Page 53 of River Legacy
“But you won’t go back on it,” he said smugly. “Because you know me. I’d take out my disappointment on everyone you love—especially if I was behind bars. This way, you’re rid of me. Isn’t that really what you want, Mother?”
There he was, that insecure little boy she’d doted on, yet he’d never felt loved enough. Because he knew he didn’t deserve it?
“What I want is for you never to hurt anyone else,” she said as her heart broke at the thought of what she was about to do. For a moment, she wasn’t sure she could inject the poison that was about to come out of her mouth even as she knew she had to. “Do your... friends know you’re coming into all this money?”
“What are you getting at?” he demanded as he glanced around as if he thought someone was already watching him.
“Just that you’ve used them to do your dirty work. When they find out what you’re getting for it compared to what you offered them, I’m just afraid they might turn on you.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. They’re too smart for that.”
She shrugged. “Like you said, you’re leaving the country. It’s not like they could stop you if they resented you. I just worry about the people you hang out with. Treyton, for one.” She told herself that she would go to hell for this. The thought almost made her laugh. She’d done much worse things in her life. Treyton had shot her son and tried to burn down her daughter’s house for money because CJ had told him to do it.
“What about Treyton?”
“I would think he’d be the last person you could trust, given the way you feel about the McKennas. Yet Treyton was the one you got to shoot Brand and start the fire at Oakley’s house, wasn’t he?” she said, seeing the truth and hurriedly dripping more poison into his ear. She knew her son’s insecurities and now heartlessly played on them. “Even if you could trust him, Treyton will always have that to hold over your head in case one day he needs a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
CJ shook his head as if trying to shake off his own his own fears and self-doubts at her words. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’d like to see my friends turn on me, wouldn’t you, Mother.”
She knew he didn’t have any real friends, and that made her even sadder. Tears filled her eyes. “I’m just really sad for you.”
He laughed. “What is this? Reverse psychology?You think I’ll feel bad and give you back your ranch? Think again. I’m fine. I’m better than fine. I finally have everything I want. Don’t you think I see what you’re doing? You’re just trying to stir up trouble,” he said, glancing over his shoulder again. “You’re hoping my friends betray me.”
“I’m sorry, but my own son turned on me, so I know it can happen. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Sure, you did,” he said, trying to laugh it off. “But you’re wrong. I don’t have to listen to any more of this.” But he didn’t move. He kept standing there as if waiting for her to say something to reassure him because she would see that her words had done their job. Her heart broke at what she’d done. “You’re just messing with my head. We’re done, Mother.”
Yes, they were. She felt a horrible sense of loss, but she reminded herself that she’d lost her son a long time ago. Now she was trying to save the rest of her family. “Goodbye, CJ.” She turned and walked back to her vehicle, forcing herself not to look as broken as she felt. She had wanted to believe he could change. She was the fool, and it had nearly cost her family their lives.
She didn’t know how long CJ stood watching her go like the angry boy he’d been, but by the time she slid behind the wheel, he was roaring off down the road as if being chased.
Victoria left Ryder and his brother alone and went outside the hospital to make the call. Shehadn’t spoken to her father since her call to force Claude to let her out of the car in Powder Crossing. While she’d left messages, he hadn’t gotten back to her. She knew he was avoiding her. A part of him still wanted her to believe he wasn’t as bad as she thought.
Which meant he was up to no good and she had a pretty good idea of what it was. He was going to get Stafford Ranch no matter what he had to do. But if there was any chance that she could stop him, she had to take it.
The phone began to ring, and she braced herself. She wasn’t looking forward to this, knowing how badly it could go. Her father had a bad habit of not listening and only hearing what he wanted to.
She felt that Brand might be right. Did her father want the Stafford Ranch badly enough that he would work with a known criminal? Unfortunately, she feared he would. Having already suspected what CJ Stafford would do to get what he wanted, she thought Wendell Forester might have found the perfect partner.
“Victoria?” her father said, startling her out of her thoughts as he answered the call.
She tried to read meaning into the way he’d said her name. He was angry at her, that much she knew. But there was also hope in his voice. She hated to think what he was hoping for. Where there might have been something between her and Ryder, there wasn’t anymore. He didn’t trust her, and shecouldn’t blame him. After all, she was her father’s daughter, right?
Now she was ready to do whatever was required to keep her father from getting Stafford Ranch. She felt she owed Ryder that. But she also knew that her father seldom lost. Money and power often won out, she knew so well.
“I’m calling to ask a favor,” she said, getting right to it.
“Really?” He sounded amused, probably because he knew she had nothing to really bargain with. But she was still his daughter, and she wanted to believe he did care about her.
“I want you to leave Ryder’s family alone. You don’t need this ranch. I’m asking you to let it go.”
Silence, then he cleared his voice and asked, “Don’t tell me you’re falling for the cowboy?”
The question surprised her because it hadn’t been about the fake engagement. “What if I am?” she demanded defiantly, angrier at herself than her father. What if she was?
“Oh, Victoria,” he said, sounding sad.
She waited for him to say more. When he didn’t, she felt a lump rise in her throat. “What’s going on, Dad?” She hadn’t called himDadin years.
