Page 15 of Explode
Taking a deep breath to calm the noise in my head, I let the image ofKai come to mind. Usually, just thinking of him would send me into a spiral of depression, but right now, I needed the image to channel some of the bravado he always showed when it came to dealing with his employees.
“Honestly, I don’t know where to begin.” I took a step forward,everyone watching me intently, including the Apollo guys and Miles, all waiting with bated breath as to what I was about to say.
My mouth opened and closed several times before anything wouldcome out. It’s funny, my brain and mouth had a tendency not to work together, resulting in me saying stupid shit at inappropriate times. It seemed now though, they had decided to get on the same page and work together.
Talk about crappy timing.
“First, I want to apologize for how you were brought here,” I started,figuring that maybe I should do what Miles told me to do,just be me.If I was in their shoes, I’d be mighty pissed someone had kidnapped me off the street, blindfolded me, and tied my hands up. In fact, if it was me, I’d have been bitching and moaning the second my hood was removed.
Tank, Oz, Jack, and Dan were under strict instruction to make surethat when they rounded everyone up, they made it clear they were going to come to no harm. I doubted the hoods and hand ties had done much to convince them they would be safe. The least I could do was apologize.
“Save the apology, and tell us why the fuck we are here,” Grahamsnapped, sending daggers at me from across the broken table.
“Why don’t you shut the fuck up and give the girl a minute,” Kimmyhissed, coming to my defense.
“Who the fuck is this girl?” Ernie chimed in, looking at me like I wasnothing but a bit of dog poop on his shoe.
Fucking hell, this was all going to pot. I peeked up at Miles, about toask him what the hell I should do when somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered what he said to me when we were discussing the Bianchis.
Do you think Kai would have left Hollows Bay to you if he didn’t thinkyou were capable? Kai saw in you what I see. You’re a good person, a strong person who fights for what is right, and you want to make lives better for people.
Kai had believed in me. Believed that I could do good, and make thecity a better place. To do that, I needed to find the strength Kai believed I had. The strength that had got me through my parents’ deaths, the strength that had got me through five years of looking after Angel all alone. The strength I found every day to carry on breathing without Kai by my side.
From somewhere deep within, courage and determination bubbledup. Standing tall, I propped my hands on my hips and held my head high.
“Ernie, I apologize for not introducing myself. My name is Riley Wolfe,Kai was my husband.” Ignoring the gasps, I took a deep breath and carried on. “I believe all of you know Miles was not responsible for killing Kai, nor were we having an affair. The truth is, Kai had a brother whom he didn’t know about, and he plotted to ruin Kai and take over Hollows Bay with the help of Hendrix. When Kai died, he left the city to me, and I give each of you my word right this second that I will do whatever the fuck I need to do to take back control.”
Four mouths dropped open as they stared back at me. From behindthem, Miles gave a subtle nod of his head, reassuring me I had said the right thing.
“Kai had a brother?” Kimmy asked, shock lacing her voice.
“Yeah,” I replied, dropping my hands from my hips.
“Who?”
“Max Thorne.”
“You’re fucking kidding,” Graham barked, slamming his hands downon the wooden table and sending a puff of dust into the air.
“I wish I was,” I said, slumping into the chair opposite the four ofthem.
I gave them a few seconds to digest the information because I knewwhat a head fuck it was to make sense of everything.
“You and Kai got married?” Ernie said skeptically, breaking thetension in the room.
“It’s true,” Colin said, speaking for the first time. “I married them insecret a few days before Mr. Wolfe passed away.”
Kimmy whistled. “Congratulations Mrs. Wolfe, that’s one hell of a ringyou have there,” she said, her eyes falling to my finger where my wedding ring was. The ring I refused to remove after Kai died.
“Thanks,” I replied, giving her a small smile back, and refusing to letthe memories of our wedding day seep in. I didn’t need the tears right now.
“And Kai left Hollows Bay to you?” Ernie asked, although it wasn’t in away that said he was doubting me. I nodded in response. “Mrs. Wolfe,” he started, but I held up my hand.
“Riley, please.”
He bobbed his head once. “Riley. I’ve lived in Hollows Bay all my life.My father worked for Christopher Wolfe, and I had a lot of respect for Kai. Hollows Bay belongs to the Wolfe family, so if you’re telling me Kai wanted you to run the city, then I give you my word, I will do whatever you need me to do to reclaim your throne.”
He held my gaze, nothing but sincerity etched on his face. A warm feeling of gratitude and relief flushed through me. The insurmountable mountain felt a fraction smaller.
