Chapter TWENTY
Damon
When I saw the expression of pure horror on Liz’s face, the way she looked away from me, like it pained her to relive what just happened, I thought the worst thing possible. My grandmother was dead. She had to be. It was written all over Liz’s face. But when I glanced inside the room, and saw her sitting up, I knew I’d been wrong.
Bewildered, I touched Liz’s arm. “You all right?” She didn’t answer, just stood there biting her lip. “Liz?”
“I didn’t ask for it. She just…She…I don’t know why she gave it to me, but she did.”
“What are you talking about?” Something inside my gut twisted.
“I don’t…I don’t even know anything about how to run a business, much one of this size.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Your grandmother, or whomever you think she is…”
“Wait. What?”
“Oh my god. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t supposed to…”
I grabbed her arms more forcefully than I’d intended. “Liz, what are you saying? Is there something I should know about?”
“She’s…she’s not related to you. She found you and your sister after you were abandoned and…”
“She’s lieing,” I had to sit down before I fell down. “None of this makes any sense. What else did she tell you?”
When Liz burst into tears I couldn’t help shouting at her. “Liz! Liz, what else did she tell you?”
I knew about her father, and I hoped it wasn’t what I thought it was. I prayed the old broad hadn’t signed over my inheritance to a perfect stranger.
“Did she tell you something about the Club?”
Liz nodded as she stared at the floor. “She signed it over to me.”
“To you? What the hell!”
She looked up at me, and all I saw was determination. “What do you mean, what the hell!. I don’t know why she did it but she did so don’t look at me like that. And I don’t’ want it. I’ll just sign it over to you and…”
“So that’s what this was all about? Seriously, Liz? This is why your old man showed up out of the blue throwing his money around?” I shot from the chair, seeing red.
I started pacing.
This was wrong. Very, very wrong.
I turned back to her and it was like I was a different person. Even to me.
I completely lost my mind.
“The two of you are quite a pair. One cozies up to the old brawd on her death bed while the other takes over everything else. Pretty slick. Pretty damn slick, Liz. And what was I? Just a little diversion, is that it? Or did you figure if you couldn’t get through to my grandmother, you could fuck me into giving you my inheritance?”
“What? Is that what you think? No! No, that’s not it at all.”
She tried to grab my arm but I shook it off. “The hell is isn’t!”
“Damon, I don’t want your fucking Club!”
“Maybe not, but your father sure does. I’m sure he’ll pay you a hefty commission for fucking me over. All in the family, right?”
The look on her face said it all. Shame. Guilt. And then what? Remorse? Fuck! How had I been so blind? Why didn’t I see this coming? See her coming. She was just like all the rest. Only interested in money.
She stared at me hard for several minutes, but I wasn’t budging in my anger. I looked around for something to throw. When I settled on the only portable thing in the room, a waist basket, I kicked it hard. Hard enough to send it flying down the hall. Liz jumped at the impact and then burst into tears and ran off.
I didn’t go after her.