Page 51 of Culmination
I turn my gaze back to the man as he inserts the key into the slot, opens the lid, and pulls out the worn, leather-bound book. His eyes close briefly. Then he flicks his gaze at me.
“This had better be what I am looking for, Gabriella, or it is your lover’s head.”
When he opens the book and begins to peruse through its contents, warm satisfaction crosses his face.
“That’s it. That’s all I found, all my father left me to find. If there’s anything else, I don’t know about it.”
His cold gaze meets mine. “I am familiar with your father’s handwriting—as well as hers—and I believe this is authentic. That being said, one cannot be too careful.”
He walks towards the fireplace, and just as he approaches, he tosses the book into the flames, where it burns until it’s nothing but ash. All proof of Rafe’s parentage goes up in smoke. Which I think he’ll be grateful for.
That’s it. It’s over. It’s done.
Famous last thoughts, of course.
“Why would you go through all this trouble just to burn the evidence to stake your claim to my child?” Another thought rolls through my mind. “And why kill my parents?”
Theo’s eyes harden as he holds up two fingers. “Your father made not one, but two mistakes. He thought he was clever. That I wouldn’t find out he’d been accessing files he needn’t have or that he’d been logging any unsavory financial activity that was none of his concern. He got bold, too brave, too confident, and somehow discovered the how to access my personal vault at home. He found the diary, the ultrasound. He knew the truth, and I couldn’t risk him telling Matthews. Not yet. He was too important for what I had planned. In ridding the world of your parents, I was only going after what was rightfully mine.” Dark eyes narrow and gaze intently on my belly. “As I’m doing now.
“So you see, your father was a traitor. At first, the ledger was of utmost importance. I couldn’t allow it to fall into the wrong hands—especially yours. But when I found out about the baby, that I’d been given a new opportunity to raise the heir I deserve, that became paramount. And, now, I have you to thank for bringing my belongings so dutifully back to me.”
“You just burned the proof. You’re speaking nonsense.”
“When the baby is born, that is all the proof I’ll need. And Helene, her father, will have no proof, no claim. Without those documents, I can laugh them out of court if they so much as try to bring on a lawsuit.”
This man is genuinely deranged, his argument making zero logical sense. He’s also wasting time.
I fight the urge to turn on my heel and run from the room, but I can’t turn my back on this man. Instead, I steel my nerves and stare down my nose at him, cold determination flowing through my blood.
“Where is Rafe? I’m not leaving without him.”
“Oh, Gabriella. You’re not leaving at all.”
I reel back then narrow my eyes at his cold gaze. “You got what you wanted. You don’t need me here. I want nothing to do with you. I came to you and not the Feds because I’m done with this. Done with you. I just want to get Rafe and leave, and you’ll never have to see us again. Please.”
It’s in this moment that realization dawns on me. Theo just admitted every single detail of what he did to my parents. What he had planned for me. It was the proverbial seeing the face of your unmasked assailant who can’t risk keeping you alive on the chance you may give him away. Theo never planned on letting Rafe go. He never planned on lettingmego. I walked right into his hands, a gift-wrapped package of absolution he didn’t deserve.
Evil laughter echoes around us. “No, Gabriella, I haven’t, as you said, gotten everything I wanted. There’s so much more to take from you than a measly book.” His eyes dart to my stomach, my hands instinctively covering it in protection.
I shake my head. “No. You willnevertouch my baby.”
Theo’s eyes gleam wickedly. “That is my grandchild, and as such, I can and will. My darling, by the time I’m finished with you, the courts will have no choice but to hand the child over to me. My boys may have been a disappointment. Too much of their mother in them. But as this child won’t have a mother, it won’t matter, now will it?” Curled lips snarl at me. “For once, perhaps I’ll finally have an heir that’s worth a damn.”
Confusion washes over me. I swallow hard, tightening my hands into a fist, fear and rage battling within me. “You have no claim to the child I carry.”
I’m confident in that, a feeling that starts to waver at the evil I see in the eyes of the man who holds the power to rip everything I love away from me. Theo sees that confidence and shreds it to bits. His eyes widen slightly before his grin turns wicked. He takes the pistol in his hand and gestures to someone I can’t see behind me. I hear a scuffle then gasp when Rafe’s suddenly between us, on the ground. His face has been cleaned since the photo, but his cheek is still swollen, a purple bruise forming and growing by the second.
“It’s amazing, my dear, what a type you have. Once I knew you planned to leave Adrian, I had to send in Rafe. He’s always had a softer side. Been more suave. Not so rough around the edges. And you played right into his hands.”
His words should shock me. That’s the reaction he’s looking for, and I refuse to give in. Instead, I focus on the man before me.
Rafe groans and gets to his hands and knees. Theo doesn’t move to stop him. He just watches, an eagerness in his eyes I don’t like.
“Brie.” Rafe’s voice is gruff, gravelly, and it’s killing me not to rush to him. His agonized eyes meet mine. “You shouldn’t have come.”
My eyes soften. “I had to, Rafe,” I whispered.
Theo laughs. “Of course you did. After all, it’d be rude to skip out on your own party.”
