Carla Everson looked at her friend in astonishment. "You haven't ever looked at this whole thing, have you, Sam?"

Sam shook her head, her lips pressed together.

“I only wanted to know the important parts. I was in the hospital when his lawyer read it. I didn't have the strength or concentration to get through it all.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut. "Then, when I got out, I hit the ground running and didn't give that a second thought.” She waved a hand at the thick envelope Carla held.

Her father's will. The thing that had strapped her to his company in the early years. The way it was read, she would take the helm, or she would be homeless with nothing to her name. She'd taken his challenge from the grave and exceeded all the parameters he'd set. Now, she looked at Carla and waited for the next shoe to drop.

Stone sat beside her, his hand wrapped comfortingly around hers, Jasper snoozing at her feet. No matter what the documents said, things were different now. She had a support network. She wasn't alone, she wouldn't be alone again, and that gave her the confidence she needed to face whatever Carla was about to tell her.

Sam, your father wrote his will, wrote it into the company's bylaws, that if he died or was incapacitated, you would take control of CSM for no less than 7 years. If that didn't happen, if you also died or became incapacitated, CSM was to be dismantled and sold to the highest bidder. There’s no way James and Norman would have been able to raise that kind of cash.

Sam, your father tried to kill you because he didn't want Norman to have the company. When you shot him, he knew what the outcome would be, but his attack on you was a revenge move directed at Norman. Even from his grave, he was going to ensure CSM didn't fall into that man's hands.

"Agent DeLuc and I were able to procure the 911 tapes." Cameron looked at Sam with sympathy. "Do you think you can listen to them?"

Sam felt coldness seeping through her at Cameron's words, but she nodded anyway, focusing on the warmth of Stone's hand around hers.

Cameron pressed play on his device and Sam had to fight to maintain her composure. She knew all too well, the voice on that call. The caller sounded convincingly panicked, giving her home address, saying he'd heard shots fired. Six gunshots, he said.

Sam looked to Cameron who was holding a set of tapes in his hands. "That's James Nelonie." Her voice betrayed the anger rising within. "There were only five shots fired - my father shot Javier, I shot my father, then my father shot me. Three times."

Sam swallowed hard, her hand automatically moving to her shoulder where lotus and flames covered the evidence of her father's cruelty. Stone gave her hand a squeeze, which she returned gratefully.

"There were six shots,” Cameron explained, “because it was Norman who delivered the fatal wound to your father.”

Cameron moved to an adapter he'd plugged into Sam's T.V. and the screen came to life with dark images from the security cameras of her childhood home.

Sam’s eyes flew to Cameron. "Where did you get this?” She asked in astonishment. “I was told all the footage had been destroyed."

"Ah," Cameron wagged his finger in the air. "But you did not have the backing of an FBI badge to throw around. Watch."

There on the tape, plain as day, James and Norman walked from the driveway, into her father's house. About thirty minutes later, she and Javier came into view, walking down that same driveway, completely unaware of what would transpire.

Sam choked back a cry, putting her fist to her mouth, shaking her head violently.

“I can't. I can't. Turn it off, Cam."

She leaned forward, trying to catch her breath, trying to capture push the memories back down where they were manageable.

Cameron turned off the television.

Stone rubbed her back gently.

Over the years, Javier had been a memory she could wrestle into a box, but seeing him there with her, walking to his death, his hand on the small of her back. Sam could feel his touch, burning through her shirt, warming her skin. Even now, she could feel the press of his hand as he confidently led them to their supposed freedom.

Sam jumped from the sofa, unable to contain the flood of grief overtaking her, and ran to her room. Carla and Jasper followed quickly behind. She sat at the edge of her bed, then slid to the floor, burying her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. She felt Carla's arms come around her and leaned into her friend. Jasper pressed into her legs with a soft whine as she struggled to catch her breath. Carla continued whispering unintelligible words of comfort, holding her tightly, stroking her hair.

Finally, Sam was able to take one deep, shuddering breath, then another and another, until she found the strength to speak.

"Did you watch it?” She asked Carla, still tucked in her arms.

“I did." Came the quiet reply. "What do you want to know, honey? I'll tell you. You don't need to see it."

"Is it enough?" Sam asked unsteadily.

"Yeah." Carla breathed. “It's enough. And we've got enough for your mom too."

Sam sobbed again, this time in relief. Finally. Finally there would be justice for her mother, for Javier.

"Agent DeLuc said he'd do his best to let you be there, when it all goes down, but he can't make any guarantees."

Sam pushed herself up.

"Can we get him on the phone?" Just like that, the flood of grief was replaced with fire. “I know exactly how I want this to go down."

And Samantha Covington knew that she would finally have the revenge she'd been looking for. Finally, the empire of terror these three men, James, Norman, and her father had built, would be turned to dust. Finally, Samantha Covington would have her freedom.

* * *

"Carla and Maggie are coming over today?"

Stone stroked Sam's back while they lay in her bed. She was sprawled over him, totally sated, enjoying the lazy, snowy morning.

"Mm.” She hummed. "Yeah, and Nora and Chelsea. Why do you ask?"

"I have some things I need to do today. I didn't want you to be alone." He continued stroking her back, let his hand drift over the curve of her hip. "Zayne is coming in for the gala. We'll get our tuxes today."

She pushed up to look at him.

"You bought him a ticket?” She asked in surprise. "You didn't have to do that, I would have bought one for him if I’d known you wanted him there. And I won't be alone, Alec and Zara will be with us."

"That's why I didn't tell you." He smiled up at her. “I can pay my own way, he can pay his too."

"Does he know Nora will be there?” She lay back down on his chest, her favorite place to be, listening to his the rhythm of his heartbeat.

A chuckle rumbled through his chest. "I'm sure that's why he was so insistent on going."

"This is an important night for me.” She told him somberly. "The Chairwoman is allowing me to announce my plans for the Phoenix Project."

"Love, that's huge, I’m so happy for you." He said sincerely, giving her a squeeze.

“I should get a shower, the girls will descend upon us shortly.” She rolled off of his warm body with a sigh.

"I'll make breakfast, tell Zayne to come get me." He gave her bottom a quick swat, making her jump on her way out of the bed.

An hour later, hair blown out, light makeup applied, Sam exited the bathroom to the aroma of bacon and toast. She could always count on Stone to do breakfast without pretense. No fruit parfaits, or hardboiled eggs and grapefruit when he was around. Nope, it was eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, orange juice. Her stomach rumbled as she walked down the hall, the sounds of laughter drifting to her ears. Carla and Maggie sat at the breakfast bar, Stone entertaining them while he arranged food on their plates.

"Hey guys.” She alerted them to her presence with a greeting.

"Sam!" Maggie jumped off her stool and ran to wrap Sam in a hug.

"How are you, Mags? Excited?"

Maggie grinned up at Sam. "You know I’m always excited for shopping, but this is the first fundraiser our whole family is going to. I’m so excited. Max too, even though he won't admit it.” She frowned. "Why are boys so weird?"

Sam barked out a laugh, looking to Carla. "You want to take that one?"

Carla just smiled over her coffee cup. "We've been having the boy talk."

"Wow," Sam commented. “How are you growing up so fast?"

Before Maggie could protest, the doorbell rang. Alec let Nora and Chelsea in. Chelsea immediately ran to give Maggie a hug. The two took themselves to the far side of the breakfast bar and started talking in low tones, giggling, shyly eyeing Stone and Alec.

"Oh, my god." Nora groaned, giving Sam and Carla hugs. "She's only eight. What am I going to do when she's fifteen?"

"Ha!" Carla answered. "Mags is only eleven..."

"I'm almost twelve!" Maggie whined.

"Anyway," Carla continued in a low whisper. "She's already talking about a boy at school who wants to be her boyfriend!"

"Did you tell her boys are nothing but trouble?" Sam asked, giving Stone a little wink as she looked at him above the heads of Nora and Carla.

Just then, the doorbell rang again and Alec let Zayne in. Sam watched Nora's gaze drift to Zayne. "Speaking of boys..." Nora started to say, then drifted off, a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Oh god, Nora!" Carla hissed. You do not want to get caught up with Zayne.

“I know." Nora sighed. "But a girl can look."

"If you ladies are finished checking out my little brother," Stone interjected, startling the three women. "Breakfast is served”.

* * *

Stone absentmindedly stroked Jasper's head while he looked at his brother across the breakfast bar. Moments ago, he ushered the girls, along with Alec and Zara, out the door to start their shopping extravaganza.

“I feel like a worm, Zayne." He confided. "All of you say I shouldn't tell her, but it's going to wreck her once she knows the truth."

Watching Sam with Nora and Carla reminded him how young she truly was. Samantha Covington was a woman who had carefully constructed the world she moved in. He was an anomaly, a deviation from her normal M.O. and he knew it. He wanted to keep her safe, to minimize the emotional damage his actions were going to cause, but he and his advisors saw no way around it.

"You know her plan for James and Norman?" Stone asked his brother.

"Yes." Zayne nodded. “It's all in the works. It will go exactly as she requested and we've got twenty-four hour surveillance on them and their contacts."

"What about the fundraiser? Have you talked to the head of security? Because you know they're going to show up."

"Yes." Zayne nodded again. "Everyone knows the situation. DeLuc has six agents attending undercover."

Zayne met Stone's eyes and held them. "You do your job. The girls will be safe. No one will be out of site of the security team for even a second. Nothing's happening at the Gala."

"And what about us?" Stone asked. "The organizers know to keep our identities under wraps?"

“I’ve handled everything, big brother. You focus on Samantha. Let me handle the details."