Page 70 of Breakout
He shakes his head. “No, but then again, we are on the back side of the house. Come on.”
We make our way to the living room and come to a stop when a frantic woman comes into view.
“Janis, you know you aren’t supposed to be here. You need to leave,” Jeeves demands.
“Oh, fuck you! You can’t tell me what to do,” the woman scoffs.
My breath catches when the woman’s name registers.
This is Janis? My cousin who’s contesting the will? I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.
Janis is short but rail-thin. Her hair is bleached blonde to the point that it looks brittle. Her makeup is heavily applied, making her look older than what she probably is. It’s her eyes, though, that really stick out. They look crazed. As if she is on something.
She must feel my attention because she turns toward me, and her eyes narrow.
“You!” she hisses, full of venom.
As soon as I see her, I know exactly what kind of woman she is. I’ve known her type my entire life. Janis lunges forward, only for Jeeves to step between her and Peyton.
It wouldn’t have mattered, though. I am quicker, blocking Peyton from any threat.
“Ms. Janis. You need to leave. You know you are not permitted to be here and are currently trespassing,” he tells her firmly.
“You’ve ruined everything, you money-stealing whore!” Janis rants.
Peyton flinches at the insult as she steps into my side, hugging my arm to her chest.
“You will not speak to my wife like that,” I growl.
For the first time, Janis’s eyes move to me. My body shudders as she checks me out from head to toe, licking her lips.
“How much?” she asks.
“Excuse me?”
“How much will it be for you to leave her and admit that this is a giant scam?”
Peyton’s breath catches.
“I don’t know where you got the impression that things between my wife and I are a scam, but I can assure you that they are not,” I tell her firmly.
“A million? Two? At most I can go three,” Janis says.
“Are you serious right now?” Peyton scoffs.
“I don’t know what hole you crawled out of, but you need to go back home now and leave my family alone. My grandfather’s fortune is mine,” Janis sneers.
“You know, I thought it was weird that he left you nothing, but now it makes sense. I wouldn’t have left you anything either.” Peyton shakes her head.
Janis steps forward and points her finger. “This is your last warning. Walk away, or I will kill you.”
“Is that a threat?” I ask as I move in front of Peyton once more.
“It’s a promise,” Janis tells me.
“Ms. Janis, the cops are on their way, and you’ll be arrested for trespassing,” Jeeves says as he hurries back into the room.
Shit, I didn’t even notice when he stepped away.
