get away with murder. I wasn’t too worried because Gauntlet still reinforced the boundaries and rules I had put into place.
Cordelia and her family had gone on trial, and all three had been sentenced for various things. Her mother received ten years, while Mr Wellspring was sentenced to twenty-five, and Cordelia got the same. I’d given an interview after the trial and discussed the evidence and how relieved I felt at justice being done at last. My record had been expunged, I’d received compensation of seven figures and wanted the world to learn how shitty the Wellsprings really were.
My lawyer, judge, and others who’d taken the bribe money had also been arrested and imprisoned. A clear message had been sent out to South Dakota that justice would be served no matter what. One sad thing was all those who had previously had sympathy for the Casks. Well, a lot turned against them for what they’d done to me. Mr Cask had offered a public apology, and when I’d been questioned on it in the interview, I’d rejected it.
No apology could soothe away ten years of hate. It even came out that Faelea lived with me and had been explained. Faelea’s guardian had written a confession on her deathbed, claiming she’d known I was in prison, and she saw her chance at having a child. She claimed to kidnap Faelea without my knowledge but knew when she was dying that Faelea deserved a family. Yeah, there were plot holes, but nobody pried too deeply.
I’d not heard from Jax or Arlo. Their lives had become a media hell. Jax had been reviled for marrying Cordelia, and the stories that came out about them made me cringe. Arlo had suffered much the same way. The letters he’d written to me over the years had been leaked, and the papers had published excerpts of them. The letters showed both Arlo and Jax in a very poor light.
Both men lost their jobs because of the media frenzy and also because… well… they were simply douches. It served them right. Despite the fact Jax claimed he knew nothing, I didn’t believe him. Jax had to have suspected something. Nobody would’ve lived with Cordelia for that long and not been suspicious. She was a vindictive snake. And yeah, she would’ve crowed over my misfortune.
The argument escalated, and I slapped the table. Phoe, Marsha, and Silvie stopped and stared at me.
“You’re going about this wrong,” I said and sighed.
“Are we?” Phoe asked.
“Yes. You have an event planner sitting right here and are not using her,” I stated.
Phoe looked around at everyone.
“Who?” she questioned.
“Me. I took courses in prison and have two degrees in this shit. So why aren’t you using me?” I demanded.
“You’re an event planner?” Marsha asked.
“Yes.”
