Page 134 of Misdeeds of a Billionaire
Turning around, I left him and the gagging sounds behind me.
I didn’t bother sitting down, I wasn’t planning on staying any longer than necessary.
Just as I was about to check my watch, a grating voice filled the room.
“Ahhh, there you are.” My jaw tightened. Slowly, I turned around and found my father standing there, fixing his buckle.
“Your fly is open,” I pointed out.
He chuckled like it was the funniest thing he’d heard all day.
“To what do I owe this surprise?” he questioned again. “Considering you threw me out of your house in the middle of a raging storm only a few days ago, I wasn’t exactly expecting you.”
I stayed silent, studying the man who was supposed to be a father figure and had somehow failed at that. For all of us—his legitimate and illegitimate kids. He was a sperm donor, nothing more.
“I came to discuss your future living arrangements and finances.”
He stilled, his arrogant mask slipping for a fraction of a moment.
“This home will be liquidated. I have arranged for a condo for you that will be adequate for your living standards. Also, all the sponsors that have been backing you—for my benefit—have decided to back a different candidate. One to be determined at a later date.”
I stayed silent, letting the words sink in, and watched my father’s blue eyes turn dark and stormy. I’d labored over my siblings and our empire since I was a teenager. I tried to be a good brother, give us all what I thought we needed, while this man—who was supposed to protect us—whored around and put our family in jeopardy time and again. He wreaked havoc on every single one of us with no concern but himself.
Enough was enough.
“This is all because of that French whore.”
My knuckles turned white. “Careful, Father. Or you’ll find yourself truly penniless.” My voice was calm, my face and posture relaxed. “I know your income working for the Senate is not enough to support yourhabits.”
He had dealers as well as high-priced escorts on speed dial. The allowance I set for him was spent without a single thought to how hard we all worked to grow our empire.
Needless to say, my father—the great Senator George Ashford—was pale, male, and stale. Who in the fuck would ever want him without money?
“You should have stuck to Nicki.”
I scoffed. “She was never my choice. Never would have been. Unlike Dr. Swan, Nicki was a mistake.” My father would never understand. He was a selfish bastard and only cared about wealth, power, and status. “At this point, both you and Nicki are lucky to be alive after the shit you’ve done. So do yourself a favor and shut the fuck up.”
“I’m still a senator and I have some pull. Don’t forget that, Byron.” He smiled—that no-good, cruel smile he used to give my mother when he humiliated her, over and over again—and sauntered over to me, his eyes intense. “I could do some damage too.”
Oh, I knew!I fucking remembered his fuckup costing my mother her life.
The familiar clawing pressure in my chest grew, remembering the day my mother died.
Screams and shouts made my blood run cold. What I saw next had my blood outright frozen, roaring at the sight of my mother. Her mouth was parted, a shocked expression etched onto her face. A bright red stain blossomed on Mama’s cream Valentino dress, spilling onto the concrete around her.
She lay there, still and unmoving, the light completely gone from her dark eyes.
I shouted for an ambulance. I threatened to destroy them all if they didn’t produce one right away, even though I knew it was too late.
She was gone. The only true parent we had. My baby sister would grow up without knowing her love and my heart clenched for her.
It was time for me to step in, because I knew my father never would.
I blinked the memories away and tamped down the irritation I felt toward the stranger in front of me. Tension rocketed down my spine at his threat. He had no qualms about destroying his own family for his personal gain. But he’d never succeed. It’d be him against all his children.
“Your funds have been cut,” I told him, my voice cold and detached. “You’ll have to lower your spending and your living standards. Thank God on your knees that I’m letting you keep your position in the Senate. Trust me when I say I have enough evidence against you to get you thrown in jail, never mind getting you kicked out of a government job.”
I wanted to take everything from the man who’d stolen my chance at watching my son grow up. But still, he was my father. This would be his last chance. One more attempt at fucking with my family, and he’d go down faster than shit down a flushed toilet.
