Episode 2×26 “Murder, Mayhem, & Madness”
Written by: Chris Coleman and Kelly Zollo
Theme Song: Adam Lambert – Mad World

 

Selina held a leg as she looked over at Tamara, Bliss, and Jackie. Each woman carried an arm or a leg. It made her feel so lost how did the four of them get here? She looked at Tamara and the sympathy waved over her. He’d just beat her but this son a bitch had taken something much more precious from Tamara. Her eyes drifted to Bliss dragging his body and she felt an urge to scream. How did four smart and talented women get to this place? Dropping the leg all the women tumbled to the ground. She looked at them and started to cry. Before she knew it Jackie grabbed her shoulders shaking her out of her stupor. Chauncey saved her a few months ago after he beat her ass. Now she was carrying her ex-fiance body. If she would have stayed and fought for Braden this wouldn’t have happened. Hell but she wouldn’t be embarking o  She was hearing Bliss and Tamara yelling at each other.

“Stop it!” Selina said looking at the other three women. They were once beautiful earlier today, a wedding that brought two rival families together. “We have to get this body into Lake Everest and find a rock to sink this fucker. Bliss you brought the rope and I need us all to stop fighting. Dimitri is dead and if we don’t get rid of this body we are dead so please. Please stop fighting and let’s get this bastard in the lake. Let’s make sure he’s gone forever because I don’t want to remember him anymore. Tamara you shouldn’t be fighting with Bliss when us three have a connection beyond anything I’ve ever felt. You are my sisters because I know the pain of a man hitting you, attacking you, and raping you.” She said, grabbing Bliss hand. “A man attacking you.” She grabbed Tamara’s hand. “And a mother protecting her family fiercely.” She looked at Jackie. “Let’s get rid of a man who doesn’t deserve to take us away from our families.”

Bliss nodded as she started to weep openly thinking of how she brought this man into their lives. Now Tamara a mother, Selina a mother, and Jackie her stepmother were all in danger. Looking at the dark blood stained shirt she flashed back stabbing him. She cried thinking that was why he was dead. Her son deserved Hunter as a father not this monster but how was she going to keep this a secret? A secret that had made them all murderers. As she nodded her head she heard Selina as she looked at her. “But you didn’t kill him.” She felt like her entire body shook from feeling completely alone. Her eyes were blurred with tears as she felt Selina help her up and she shook her head.

“No but I bashed his head in.” Tamara chimed in as she looked at the women. “Please guys I’m cold and I can’t do this much longer. The rain is turning into snow out here we have to keep moving. This is what happens when you rape a woman. You have to deal with your sin and we all had to attack him Bliss so who knows which one of us gave him the fatal blow. I just thank-you all because if he did that to me again.” She felt a shiver run down her spine and her eyes also started to water. “I beat a drug habit and all I want to do is get a hit now. That’s all I want is to do some drugs and make it all go away. What he did to me!” She said as she looked at Jackie and leaned on a tree trunk. “I know I can’t use drugs again because Dylan and the baby don’t deserve that. He deserves me clean but I can still feel his breath on me. His hands all over my body and even though he’s dead I still… I still fear him because he’s evil. This isn’t your fault Bliss, when you have children especially a boy we want to do nothing but protect them. I want to protect Dylan. He threatened my son..” Clearing her throat she wiped her face smearing the mud on her face.

“Please can we get this over with because I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to Braden. I need to get back to my man and son.” She saw Selina’s cracked face and knew for a fact that she hurt the other woman. She closed her eyes not wanting to see the pain all over her face. “I love him Selina and I know you’re single but please stay away from my boyfriend. Stay away from us and my family. My family deserves a shot and I’m asking for you to walk away from Braden.”

“I’m not single.” Selina said looking at the other woman. It was a pang of hurt that Tamara was having Braden’s baby. “Elliot and I are happy and I am happy you are having his baby.”

Bliss looked at Selina and Tamara and was shocked at what was transpiring. This wasn’t the time she heard about how much these two women hated each other. She went through that last year with Max and was grateful for Max and she was done with that. Flipping her hair she looked down at her finger. “My engagement ring is gone!” Her hand shook feverishly. “What if it’s found out here?”

If anyone would have told her that months after receiving her husband’s diagnosis and what was supposed to be a day of joy she would be helping the girl she considered her own daughter, her stepdaughter and a complete stranger bury a body in the lake she would have called them crazy. Yet here she was sneaking away from the reception to take the evil out of her family and Atlas Falls forever doing what had to be done as a mother. She was fiercely protective of her family which included Selina and Bliss and the moment Chauncey had told her what Dimitri had done to Selina she knew he would need to leave. Max was back at the mansion with Simon cleaning the crime scene while the party continued and she shook Selina out of her stupor and then had looked over at Bliss and the blood on her hands. It was dark near the lake and the woods and yes the ring could be out here and wiping at her hair seeing the dirt and blood on her hand she looked at Bliss.

“We cannot worry about the ring right now. If it is found we have a simple explanation it slipped off your hand on a walk or a jog you didn’t notice it was gone till later. Hunter will go along with your account.” Jackie said not wanting to put fear into Bliss more than she already felt it was a simple explanation and one she knew Hunter would back especially once he knew the truth. She heard the music in the background and knew the longer they stayed away the more people would talk and or take notice and looking at the lifeless body and then at the dock she steeled her gaze to the other women. “We have to get him to the dock, the boat has an anchor that will weigh him down. I will drive it out and push him over the edge. You three will go back to the party and get presentable. We have to hurry.”

Selina watched each woman grab a limb of Dimitri Kavanaugh her fiance and Bliss ex-husband. Tamara rapist and Jackie’s tormentor. The man had harassed them all deeply and she couldn’t believe this had divulged into this. As they dragged him to the dock. Each of the women dresses were covered in mud. Then she heard the fireworks no doubt Jackson and Dani were leaving now. It was a Devonshire tradition that fireworks happen every wedding and knowing that they were about to get exposed and hearing voices they all moved faster. The rain didn’t stop the show as she looked at them all. They dropped the body on the docks and she heard everyone clapping. No doubt doing their first dance before they leave. It was also a tradition with the Fraisers. She stood back as she watched Jackie start to tie the anchor onto his leg with Tamara help.

“Bliss this isn’t your fault.” She said softly seeing the young woman in a fury over her engagement ring. “Bliss look at me this isn’t your fault. We all made a choice tonight and with Simon help this will be behind us all.” Selina took her in her arms as Bliss cried. “Look at me. It took you a lot of strength to leave your son and to take on this demon. You heard what he did to Tamara right? Ready to leave your son all over. You made a choice because life is a fight and you fought back. He wasn’t ready for you to fight back honey. He was going to rape Tamara again and he hit me already. So you are not a villain you’re the hero.” Her lips quivered softly as she saw Bliss nodded her head. “It’s almost over.”

Bliss shook her head as she walked over to Dimitri’s body and kicked it. She knew it was time to throw him in the lake. “How could a man who gave me the greatest love in my life bring me this much pain.” She wanted him to jump up and scare her so she could hit him. She wanted him to move so she could stab him all over. “Hunter is my son’s father and I love him so much but how am I going to be the woman he needs. How? If I’m hiding this?”

Tamara waved the girls over as they all began their roles as Bliss questioned how they would move on. “I’m not my father’s daughter.” She said flippantly. “He doesn’t know to this day and my mom kept it a secret. Women since the dawn of time have kept secrets from men. Momma’s baby daddy’s maybe. Look it’s what we all have to do. After his body goes into this water we won’t speak of this anymore. We won’t!” She said as she the body fell into the water. They all stood back and watched him sinking into the water.

“Is it over?” She looked at Jackie. “Do we just walk away?” Bliss questioned with a rasp in her voice.

Jackie made quick haste of the work in front of them making sure to help the girls secure his legs with the chains from the anchor. Their DNA would be on it if they ever found it along with the body but it could be easily explained. Lakefront property and a party, Bliss and Selina were regulars at the estate and she could easily add in that she and Lowell had reached out to Tamara over her ordeal. She and Lowell of course owned the boat and it’s contents of course their fingerprints would be on it. She was missing the finer moments of the wedding but she also knew as she started the boat and drove it out to the deeper end where the body wouldn’t be found this was where she needed to be. She watched as they pushed his body into the dark water before turning the boat back to the dock, they arrived just as the music ended and she looked at the other women as she tied the boat back in place.

“It’s over and we will never speak of this again. You will all go back to the mansion Max and Simon will help you all get changed and then burn the clothes. We keep this between us, it’s over he can never hurt anyone ever again. He will never force himself on another woman again, he will never hit one and the world will be a better place for it.” Jackie said feeling her clutch vibrating and looking at a text from Lowell asking where she was. She looked up seeing the limo pulling into the house to take the newlyweds off to their honeymoon and she looked over at the girls. “People are starting to ask where we are. Hurry, we can change and clean up and be back at the reception before people start to ask more.”

Ivan walked out with Simon from the dark looking at Jackie Devonshire who was the most gangster grandma he’d ever seen. She was so calm about what had just happened and what they all did. When he looked at Simon he grabbed his hand and kissed it in front of Jackie. “We all have secrets Ms. Devonshire now you have mine. I assure you that motherfucker sank and nothing is fishing him up. Plus you all have an alibi in Simon and me.”

Bliss rushed upstairs as she looked back at Jackie leading Selina and Tamara in one room while he followed her stepmother to Max’s childhood room. Simon and Ivan had gotten a dress for her that was identical to her bridesmaid gown. He was good but she had just killed her son’s biological father. Each woman had a hand in this mess but she was the one who took Dimitri life and not for one second did she feel badly. In fact a weight had dropped off her. Fear wasn’t on her back and she actually felt light. “He took my wedding ring.” She said as she began to try to unzip her dress. “He’s gone. He’s dead and I can breathe again. I can be myself, oh my God I win. I got my son and my husband. He took us all and just toyed with what he did to us Jackie!” She said in a shriek of rage. I had to go with him. He put a gun to my son’s head. He actually put a loaded gun to Fox’s head. I can’t get the look of death out of my head. He was so still and perfect because he wasn’t breathing. I saw fear in his eyes Jackie. I will dream of that every damn second of the day. I will taste it at night. It will keep me warm when I remember the vicious attacks on me. I will never and I mean ever forget what he did to me but knowing I killed him. I fucking killed Dimitri Kavanaugh, that sends a tingle down my spine. It makes me feel good inside and warm. It’s over and I won. I get my son, I get my life with Hunter, and I get my family. I won and he said I was a fool for wanting this. That I was a spineless bitch Hunter. He thought I wouldn’t do it after all the things he did to me, Selina, and Tamara. He violated Selina, disrespected you, raped and beat Tamara, and did even worse to me on the island. Yet here I am. The stupid bitch survived and won. I beat him, I violated him, and if I go to hell then that’s enough for me. That’s enough for me because I get to be happy now. I get to not look over my shoulder anymore Jackie.” She sniffled as she collapsed to the floor beginning to cry and let out all her emotions.

“I’m so sorry for how I acted when I first came. I didn’t know how to face all of this. I didn’t know how to face him or you all. I didn’t know that me coming out of the woodwork would kickoff all of this scandal to your family. I just wanted Fox back. I just wanted to be safe again and I’m so sorry my mother is a horrible person and did those horrible things to you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry but I’m not sorry for killing him. I’m not and I’m scared that it’s going to make me a bad person Jackie. I’m so scared because I don’t have an ounce of sympathy for what I did. I don’t feel bad, I feel liberated.” Bliss said as she looked at the older woman. “Oh my God my mother knew. She knew that Lowell didn’t rape Katie. She had too, that’s why she kept Belle back. She was her trump card, and here you are protecting me. Her daughter, why? Why are you helping me?” Bliss questioned as she wept. “Why?”

Jackie and the rest had returned to the mansion through the back way there was no sense going through he front, Simon had already begun to do his work as he called in people to discretely clean up the crime scene and placed a call to have the identical dresses delivered once he had everyone’s sizes. She hadn’t said a word when a man named Ivan delivered said dresses and she watched as Tamara and Selina had entered one room to change with Simon keeping watch as she followed Bliss into the other. She was missing her son’s send off for his honey moon but word from Simon was that everyone had been so focused on Zerick shooting Linus Jackson in the cross hairs that he and Dani were anxious and ready to just leave for the evening. Hunter was occupied with his mother in the fray of the chaos and the press with Fox meaning eventually she and Bliss would have to appear. When she entered the room and saw Bliss slowly breaking apart she made a mental note that she needed to find a replica of the ring that Hunter had given her. Simon could trace that Tamara and Selina looked shaken but Bliss was the one that pulled the trigger it would haunt her for the remainder of her days. She wasn’t naive to that but she was also a part of her family, regardless of what Lowell had done with Tess and she was a product of that.

“Children shouldn’t have to pay for their parents mistakes Bliss what your mother did is unforgivable with it comes to my sister, you are a product of my husband’s affair with her. When you first came to town I was actually going to go that route with you make your life a living hell and I tried so hard to hate you. I soon realized how hypocritical it was of me to judge you when my own children had so many shortcomings. I instead chose to embrace you for all our sake and I was right. Then Fox came into our life when you told me that he was being held with Dimitri and the truth. I realized your relationship with your mother was not at all what you led any of us to believe and I actually felt you needed that guidance.” Jackie said as she listened to Bliss and went to her helping her lower her dress so that she could change out of the dirty blood stained one into the new one. If Bliss didn’t pull it together she knew that Dimitri’s body was closer to being discovered than it was them buying time with a solid alibi and story that was iron pact. Atticus was not going to just let his brother disappear after being seen headed to the party and Jon Harrison was not a stupid cop. “You did what had to be done to rid that monster from your life and your son’s stop apologizing for it Bliss or you aren’t the woman I thought you were. Pull yourself together if you expect to have your future here in Atlas Falls with Hunter and Fox and not a prison cell.”

“And you will.” Bliss said looking at Jackie as she listened to the other woman. The woman who honestly should have been her mother. She wrapped her hand around her belly feeling sacrificed so much. The cost wasn’t too high after all. If her soul would burn in hell for what she did her days on earth would be full of love and peace. As she looked down at her ring finger nervous at what she could tell Hunter. “I won’t break, I understand it’s all on me and keeping my composure I just. I killed someone and I don’t feel anything but relief and I wonder if that’s humane? Am I evil for enjoying seeing the light leave his eyes? I feel good it feels good that a stupid bitch as he called me, killed him. I can see his shock and fear leaving his body and that is so satisfying.” She confessed as she looked at Jackie walking to her as she ran her hand over warm water scrubbing blood from underneath her nails. Jon was hunting for them and that meant time was of the essence. Turning around she saw Simon, Tamara, and Selina looking pristine. Jackie along with them were ready to be found by Simon or so the story would go.

“Come on let’s get back to the wedding.” Bliss said as she looked at them all. “We don’t talk about this anymore. It’s over you understand? You have a relationship to focus on Selina, you have a full family Jackie, and Tamara you have your baby and relationship. I’m okay because I got to do it.” She said, touching the other women’s hands, gripping them into a tight circle. “I know my father betrayed you Jackie but I think it was his own twisted sense of loyalty to Linus and I hope, no I pray that you and he find redemption before he leaves this earth. Each of you. Each of you are my sisters and mother because you have helped me slay a dragon. I might be talking crazy but if any of you need a damn thing. I promise I’m here you hear me. We don’t have to be seen together but you have someone in me. Do you all hear me? He’s gone and we all are free. No more fear of him Tamara, no more looking over your shoulder Selina and Jackie I’m going to help you know that my father isn’t what you think. I think that bitch of a mother of mine has him all messed up but I’ll talk to you about that later.” Bliss said looking at them all.

“Braden and you are happy and that makes me happy Tamara. I wish nothing but happiness for you and him. I won’t be coming back if that gives you any sense of peace. We are done and I think I’ve been living a fantasy. I’ve been living with my hand on the trigger with either Braden or Chauncey and for once I want to see who Selina is. I won’t settle on what everyone thinks is in front of me anymore. I won’t interfere with your relationship and I apologize in the past when I have done it.” She confessed as she looked at Tamara. “You have a sister in me also ladies if you need anything I’m here.”

“I hated you all before. No offense Ms. Devonshire but you were the bitch helping Selina take Braden from me in my eyes. Bliss you in my eyes brought Dimitri Kavanaugh to Atlas Falls and I couldn’t forgive any of you. But seeing you all tonight, seeing the fear and rage of what he did to us all. I can’t hate any of you because my baby is alive because of you Bliss and Selina. I know he’d have killed me and my child. I’m not the girl that will say any of you women are my sisters but we are bonded and I appreciate it all. I appreciate that I know if I’m scared and can’t get him out of my head I can reach out to you Bliss. If I need a good reassurance about my choices as a mother I see Jackie you are a good influence and I even know if I have a fight with Braden about something and under the right possible circumstances Selina you might even listen.” Tamara chuckled as she looked at them. “Thank you Bliss you have made the rest of my pregnancy so much more blissful because I don’t fear anymore, I am here to live and that’s what we all shall do after this right? Live our lives happily.” Tamara looked at Jackie to finish with her thoughts.

Jackie had remained calm while she watched Bliss scrub her hands watching Dimitri’s blood circle the drain and go down disappearing down the drain like a bad stain on their lives. Simon was with Selina and Tamara who were handing things much better than Bliss was at the moment she partially understood Bliss’s trauma with the man that did torture her was much more than theirs, she had helped her slip on her new identical dress part of being bridesmaid she mused. She knew everything about this wedding including but not limited to what size each wore and the style, as for Selina and Tamara Simon had his ways and resources not to mention the Devonshire money and name behind them. Her attire was fine no blood on it Simon had insisted she change and had complied after she made sure that Bliss was still together the story was to be set that a staff member hd seen Tamara go into one of the bathrooms in the west wing, Selina had made her way there and saw that Tamara was in distress and was concerned about the baby. Bliss had dropped off Fox in the nursery and had arrived to help calm Tamara down and as a precaution they made her sit for a while, they could claim Braxton Hicks or the baby moving. She and Simon had gone to look for them and found them in the bathroom. It was a plausible story and if they all stuck with their answers that would be what it was, a story. She had changed her gown when Simon had entered with a new one and then let Bliss, Tamara and Selina have their moment before she spoke.

“Yes we need to head back down to the wedding, clearly the bride and groom are about to leave or have already left. None of us will ever speak of this again to anyone outside this room and only those that were involved. Jon Harrison is not the type of detective to just let this slide and unfortunately for everyone here he hates both families involved in this. Therefore we carry this secret and if we must we carry it to our graves.” Jackie said it was wise and it was also the truth Jon Harrison had a grudge against her son and due to his outburst the other night at the rehearsal dinner that he was sure was not ending anytime soon for any of them. He hated her son, cured the entire Fraiser family and now that they were involved in this she was sure that he wouldn’t rest until the truth was discovered. She saw Simon looking at her and then at his phone and she had seen that look on his face before concern and fear of a need to fight for her family. “Simon? What is it?”

Simon did what he was told and even had Ivan help him get the replacement dresses, something that had earned him a stare or two and he had let the cleaning crew in the back entrance. Paid off maids to lead Jon Harrison and Devin Thompson on a wild goose chase with claims of seeing Dimitri in various places in the tunnels, none of which was true. Tamara had been surprisingly calm for a woman that Dimitri had done what he did too, he admired that in her and he wasn’t worried about Selina at all she knew how the Devonshire’s were and this was something they would handle in house. Bliss had worried him but he had waited outside and watched as Jackie simply did what she did best lead the family, Lowell always thought he was the leader in the children he always saw it differently. Jackie commanded her children like the patriarch that she was and that seemed to include Bliss. He wasn’t going to say anything until he had got the text from Talia asking where he was, about the drama with Zerick, Linus and Jackson people were starting to notice too much.

“Your son decided to try and wrestle a gun from Zerick as he shot Linus from outside, thankfully Bliss’s emptying of the clip into that bastard’s body can be explained away with that and the mishap of the fireworks going off early. Jackson’s fine I have a feeling Dani’s already laying into him.” Simon said looking at Jackie to make sure she knew Jackson was alright and wanting her to know that it was of the essence that they all headed back down to the wedding before more people started to notice a few. He had yet to have an explanation for what happened with poor Elliot Duvall if they had luck he wouldn’t be able to recall that Dimitri had taken Selina, Selina could quickly claim she had fled and ran towards where Tamara had been found if needed. “I can only do so much damage control from here Jackie. It is imperative that we all head back now before more people start to ask and notice that we all have been missing. Shall we?” He said as he opened the door to the room and saw Ivan waiting, taking Jackie’s arm in his and Ivan in the other he started the procession back down the wing and back to the wedding reception wondering if this was a secret that they could fool the best detective in Atlas Falls and hold onto.

Bliss took one moment to stare into the night and look at the water. It seemed darker now that she knew he was inside of a pool of his own misery. Drowning forever buried and alone. How would she one day tell Fox she killed his father? A chill went down her spine just thinking about it. Then it dawned on her. Fox wouldn’t be a Kavanaugh anymore after tonight. Fox would be a Kincaid and he would never know the monster that his father truly was. Taking a deep breath she walked out of the room to go back to the party.

**********

Dru wrapped her arms around herself as the rain was beginning to transform into snow. She looked up at the sky watching Zerick be handcuffed and the ambulance arriving she crossed her finger Linus wasn’t dead. She stepped back with a smirk watching everything unravel. She wasn’t done ruining her sister’s perfect day. Turning around she felt someone place a jacket on her shoulders. Seeing Walter Fraiser her teeth gritted a little as she saw his concern. She was outside in the chaos and clearly he was being polite because he couldn’t run to his daughter that bridged years worth of animosity. How could he just forgive Lowell? He helped that bitch Brenda give her up. He didn’t even get a chance to be her father. “I’m sorry I must have been shaking. It was a lot and I know before you even say it Mr. Fraiser you warned me about Zerick. I’m just a little shocked that he went to kill his own father, rapist or not. I understand because he’s evil. But to just forget that I was here. I like a bad boy but not a stupid one.” She smiled at Walter warmly as she looked at Brenda talking to reporters. She was soaking up every moment of this telling them how Brooke’s wedding will be an event to remember. “You must have heard I got the job as Jackson and Dani’s nanny for the twins.”

Dru saw Walter looking at Brenda as if she was the only woman on earth. It made her fucking sick. Her lip curled in disgust as she checked her face. “She’s very grand isn’t she? I’m haunted by her beauty, like nobody should look like that or be that beautiful you know? I could understand why you were enamored with her and Lauren. They must have been stunning when they were younger. The years it does weigh on you. I do believe you made the wrong choice Mr. Fraiser if I’m not stepping out of line. Brenda is unattainable; she is the flame that the moth is drawn to, while Lauren’s the salt of the earth down home good woman. Your choice was hard and I don’t envy it but you have created some life for yourself. Your daughter is married to American royalty, your son is the DA of Atlas Falls and you the mayor. You must feel like you’re winning at everything. I wonder what it’s like to have a father like you.”

Walter had been inside talking to Braden and a few of the members of security and police officers that were discreetly at the wedding when he had heard the gunshots come from outside and he rushed to the scene. It was chaotic as he had watched Linus, Jackson and Zerick wrestling around on the ground for a gun and his nephew holding back his daughter and then the gunshots and fireworks had gone off. His daughter was livid at Jackson putting himself in danger and he couldn’t blame her it was reckless and careless but he also had to partly admire Jackson wanting to fix Lowell’s mess, even more so than Lowell himself. He had watched as Devin and Jon had arrested Zerick for shooting Linus in quite dramatic fashion and the ambulance arrive to take Linus to the hospital a visit that hopefully would end in his arrest at this rate, the statute was up on Katie but the other women well that was wide open and a call had already been made to Interpol about the victims in London. He wasn’t one to interrupt his daughter when it came to her personal affairs and stood back a bit before he noticed Dru shaking in the corner and taking off his coat and placing it on her shoulders.

“It was quite the scene. Zerick is angry as he has a right to be and he is dangerous perhaps from now on you will choose your companions a bit better in the future? I will be sad to see you move on from the Pub you have been so kind and good business is up but I understand it is not for everyone. Lauren speaks very highly of you and I am sure that you will be wonderful nanny to the twins and the pay can’t be too shabby either.” Walter said looking at her he was shocked that Dani had agreed but perhaps it was for the best. A nanny allowed his daughter to not give up her career for motherhood and it wasn’t like she and Jackson couldn’t afford one now. He saw her looking at Brenda and he shrugged, he was with Brenda now and it was still a long road for them to go but Brenda had worked herself up from society even after marrying Steven and having Anderson and the rest of his children their life would have been much different if she had just left him and they raised Kendall. “You are right you are overstepping again Ms. Price but for today I’ll allow it, I made a lot of mistakes when it came to my marriage with Lauren. I am trying to make amends for that now. It depends on which child you ask on what day of the week if I’m a good one or not. Take today for example I’m a good father a few months ago I was a monster. Perhaps it would have been different if the child that Brenda and I had survived or if my other daughter survived as well.”

Dru’s natural temperament flared when he placed his jacket on her shoulders. Who did he think he was? Her father? Telling her to choose a new paramour? He would never tell her to what to do because she’d fuck up his and Brenda happiness if it was the last thing she’d do. Sucking her teeth she took off his jacket and handed it to him. As she handed it to him shaking her head. “I think you’re a selfish man, I also want to tell you I’m not your daughter. I won’t be told who I should and shouldn’t date. It’s funny the moment she started thinking for herself and left Lex Hessington is the moment she found her soulmate. Lauren’s better off without you I think she got the better end of the stick. Perhaps things would have been different but you wouldn’t know because she gave your daughter up. Yet here you are befriending Lowell Devonshire again and dating the woman who threw your child away. I’m sorry I just don’t understand you. She’s going to hurt you again. It’s almost inevitable and men like you don’t see it coming until it’s too late. I’m projecting right now. My mother was just like Brenda, incandescent and the ultimate poison fruit to a man like you. While Pa was a trailer park version of you always liked to touch the flame. You won’t survive her. She’s going to wreck you and I for one love to see men crash and burn you will burn though. I recognize it and it’s almost a foresight I have. Like she won’t be smiling like that for long something will crack her face and her perfect image.”

Dru knew she had maybe shown her fangs a little bit too much but she could attribute it to the shooting with Zerick. “I’m sorry this is very triggering for me and maybe I shouldn’t be talking about any of this with the grandfather of my kids I’m going to be taking care of.” She looked at his confusion on his face as she noticed Brenda sauntering over to them. Her face contorted and the disgust was becoming harder to hide. She really thought she was better than someone. Tonight would end her reign as the tragic widow. She wouldn’t be that anymore it would be so many different colors painted on her when she was done. No Jackson and Dani your fucking wedding wasn’t over and a shooting was the least of the your concerns.

“Darling I just got interviewed by Vogue and everyone is talking about how foolish and heroic Jackson was. He’s truly transformed and your daughter should be happy? Once again here you are Prue.” Brenda said looking at the girl who had fire in her eyes. “I do want you to know little Prue that Walter is taken and mine. I know that he’s a lot of man and quite enthralling but every time I see you I must say your face can’t hide your disdain for me or your enamorment with my man.” Brenda said eying the girl up and down. She saw the look in this girl’s eyes. She was hungry to climb the ladder. You see one social climber could always spot another one. At one time her family had money and she married Steven to save the family. Her father’s habits killed them and destroyed the farm. It wasn’t an easy choice but she needed status and bitches like Jackie always had it easy. Her family had money and the farm kept them above water but she had nothing. This girl had nothing and was a bartender now Jackson and Dani’s nanny. That accomplishment in such a short time showed her something. This girl had drive and was going somewhere or after something. She was just staking her claim.

Dru’s heart thumped as she heard Brenda declaring Walter as hers. It pissed her off so much as her lips quivered. It took everything inside of her not to scream shut up you stupid bitch he’s my father. It took everything in her body not Then she calmed herself her eyes became hard as glass no tears instead as she steady fury. “I don’t think I will tell you again what my name is because I oddly think you know it. My name is Dru and I actually am insulted.” She chuckled watching Walter get uncomfortable. “I’m insulted that you’d think that I would want this old ass man. No offense Mayor Fraiser but your groupie girlfriend who seems to can’t keep her hands off of mayors maybe shouldn’t speak to me like that. What’s even more obscene is that the sting of how you stole and ruined someone else’s marriage will taint whatever this is. You lose him how you got him that’s what my trailer-park momma used to say and I believe it. However don’t insinuate that I want anything but a pleasant relationship with my employer’s family. You aren’t family so I can tell you I think you are a ravenous bitch. Also my date was just arrested. I don’t have to do old but he has a son and nephews so maybe I can work my way down the tree. Hell from what I hear Anderson likes all flavors. Now if you don’t mind I have to say goodbye to Lauren.” Dru began to walk away with a devious smirk on her face. Turning around with a serious look on her face. “Walter with a mother like her I think you and your daughter caught quite a lucky break.”

“What did that little guttersnipe just say to me?” Brenda said as she felt Walter grab her wrist because she was ready to chase after that little girl and tell her off. She knew nothing of the history and dynamic. She loved Walter back then when nobody else held him down. Nobody understood his vision for DGI and she saw it and him. She would have saved that entire bloodbath between Lowell and all of them. Things went south when he married Lauren and no matter what any of them say. When they played musical partners and Lauren lost Harvey, she lost Walter, Lowell cheated on Jackie with Audrey, Forbes losing Audrey, Harvey marrying that other woman, and so much other things. Hell Steven changing in that time was what actually made her love him. It made her love him so much after not loving him at all. A sting of someone who she didn’t even know words affected her. But she would handle little Miss Dru. She would win Dani over and then get her fired. It was a surefire plan. Looking at Walter she could tell he was amused by Dru’s little show of fire and her loyalty to Lauren and Dani. No matter how much he loved her, Walter still wanted a piece of his old life and seeing someone cutting for his daughter and ex-wife endeared him to this little girl. “She’s absolutely charming no? You shouldn’t let the help get that personal in your or our lives. You know that right? She could sell information to the tabloids.”

Walter had decided that Dru intrigued him and perhaps that was why his wife was so kind to her at the Pub going as far as to let her move into her new cottage and recommend her as a nanny to the twins. That being said she had no right to talk about his relationship with his daughter, his relationship with Dani had always been complicated to say the least. He hadn’t forgiven what Lowell did with Lauren to rid his daughter with Brenda from his life but Lowell was dying and whether he liked it or not his daughter married Jackson Devonshire meaning it was over now. His grandchildren were part Devonshire not Hessington and if he wanted to be a part of their life he had to let go of his anger, so he did. Something’s were more important to him and seeing his grandchildren was one of those things, nevermind that Jackson had proven him wrong about everything so far so there was hope that he was not a carbon copy of Lowell. He of course was slightly annoyed at Brenda going to Vouge at Dani’s wedding no doubt to promote herself and Brooke’s soon nuptials with Atticus it was selfish and self serving but he also knew that was partly who Brenda was. He wasn’t sure what the animosity was between Brenda and Dru was but there was clearly something that bothered both of them and he grabbed Brenda before she could attack the younger woman, Dani’s wedding had enough chaos at the moment and he didn’t need more added to the flame.

“You’re right Ms. Price you aren’t my daughter and you have no right to interfere let alone give me advice about my marriage to Lauren or my relationship with Dani. I would hope as their nanny you’ll not involve yourself in her affairs with Jackson and butt your nose into things it doesn’t belong either because she kindly won’t take it as well as I am.” Walter said looking at her and seeing the near satisfied look on Brenda’s face but he did mean it. Dru liked to be bold and but her nose into things where it didn’t belong he was too much a gentlemen to be harsh with her and Lauren at times was too lax about it to his daughter was not, never had been if anything Dani was unpredictable with her reactions but already she was protective of the twins and Jackson. Dru didn’t watch it he was sure she wouldn’t last long as their nanny and her often at times tongue that always seemed to lash out and say something that was better left unsaid. “It was lovely to see you Ms. Price but Brenda and I do need to make the rounds.” Walter said before he began to walk Brenda away taking her arm in his. “You’re always so antagonistic with her Brenda why? You know her name. As for selling information to the tabloids I’ll let Jackson and Dani handle that as she’s their employee now not mine not to mention she seems to have a fondness for Lauren.” Walter finished wondering what Dru had possibly done to spit so much fire from Brenda towards her.

“I don’t know the child but it’s the way she looks at me.” Brenda said with a shiver in her back. “I know that look in her eyes and she isn’t altruistic as she pretends and she definitely isn’t some sweet little nanny. She’s trouble and I should know I was always troubled.” She folded her arms as she looked at him. “I also think she may have a crush on you or something. I always catch her looking at you or speaking to you. Dru Price can deny it all she wants but she absolutely is enamored with you and I don’t blame her. You are quite the man and catch my beloved.” Brenda said as she turned to see Dru storming away. Something had really rubbed that young lady the wrong way.

Dru walked into the Devonshire library and her entire body was shaking in rage. Brenda thought she wanted Walter? Ever since she met Brenda and Walter she wanted them to somehow know. Then she wouldn’t be able to decimate her siblings and their lives. It was irrational but she wanted them to know her and see her. Tears boiled for the rage she felt for the first time she exhaled and the flood gates of tears opened. Dru began to slightly hyperventilate as she picked up the crystal art piece and threw it at a vase. The smashing sound was so satisfying. As she bit down on her bottom lip she heard someone entering. “Take it out of my check.” When she turned around Dru saw her fairy godfather in all his demented glory. Wiping her eyes she looked at Pierre and shook her head. “Not now.” She said demanding a moment. “So you are here for what reason. To tell me how much I’m failing? No today is part one. Zerick already ruined the wedding but I want everyone to remember today for an entirely different reason. I have a plan to help someone expose one of my mother’s dirtiest secrets. So the night is still young and I assure you I’m not here to play with any of these people. I’m going to destroy them one by one.”

Pierre had watched the chaos who knew that Zerick had it in him to actually press the trigger on his own father, well anyone with a clue should have. He was raised by Forbes and even he knew better than to have cobra in the pit as your mentor. It was something that he was grateful Greer didn’t have. He then watched as Dru played her part with her parents, who were none the wiser and at that he almost laughed. Walter would never know what hit him when it was all said and done and he was looking forward to that day. Of course Dru had made progress by getting the now newlyweds to hire her but he wanted to calmly remind her that he could spill the beans on her identity whenever he wanted and if she was smart and wise she would act quickly to destroy that from the inside out. Taking out his handkerchief he handed it to her she needed to pull herself together if anyone was supposed to believe that she was the sweet innocent nanny that she was hired to be she fell apart every time she was around Brenda the gig would be up before she even got her feet as wet as they needed her too.

“Funny how we keep running into each other at these types of things isn’t it? You always walking way from the parents that threw you away like the unwanted child you were? Me here in the shadows?” He said seeing her stare at him and he about had to laugh at her, she really needed to realize who she was playing with, he wasn’t her father or mentor. She was simply a means to an end of revenge when it came to Walter for sending him to prison not to mention hurting Walter’s precious children was icing on the cake to dig a knife in with his brother too. “You know if I knew you were so sentimental and weak I should have just sent Greer in. They both never wanted you and that has to hurt. Yet here they are groveling and adoring all your siblings? Didn’t Brenda put on an entire enchanted Christmas wedding for your older brother? And then when you look at today, your sister being the belle of the ball and you were barely a blip on anyone’s radar. I can only imagine what it will look like when your other sister actually marries into royalty and you’re on the sidelines.” He finished looking out the window in the room at the rain that would become snow. “You really do need to pull yourself together my dear if you actually want to last as the nanny at the moment you huff and puff around Walter enough or Brenda they’ll eventually start to notice.”

“You do really need to back off.” Dru turned around and she looked at him with a wicked smirk on her face. It was a deranged feeling of rage and laughter because they did keep meeting you.  “It honestly must kill you that I’m everything you raised your daughter to be. I have an emotional outburst because I’m pissed. She fucked her way to her position of power. I’m truly manipulating everybody and everything around me. You think you know me? You think you have me by the balls? Tell them? Tell them what you know and let’s play chess because then you’ll free me up. I’ll have no more targets on my family’s head but yours will be free reign. You think tonight is going to go as fucking planned? Jackson and Dani are going to get the storybook NYE wedding? I’m going to rock DGI and my mother in one swoop tonight. I’m going to be the perfect nanny for a period and then I’m going to drive a wedge so deep between Jackson and Dani that this farce of a fantastical wedding will be looked at as a fucking publicity stunt. Don’t test me, I don’t need a watcher and I would surely love to dance with the devil.” Dru walked up to Pierre and adjusted his tie. “So test me or keep pushing me and I’m going to decimate that slut of a daughter’s life more than it already is. It’s quite unfortunate she went from a billionaire to my fucking my fucking cousin. You will stop threatening me. You will stop lurking and I don’t need you Obi-Wan but I will take your advice under consideration. Not to be so public with my rage.” Dru said as she looked at Pierre in his eyes.

“I thought so. Watching Brenda and Walter’s lives fall apart is too delicious even for you to pass up and when I’m done you can do whatever nefarious shit you are planning for Atlas Falls. I could give a fuck about the socioeconomic dynamics at play. The obvious racism and the blood that will be poured on the streets after I drop my bomb. So let me show why I’m here and why they’ll regret forever giving me up. Don’t want to get in my way Pierre and don’t threaten me again. Or I assure you I’ll devour any and everything you care about. And that is a promise.” Dru said, picking up her dress. “I gotta go watch the show.”

Pierre watched her and mentally checked that she had threatened Greer his daughter she should be careful he had nothing left to lose and well Dru did. Dru had her little plan near her heart but he could throw a wrench into that at anytime he wanted, she wouldn’t even be able to change the first diaper if he had a say if she stepped out of line with Greer. He’d send her right back down to her gutter beginnings down in Florida, her parents would be none the wiser nor would her half siblings. He sat down his champagne on the side table that was near him that was what Jackie paid good money for the help at the estate. He would hate for them to not be able to do their job when it came to cleaning up. “You do that Ms. Price I would advise you to not make me your enemy and threatening Greer who by the way has done more for me and my cause than you have in a few months well that doesn’t bode well. I’m not above exposing your past when I need to in order to protect my daughter though I would much prefer that we work together wouldn’t you agree?” He said looking at her as he heard the music start up. “As for your sister on her wedding day they looked awfully in love, something I doubt you will ever know or achieve, which has to make you so angry. So I’m curious how you plan on driving that wedge. Good evening Ms. Price.” He finished walking out the room leaving her to her thoughts to stew.

**********

Sebastian opened his left eye which wasn’t swollen shut. She had her main man Hector beat him over and over again. Then came two random goons who were just as sadistic beat him viciously and meticulously making sure he wasn’t close to death. He was just beaten to the point that he almost couldn’t walk. Hector was sadistic and his disingenuous smile lured him into a false sense of ease until he began his torture all over again. As he stumbled to his feet. Who untied him? Who had done this as he cracked the door open he noticed the two men weren’t guarding him he looked over the edge of the railing of the floor below. Seeing a total of eight men and women standing before him. His lips quivered thinking about Max. How was he going to survive this? Hector stood by Ronan, a new ruthless right hand to play with. This wasn’t good, his chance of survival just lowered. Looking over he saw a door but he’d be shot dead before he made it. He turned around and walked slowly to the back staircase and paused as he heard voices. Looking at the stunning African-American woman walking up the stairs he could see Gia walking with her.

Seb covered his mouth holding his breath praying that this woman or Gia didn’t look up. Didn’t hear him even breathe because somehow God was on his side. Somehow he was going to get out of this alive and get back to his fiance. Get back to the woman he loved and by surviving this it would be leverage for Gia to leave him alone. Picking up his cross that hung on his neck he kissed it. Then said a silent prayer. Por favor, Dios no me dejes morir así. Por favor padre haré cualquier cosa para ver la cara de Max, las caras de mi familia, y le prometo a Dios, prometo que lo haré mejor por Max, y por mi familia. “Amen” Sebastian whispered to himself as he stealthy tried to descend down the stairs.

Raven turned to Gia as she stopped in front of her. She couldn’t hold it anymore. “I had a hunch about you.” She picked up her dress and looked at Gia. Wearing all black for her own fucking funeral. “You sneaky bitch, coming up in here pretending to be down for Ronan and you really are only here to hurt him and Thor. Oh I know what you’ve been up too so come on bitch let’s go interrupt the meeting so I can tell them all you are the poisoned fruit. I’m not fake so I might as well tell you that you’re walking to your maker bitch. I have proof and when Ronan sees why you hate him so. Why you’re so obsessed with Sebastian Navarro oh bitch I got your number and I’m going to nail your ass to the ground.” Raven snapped as she looked at him. “Richard killed your family, not Ronan or Thor; they shouldn’t even be on your radar but you know what they say eye for an eye.”

Gia had been regulated to outside the room for now while Ronan talked shop with Kelly O’Connor the bitch was such a dismissive cunt when it came to the cartel. What had she said when they spoke today, she needed to have her right hand check out her story about her husband’s death before she was allowed in. Hector had warned her that it was risky to take Sebastian but well she needed the drugs run in from Spain and he owed her that and she wasn’t about to let him have his happy ending with Max Devonshire no he had betrayed her and until she got what she wanted from what she was planning with Ronan. Sebastian would come around or she would make sure that Hector finished the job with him, she of course disliked seeing Sebastian in pain screaming at Hector and the other men but she had to do what she had to in order to ensure that her family survived. She looked at Raven and almost wanted to laugh at her but she knew better she could play the part assigned to her when it came to getting Ronan in her clutches and she tilted her head to the side as she looked at the lawyer for hire.

“A hunch about me? I had a hunch about you and it turns out I was right you are not above poisoning the man that I love against me because you are jealous. Admit it Raven what you really wanted was a turn in his bed and seeing how he sees you as nothing more than associate you are trying to slander me to him with no evidence to back you up.” Gia said motioning for Hector to move closer to her in case Raven made a move she didn’t agree with she wasn’t the only one here with a lackey. Though Hector was much more sadistic than Kevin Nixon when it mattered and made more mistakes he was still affective. Hector wanted her for years and she always was able to reel him into her with a promise or a turn in her bed every so often to keep him in line, unlike the frigid bitch in with Ronan now in that meeting that she was late for. “What are you going to do go into a meeting where you have no say or no recourse with people bigger than you and try and paint this fantasy that you live in? Let me warn you ahead of time Raven I am not Ms. O’Connor and I won’t take your disrespect as well as she has over the years. So I’d kindly have you move out of my way.”

“No I’m going to explain that the FBI has come onto the cartel since you have entered. That they have a lot of information that could lead you directly to a lot of them. Hell most of them. You aren’t innocent and the more you deny it the more laughable it is. I don’t want Ronan sweetheart and I never have. My family and the Madden’s have been close since we were in diapers and let me say this it’s not many white Irish mobsters who would look at a black man like Richard Madden did. So no bitch you don’t get to play the lover card because Ronan and I never crossed that line. Nor have either of us wanted to. I know who you are Gia it’s over. I know that you’ve been planning this and I know you also kidnapped Sebastian. Yeah you see people aren’t loyal as you think. You have been sloppy and have betrayed enough people that I’m sending you to the streets. I’m going to give you a chance before I go in there and tell them you and a lot of bad moves have lead to the FBI coming against them all. Now do you want to leave Gia or am I going to reveal what I have in this folder?” Tapping her paperboy Dolce & Gabbana satchel bag.

“I thought so go bitch. I’ll fix this and I assure you Hector will be resting in pieces. Vanish now before Vlad, Echo, Ronan, and Kelly kill you. I’m going to make sure they know all the scheming you did to get here. You aren’t to be trusted so go before I show them all the proof I amassed in not only Florida, but Canada, and New York, and Spain. You’ve been a busy busy girl Gia and it’s over.” Raven said pointing her finger in Gia’s face. “Done.”

Gia cocked her head to the side at Ronan’s lawyer she had no idea if she had found out all her secrets or not but unlike Ronan and his messes that he didn’t clean up or left open like letting Jamal and Yasmine walk away and not taking them out she didn’t take chances. That was one of the differences between them she knew that she wouldn’t have tolerated Jamal Delacroix’s betrayal. She would have put a bullet into Yasmine’s head herself for all the shit that went down with her and Jamal, Rory Devonshrie be damned and this was no different. Raven unfortunately was a threat and one that she was not afraid to neutralize and she placed her hand in her handbag where her trusty knife was before leaning in and stabbing Raven in the abdomen. She saw Raven’s eyes go wide in surprise as Hector came around the back and covered her mouth to stifle the scream she was no doubt letting out. She twisted the knife in a sense of satisfaction on her face seeing Raven’s face contort in pain as the bag dropped to the floor and she kicked it towards Hector.

“You really thought I would let you threaten me and walk? For such a smart lawyer you are such a dumb bitch. You see unlike your boss, I’m not afraid to show my fangs, he’s fucking weak always has been and he will pay for what his father did all those years ago, you won’t be around to see it sadly. He will pay, Thor will pay, all of them will pay for killing my family and letting us hang out to dry and costing me my soulmate in Sebastian Navarro to that cunt Max Devonshire. I’ll make sure Ronan is in hell when I am done. I’ll start with Thor first I think turn him back against his brother, it’s already going so well. Sell him out to the Feds and swoop in when needed.” Gia said raising the knife up and seeing some of the light leave Raven’s face, her smile got wider knowing she didn’t have a ton of time left before someone opened the door. She pulled the knife out content to let Raven bleed out if necessary. “From there I’l destroy anyone and anything in my way but you will never tell Ronan any of that will you? You’ll die alone just like the weak and worthless woman you are Raven. Hector please send her away will you and finish the job?”

“My pleasure.” He pulled out his gun and dug into his cargo pants pulling out a silencer. Seeing her gasping for air. Walking in front of Raven he grabbed a handful of her thick hair. “Hey bitch where you think you’re going.” Hector slammed her head into the concrete floor. As he twisted the silencer onto the pistol. “Oh Ronan told me to go get you. I’ll handle this. They are waiting for you go become apart of the cartel.” He said eyeing Gia devilishly. “You are my favorite boss ever. You let me do all the things I want to do.” Raising the gun he emptied his clip inside of her watching her body twitch as the life exited her. He loved that fucking part. Watching the life slip out of their bodies. He winked at Gia and noticed that white van was there. He saw Gia entering the warehouse to speak with Ronan, Echo, Kelly and Vlad. Instead of disposing of Raven body right now. He would wait to see if that damn van moved. Dragging the body into a storage closet he locked the door. As he began whistling the Turtles ‘Happy Together’.

Sebastian watched the entire thing as his mouth hung open and he couldn’t believe Gia just killed that woman. She was deadly but he just never imagined she’d get her hands that dirty. Hector might have emptied the clip inside of her but it was the initial stab that made Gia defenseless. Watching Hector go back inside of the main lobby of the warehouse. He began his descent down the stairs as he looked at the door where Hector locked and placed Raven in. He saw blood on his shoes. Tears were in his eyes as he opened the door and he saw a group of armed men moving in. This was crazy, was that Max’s car driving erratically down the street? Sebastian fell to his knees as he saw the men approaching him. He looked at the car park and when he saw Max getting out all he wanted to do is get her away from all of this. As he saw the man take off his tactical helmet.

“Sebastian Navarro right? Sir what are you doing here?” KC asked signaling the men to get in position to storm the warehouse. He saw Max running out of her car toward him.

“Max.” He croaked as he got assistance from KC to get up. “I thought I wasn’t going to see you again. I thought I was dead.” He said leaning in kissing her forehead. “Oh my God.” Sebastian just held Max in his arms. “I thought I was going to die today.”

Max had made sure from Simon that Bliss was safe as was her mother she didn’t care that Dimitri’s fate was that with bullets he deserved it and well if her sister was the one to put them in him the better. She had snuck out of the wedding when the fireworks were going off honestly it had become a shit show she was happy for her brother and Dani of course she was but this would go down as a wedding to remember and not in a good way for Atlas Falls. Instead she had taken what Raven had told her to heart about certain things with Sebastian and Gia, whom she didn’t trust with her life so instead she was battling New Years traffic on the way towards the lake and the piers, where Madden Industries and other warehouses were to try and find answers. Sebastian had left after not telling her he was going in anything but a text it didn’t sit quite right with her and she hadn’t been able to actually speak to him and he proposed the same night and yes she had to go down to take care of some last minute paperwork at the office for the casino but she certainly expected a call and not just a text. When she put her car into park she saw one of the warehouse doors open and looked as some guy held up Sebastian who looked like hell his face was bloody and bruised and he could barley walk. By the time she reached him she realized how emotional she was as she held him and then looked up at the guy that he was with, wasn’t that Miranda’s husband and wasn’t like he supposed to be dead?

“Sebastian!” Max said holding him wondering what was going on and obviously what Raven had told her was turning out to be the horrid truth that Gia or someone in her organization had taken him against his will. He looked like the had been through hell and for the first time in a long time it actually hit her she was being really selfish with him and their relationship most of the time. In reality she liked to teeter on the edge when it came to her desires with him and her need to be a bit of a free spirit it was one of the reasons that she had been so reluctant with their entire relationship was it happening too fast it had barely been a year if that what happened to him and where was the psychotic bitch Gia? “Raven came and told me at the wedding where you were at first I didn’t want to believe it, or maybe deep down I should have known that something was wrong. I’m so sorry I didn’t call the police earlier or at least come look for you. I kept getting texts saying you were back home at the vineyard and you would call when you could.” Max said at him and then looking at KC. “Aren’t you like supposed to be dead?”

KC looked at Max and he smiled at her knowing her older brother Chauncey. They weren’t friends or anything but it was national news when he was killed. Seeing Max reaction kinda made him get a kick. He was sure the world and Atlas Falls would be feeling the same very soon. As he touched her shoulder. “Look I need you to take Sebastian to the hospital. I’m going to get a police officer to take his statement but I need you to get out of here. It’s over forty cops with military gear about to burst into that damn warehouse. If anything happens to one of the crown princesses of Atlas Falls, dying or not I’m sure Lowell would destroy our department. And thank-you for noticing that I was dead but it’s been very overblown. Look, do me a favor tomorrow me being alive will be everywhere but I need you to keep silent. For now and Sebastian I don’t know what you’ve been through but we will protect you.”

Sebastian looked at KC and didn’t know him but hearing that he was about to go after Gia and Ronan. He knew better than to open his mouth and he wouldn’t. Somehow he survived all this. If he snitched on what he saw he knew that he’d end up dead. However his survival meant that Ronan nor Gia would come after them. This was a good thing and he also knew that Max would want him to tell the truth. “Honestly KC, you can risk your life but I’ll never do that. I survived and that’s enough, Mi Amor please take me to the hospital. No comment on what happened here.”

KC looked at Sebastian and knew what he was doing. It was clear he was retreating out of fear and that was a human emotion. “Look we will talk, you could be the key to putting a end to the mob corruption in Atlas Falls and I need you to understand that. Max get him out of here. Do you hear me? Get him to safety and protect him because he’s in danger.” Placing on his helmet he saw Max helping Sebastian to the car. He walked over and helped him inside and then began to move back inside the warehouse with the rest of the team.

**********

Jackson stood outside watching Zerick inside of the police cars and the lights flashing in his eyes. How was he to know that Zerick would legitimately try to kill their uncle and his father at his wedding? It was insane as he felt the cool tingle of rain and what was surely going to form into snow. He felt a tap on his shoulder turning around to see his wife. He instant felt a soft but hot sting across his face as he saw Dani holding her hand. He deserved it, after all they were just married and here he was playing hero. Dani looked pissed but also in awe of him. That look in her eyes he never wanted to lose it. That wonder that she always was curious about what he would do. As long as she had that look he knew they were alright. That meant the world to him. Jackson knew he’d always look at Dani as his angel. She saved him from the constant darkness and he finally understood that in a world of emptiness you have to find your light. That was what mattered and that was what he did when he fell in love with her. “That hurt.” He said rubbing his cheek as he pulled his bride to him. “You are looking scrumptious Mrs. Devonshire. What can I do to repay this crime against our union already?”

He palmed her nice ass. Ever since she had the babies she was starting to look more curvy without losing her signature shape of being tall and lean. “Tell me if you have any ideas on what I could do. I’ve bought you more jewelry, you have expensive clothes, and two beautiful kiddies so tell me what can I do to make it better? I’ve already pissed off my wife and it’s not even two hours into our marriage.” Sweeping the hair behind her ear. He leaned down and kissed her collarbone. “I can’t wait until we are on the private jet. I was thinking the twins will be sleeping most of the way we can join the mile-high club. It’s always been a fantasy of mine to dominate you on a plane.”

Dani had watched the entire scene unfold and struggled against her cousin as he had held her back from the chaos that had erupted at her wedding. She got that Zerick was upset and angry he had every right to be but she was more than livid that her husband took it upon himself to try and play hero in the entire situation. They had barely said I do barley a few hours ago if that and here he was wrestling around on the ground with his cousin and uncle for a gun, she respected that about him that he fought for his family it was one of the things that attracted her to him to begin with but they had kids now together he didn’t just get to place his life on the line. Once she had heard the gunshot she was pretty sure she screamed not sure if anyone had actually heard her as it was drowned out in the fireworks going off as well, the wedding was quickly becoming a disaster and when she finally saw Jackson move and Brock let her go she made her way over watching as an ambulance arrived for Linus and Zerick was loaded into a police car. She was so angry at how careless he was wrestling for a gun and before she knew it when Jackson had faced her her hand slapped the side of his cheek and she held it after realizing what she did.

“Good what in the hell were you thinking rolling around on the ground with a gun. You could have been shot, it could be you they were loading into an ambulance. Do it again and it’ll be me that does end up shooting you.” Dani said looking at him and trying to be mad at him when he pulled her to him, it was really hard one of the things she loved is that he kept her on her toes most of the time. Today though was risky for him and the thought of him being the one that could have been shot made her almost ill, he could have been the one bleeding out on the ground in front of their wedding guests. She didn’t even know if everyone was still outside or not and here he was trying to entice her and get out of what just happened, the thought did make her blush. He had tried the last time they were on a plane to Egypt. “I want you to promise you won’t do something like that again. As for the plane who says I’m even in the mood or that I want to wait till the plane ride? We could live dangerously since you seem so keen on the idea at the moment?” Dani said looking up at him and relenting just a little most of their guests had gone inside now back to the music and the party.

“I’m sorry.” He looked at Zerick staring at him. “He hates me even more now because I didn’t let him kill my uncle. I don’t want him in jail and I’m going to do anything to help him.” Jackson mumbled seeing the snow falling. “We are about to leave, I don’t want to be here anymore, Dani. Throw that damn bouquet and let’s head out of here.” Jackson bit his lip as he looked at her feeling happy she wasn’t more pissed with him. After all he did just almost get shot. “I couldn’t stop myself for the last two years. I’ve literally been an asshole to him. When it’s not his fault. Between Forbes and Tess and aunt Katie he’s never had it easy. I just didn’t want to see his life over. I think the Devonshire’s need Zerick as much as he needs us. He’s dark but he’s our cousin and was thought to be our brother. I think he deserves more than to just go to jail and more than just my fucked up attempt to save him.” Taking her hand he entered the wedding again this time he heard claps and cheers again.

“Remember what I said, throw the bouquet and let’s get the hell out of dodge.” Jackson said looking at everyone shocked expressions trying to hide what a dumpster fire their wedding was becoming. “I’m sorry and I think I have to remember I’m not single anymore. I have a wife, and two kids and hopefully more down the line. I want a house full of kids and memories. I want them to never feel like we don’t love them. I never want them to feel like how we did growing up. I’m sorry but it won’t happen again. I mean God would have to literally take the breath out of my body for me to leave you. I’ll never forget you and what you’ve done for me. You have opened my soul as my wife and I want to give you a night of pleasure and pain and satisfaction. We’re fucking from sun up to sun down. I can’t wait to have my kids and my wife to myself.” Jackson said whispering in Dani’s ear. “You are my heart.”

“I know you are you just have to think about me and the kids too when you are wanting to play hero or we aren’t going to make it Jackson. Something could have happened the bullet could have hit you and not your uncle who by the way I think deserves a lot more than a bullet for what he put your aunt and Zerick through no thanks to your father either. Donovan and JJ could have lost their father and I could have lost you.” Dani said she was mad at him for being risky with his own life but she also really understood why it seemed he wanted to help he was pretty hard on Zerick. Hard on him for all the wrong reasons something that she was still in a bit of shock at and she actually did blame Lowell he could have ended this nonsense by confiding in them all instead of covering for his rapist brother. When they entered the room and people stared clapping she simply nodded her head at him she was ready to go too and walked to the microphone to do so. “Could I have all my bridesmaids and single ladies please meet me in the middle of the floor.”

They listened and she took her bouquet from Whitney ignoring Merci she didn’t care if she was throwing off the order they were leaving. If she had to guess though Merci looked like she was ready for them to leave and she tossed the bouquet over her shoulder to the shrieks and delight of the guests and smiled when she saw that Yasmine had caught it. Afterwards she went to her parents and asked for the car to come around and checked on the twins, she let her parents and the rest gather the guests to send them off. She was cordial to Lowell as Jackson joined her out the door and saw her mother loading the twins in the limo at the end of the driveway. She kissed Jackie’s cheeks as her now mother in law beamed at her and Jackson and she couldn’t help but feel like something else was going on. Bliss had seemed to reappear with Hunter and she hoped that set her husband at ease his sister was fine and she saw Selina and Tamara in the crowd too meaning Dimitri either was in police custody or on the run away from their family. By the time they reached the end she looked up at Jackson. “Shall we? Or are you wanting to hang around for something else to go haywire?” She said waiting for him to finish up his goodbye so they could leave.

“I think we give it about thirty more minutes. My mother would be quite disappointed if we didn’t cut the cake. Plus we haven’t had our first dance.” He said, taking his wife’s hand leading her to the dance floor. John Legend ‘This Time’ echoed through the microphone as the man came out crooning his favorite song that reminded him of his transformation. Merci had truly outdone herself watching John Legend come out and begin to perform a set as he and his wife danced and other couples danced around them made it worth it to be here for this. “I told you she is the best.” He whispered as he danced with Dani who rolled her eyes. As he saw his mother mingling she looked so pale as if her color had left her body. “Come with me. I want to talk to mom before we cut out of here since our grand exit was ruined. I think we can do something more subdue and just go. Like let me give her a kiss we go grab the kids and get out of here.” Jackson said after a twenty minute set of John Legend he felt like it was the perfect escape now. “Maybe say bye to Lauren and thank her. But we are done.”

Jackson took his wife’s hand and kissed as he led her to his mother and walked up to her. “I tried to stop him mom. I’m sorry I screwed up with Zerick and messed up in general. If I’ve disappointed you for being a jealous asshole I’m sorry. He needs our help and if Linus survives, I’ll assure you that he will drop the charges. We will get him out of this and I do apologize that this had to happen today. I know Tess, dad and all this wasn’t supposed to happen. But I hope you are proud of me and know you got another daughter today just like Lauren got another son.” Jackson raised a glass to Jackie and what he said. Leaning in he hugged his mother tightly and felt her energy was so heavy. Like something was wrong but hell what wasn’t. Dad knew for years. It was sick and that was enough to devastate his mother for hopefully the last time. She was divorcing him and he respected that now more than ever. “I love you mom.” He stepped back and wrapped Dani back in his arms. “Let’s go.”

Jackie was a nervous wreck when she returned to the ball room and heard about all the chaos that had erupted while she was gone with Zerick and of course her son, complied that with what she knew about Dimitri she was surprised she didn’t jump out of her skin. She had wanted to run down to the police station but knew without a doubt that Zerick would be bailed out when she saw Talia quickly approaching the company lawyers she was needed here. She watched as Jackson and Dani enjoyed the moments of their reception that weren’t marred in chaos or ill news and could see that they were both itching to leave. She really couldn’t blame either of them from what they learned before they said I do to then having Jackson wrestling with a gun on what should have been good and happy memories, a couple deserved that. She smiled at Jackson the best she could a masks he had worn over the years and then kissed her daughter in law on the cheeks, nothing about what Zerick did was her son’s fault if anything she blamed Lowell all of it could have been avoided if he would have just told the truth to begin with.

“I love you too and today nothing was your fault or Zerick’s so please don’t let that keep you from enjoying this moment. Enjoying today and the rest of your honeymoon Zerick will be fine I assure you of that he has me looking out for him and Talia is already hunting down someone to bail him out tonight.” Jackie said seeing the DJ about ready to start another set and the guests just barely starting to enjoy themselves as she saw Selina, Tamara and Bliss silently rejoin the party with no one the wiser as to their actions earlier. “I mean it go enjoy your honeymoon.” Jackie said as she smiled at them both only for her to see Rory and what appeared to be Yasmine, Aspen and a young man in an argument in the middle of the party. “What else could possibly go wrong?” She asked seeing the look of joy quickly replaced with annoyance on the bride and groom followed by horror as the voices raised and the confrontation went ahead.

**********

Yasmine was shocked that Zerick shot his own father but hell Forbes Montgomery was her daddy so she understood. The motherfucker used her charity as a way to try and de-fund DGI which she was still pissed at. She caught the bouquet and that was a sign in her eyes for Rory not Khalil but she had something to handle tonight and so did Rory. After tonight they’d be back together and happy. As she looked around for Khalil her eyes bulged out of her socket  when she saw who he was speaking with. Aspen fucking Sinclair who walked away when they made eye contact. She didn’t know they knew each other. What did she want with him? Twisting her bridesmaid grown and gliding across the floor. She approached her boyfriend. Today was the day Rory and she chose to break it off with Khalil and he with Aspen. When she saw Aspen hand on her belly she felt ill. It was the one thing she hadn’t told Rory. She heard Max and Aspen and she didn’t say a word. She deserved her own happy ending right? She slightly did worry about what Khalil would think of her. It was heartbreaking that they weren’t going to work out. Yasmine saw Rory looking at the same thing as she approached Khalil who had the devil in his eyes. As she looked at her boyfriend her heart seemed heavy because she was a little scared. Biting her lip as reached out to Khalil and winced back as if he didn’t want her to even touch him. Her heart dropped what had that harpy said to him? Placing her left hand on her hip Yasmine looked at him confused.

“You mad at something?” She asked with a nasty tone. “What we are not about to do is act up in front of all these people. That’s what we are not going to do so Khalil so if there is a problem speak up. I didn’t know you knew Aspen.” Yasmine head cocked to the side as she saw him fuming. “Khalil I’ve been here before we can go outside and talk but I don’t want to be embarrassed so whatever this is stop before you say something you can’t take back. Either way I’m not here for the bullshit so come on.” Reaching out to him and he jerked away again. “What?” She shrieked causing people to look at him. Yasmine was feeling frustrated as she looked at him. “Khalil what did she say to you?”

Khalil had been dragged to this wedding after a few games away on the road for the season and up until a bit ago when he got back he thought he and Yas were solid, until he had gotten that call from Aspen. He had tried to be a good boyfriend to her after what happened with his brother, had given up playing the field on the road as he didn’t want to be the one to screw up their relationship. The problem was he should have been watching his back the whole time instead of worrying about him screwing up, he should have worried about her screwing around. He knew that she was partly still hung up on Rory he just didn’t expect her to be a whore about it or maybe he had put blinders on with her, she had changed since finding out that Forbes was her father and she had money and the means to move up in the world. She dressed in designer clothes and even bought a townhouse on the other side of town to escape her roots all while secretly telling him that they were it together. When she reached for his hand as she scanned the room it really took everything in him to not laugh out loud at her instead he pulled it callously away.

“Why does it matter what Aspen Sinclair has talked to me about? Worried she might know something Yas?” Khalil shot back they were at a wedding for two people that he would never understand or really like but her audacity at the moment to act like everything was fine between them pissed him off so much. They were supposed to be the next power couple of Scottswood but here she was playing him like a damned hoe left and right while his back was turned? After professing to him that she loved him and his family after Kendrick took her in and helped her, he wasn’t going to pretend his brother wasn’t a shit person at times he was but at least he was real about his priorities and didn’t change it on a whim. “Why are we at this wedding anyway with people that your father is supposed to hate? Oh I’m sorry I’m not ever supposed to express how I feel with you being constantly thrown into the Devonshire drama with Rory in tow, bridesmaid to the bride that likely could care less you even existed if it wasn’t for Kendrick and of course your god mother to her twins along with your ex.”

“Well considering I just found out the motherfucker was my father about a couple of months ago I don’t really abide by his blood feuds.” She said, craning her neck to Aspen as her eyes cut her down the size. Her attitude shifted  “We are at this wedding because I was kidnapped by your damn brother and it made strange friends out of me and the bride. Please stop doing this right now in front of all these people. I’m serious if you have an ounce of respect for me. I think you could tell me what is bothering you because you came here and it wasn’t a fucking problem now it’s a problem.” Yasmine said, shaking her head as she licked her lips. “Look I need to talk to  you and I think this isn’t the best place to do it.” When she saw Aspen holding Rory hand and slowly making her way over to them what had she done? Yasmine thought to herself. She didn’t or couldn’t know about Rory and her.

Aspen walked to Rory with his pale face as they approached Khalil and Yasmine. As she looked at Rory. “I think we all need to have a conversation.” She said loud enough for Yasmine to hear. She could see the fear seeping into her face. How was she scared now? After all she had got her back broken by her boyfriend. Not only that but she knew that she was possibly pregnant and still did it. That was enough to bury her and she was going to guarantee that Rory never forgave her. “I think we four need to have a discussion about what I witnessed only days ago.” She said looking at Rory intensely. “Almost a week ago I went to your new house Yasmine. Dani sold it to you right? Well I was shocked to find my boyfriend inside of it. Breaking your back and I thought Khalil should know that he was with a lying whore. You stupidly left the windows open and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that wasn’t Khalil you were banging. It was my boyfriend and Rory you can’t do this. You can’t do this because I’m pregnant but you slut.” She stepped forward and slapped Yasmine with all her might.

“Stay away from my boyfriend because is an ex-stripper who was one of Ronan girls. I know what you would do. Men are weak and foolish when it comes to girls like you. Not black girls but whores who ruin other people’s relationships. I’m pregnant Rory and she isn’t in your future okay. You aren’t Lowell Devonshire and you aren’t a monster. We are having a damn baby and I want you to know that I won’t be your mother or Tess or any fucked up images you’ve seen. I’m just as rich and I won’t be treated like trash. You won’t be hurting me like your mother was, you can’t be that man. I’ll survive with or without you. But I love you and through therapy and real honesty I hope we can be a family but right now I can’t pretend to be happy. Happy at this wedding or happy with you Rory.” Aspen threw her hands up. As she clutched her belly as she looked at Rory’s shocked face. “You are pathetic both of you.”

Yasmine stood silent and knew that she was pregnant. “I knew it.” She said mumbled to herself, touching her stinging face. Recalling the moment she heard Max and Aspen talking earlier in the week at Jackson and Dani rehearsal dinner. “I was trying to tell you Khalil.” She said looking him in his eyes the hurt and fury was clear. “I’m so sorry but to you if you ever touch me again I assure you, you’ll regret it.”

“You wouldn’t hurt Rory’s baby would you?” Aspen asked in the most evil tone she could muster. Yet seeing Yasmine’s fear at what she said she smirked. “No you wouldn’t so don’t threaten me. This isn’t how I saw me telling you but this is what it is Rory. You’re going to be a father and you’ve betrayed the woman who is having your first born just like your father.”

Rory was in so much shock as Aspen told him that she was pregnant in the middle of the dance floor at his brother’s wedding and he instantly felt like the world’s biggest asshole.  Granted he was careless with Aspen a few times but that still made him just as responsible for her getting pregnant as her birth control too. His face paled when she revealed that he and Yasmine had fucked on her couch, he had lied to her when he left he mansion to see Yasmine, it was just natural and he’d been trying to make it right. But now to know that Aspen had to witness it, while she was pregnant with his baby it hit him hard and it was ugly. Yasmine had learned about his one night stand with Tess the same way, he had fucked up again and was following in his father’s footsteps right down to having a baby. There was no way that Aspen or her parents would want her to have an abortion and he wasn’t one to just turn his head about it, it was his responsibility. Yasmine looked embarrassed and horrified and she had very right to be there were so many better ways for Aspen to go about this not to mention the wedding had been a complete disaster so far for his brother and Dani.

“Did you really have to do this right now? You could have waited till we were alone and not made a huge scene right now.” Rory hissed out at her, realized how much of an asshole he sounded like people were staring at them and his mother and Bliss were now trying to shoo them away. Which was good no one needed to be a part of this except him Aspen and Yasmine, maybe Khalil but that was it. “It happened alright I’m not proud of it hell I don’t even know why it did she called me over to talk and it just happened. I’m of course going to do right by you and the baby but this really should have done between us.” Rory said still in shock about what was happened and he turned to see Khalil glaring at him and he shook his head. “She still wanted me guess she prefers my style and ride to whatever you tried to give her. I always you knew you were a rebound for her after I fucked up and deep down so did you.”

Khalil had talked to Aspen before the party he knew all about Yasmine’s little night with Rory Devonshire and that was what really hurt him the most that he flat out lied to him about it. Like he was stupid, that he didn’t know what was up hell he didn’t even recognize her anymore half the time, she was still Yas from the hood but she was also Yas Montgomery now too and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. He had tried to push out the fact that money and her new last name had changed her only it had become clear that it was, they were very different people now she reveled in her last name and the wealth that came with it. He was on his way to becoming a top signed basketball star everything that his brother Kendrick had worked for all the hard work that Kendrick had sacrificed for him and his family was going to pay off. He was still hood when it mattered though still cared about the neighborhood was still active in his brother’s charity he started earlier in the year but when Rory opened his mouth it felt like Yasmine was simply faking it when it came to her loyalties and well now he knew for sure. Before he knew what had come over him he looked at Yasmine standing there in horror and Rory’s smug face before he lunged forward and punched him square in the jaw sending the crowd into absolute horror.

“You didn’t mean for it to happen, you Devonshire’s think the world revolves around you doesn’t it? It’s not enough that you have women waiting in the wings for you or that you have wives or lovers at home you have to go out and steal others?” Khalil spat as he looked at Rory sprawled out on the floor clutching his face like a little bitch the bride and groom staring at him in horror he sneered at him hoping Rory wouldn’t cause that much of a scene at his brother’s wedding. Aspen looked pleased with herself and this was the moment that he knew they had to play this right and he looked apologetically at her. “I wouldn’t trust his word with the baby I mean he was over with my girlfriend fucking on a couch while you likely were crying your eyes at out home.” He said before cutting his eyes at Yasmine and knew he had to go for the jugular for it to hit home that she was never going to be with Rory after this. “I guess the pole taught you a few things other than how to sneak crack for my brother, did it teach you how to whore yourself out like the other girls at the club? Or did you just decide to take a page from your skank of a new found sister?” He finished shaking his head at her.

When Khalil punched Rory a sick sense of satisfaction eased over Aspen. She was happy to see him hurt. When she knew she had to hit him where it hurt. To finally end this Devonshire and Montgomery romance it was so forbidden in their eyes. So much love between them and she could feel both of their anxiety and fear of losing the other. She stopped that confession because of this very moment. Her being called out for being a stripping bitch. “Rory!” She rushed to him and stooped down to hold him in her arms. “Don’t you see? You’re going down the same road as Jackson and Chauncey and Lowell! I don’t want you to be a monster. I don’t want you to carry the secrets like they all did. I love them and I love you and I know this isn’t you. We can be a family but you can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can’t and this is what happens. You aren’t that man Rory so stop it. She isn’t worth me or the family we could have.” Aspen uses the table to stand up. “Daddy.” She said running to her father and Lauren. “I’m so angry with him.” Aspen looked around for Max who was missing. Where was she?

Yasmine covered her mouth as she felt the pain of Khalil disrespecting her in such a manner. She couldn’t believe that he called out her past as a runner and stripper. In front of all these people. Her eyes began to water and when he basically said they were rutting while the poor little white girl was crying. It made her look even worse. She was so in love with the idea of having Rory back that she ignored what she heard in that bathroom. Now she was sleeping with someone’s baby daddy. Gina would be shaking her head. She never got caught up in drama until Gina’s death. Now she was constantly in it and all she wanted to do was dance and help her community. When Yasmine looked up she saw Jamal helping Rory up and Connor Hessington right by Khalil. It could get ugly if she shot anything more at either party. But she’d never go out as a punk or feeling played in any situation. That just wasn’t what Yasmine Kohl did and neither would Yasmine Montgomery.

“You got me fucked up.” The crowd gasped at her coarse language. “What you are not about to do is play me like I’m some whore in front of all these people. I made a mistake that most young women do. I maybe shouldn’t have jumped into a relationship as fast as I did after Rory broke my heart. Let’s not forget that people. Then who pressured me to settle down and give you the fantasy you dreamed of? Me on your arm as your girl and you the basketball star. You care about my dreams but I dim myself when I’m with you Khalil and after last year. I deserve to shine. After what your brother did to me and kept me doing. I deserve to shine.” Yasmine’s voice was cracking as she was getting emotional tears began to sting in her dark eyes. “I’m so sorry. You aren’t the man for me, and I don’t regret anything. I don’t because you talking to me like I mean nothing to you at this moment I won’t forget. I won’t ever forget. But Rory neither are you. You aren’t the man for me either.” She turned to look at Rory. “We tried so hard to get back what we had but life. You have a girl pregnant and she’s right. You aren’t like your brothers and father. You are a kind and incredible man but she is right. This is a sick retread of what our parents did to each other and I don’t want any part of it. So Rory I take myself out of the race and I want you to be happy with her.” Yasmine said, covering her mouth as she looked at the stunned room and the silence said it all. As she gasped for air wiping her eyes she saw Cassie and she nodded at her. “And keep my family’s name out of your mouth you bum ass dummy. Only thing you are good for is shooting a ball into a hoop. Go to hell Khalil and white girl you win. You win white girl, matter of fact all of your asses win. I’m done. I’m so sorry Dani and Jackson.” She didn’t run, she strutted toward the exit.

Aspen looked at everyone’s face and for a moment she saw shame and pity for Yasmine. She saw people looking sympathetic and that ate at her. She was the villain and now because she made some grand gesture she was the hero? No that wasn’t how the story goes! She didn’t get to use that she was some fucking Mariah Carey biracial butterfly to ease out of what she did. Forbes Montgomery was white as they fucking came and she only had a hard life because of her junkie ass mother. That wasn’t anyone’s fault but her mother’s and hers. “Everyone loves her and now somehow I’m going to look like the bad one daddy. I can’t do this. I’m sorry I just wanted my baby to be loved.” Aspen keeled over screaming faking as everyone looked at her and ignored Yasmine triumphant walk away. Bitch wouldn’t get the shine tonight. Seeing Rory and Jamal rushing to her as she held onto Randall and Lauren rubbed her head.

Rory was still in so much shock over the revelation as he looked at Yasmine explode on him and Khalil as he felt his brother’s holding him back from lunging at that asshole to finish the fight he started. When he saw Yasmine walking out he almost ran after her only to see that Chauncey was holding him back and he wanted to shoot him a look to tell him to let him go only it didn’t work like that e was still at his brother’s wedding and he could tell no one was happy about what just happened. What made matters worse was Yasmine was publicly humiliated as she left with being the other woman when in fact it was his own fault they were in this mess to begin with none of it was her fault or Aspen’s. He could already feel people talking and whispering that he was exactly like his father as Aspen suddenly clutched over and he rushed to her side, Jesus what if she lost the baby. He was stuck there trying to be there for her as he watched Yasmine walk out of his life for what felt like for good this time before turning his attention back to Aspen and helping her sit down in a chair.

Khalil had done exactly what he had come here to do to make sure that Yasmine and Rory were exposed fro the frauds they were and part of him felt bad for it, the other part of him felt like Rory Devonshire got what was coming to him. Rory was pompous and felt like that he could have anyone he wanted, not on his watch Yasmine was his and had been for years and frankly she didn’t know what was good for her anymore. She was so caught up in her new identity she was forgetting who she really was, he certainly didn’t expect her to talk to him like she did but he knew that was something that he was going to risk and it happened. He let her and Aspen go at it with each other, let them fight it out and saw the crowd begin to whisper about how sorry they were for Aspen and Yasmine abut how Rory was like Lowell and how they were on his side over Rory’s. He didn’t chase after Yasmine he was going to give her space to calm down and turned his attention the theatrics that Aspen was putting on and shot her slyest grin he could, they were both going to get what they wanted after all.

**********

Philip sauntered into Devonshire wedding grabbing a hors d’oeuvre off the tray. Popping the shrimp ball into his mouth and picking up a champagne flute. Guzzling the liquor down his throat he smiled at the guests who were shocked to see him here. Walking through he could see some people staring as he nodded at the two goons he hired from his time at Club XES. The way they were hire for one reason and one reason only to hijack the wedding reception. As he walked to the DJ booth and turned closing the little door as he took over the microphone. Tapping into the microphone he saw all eyes on him. The two goons guarded the booth. He saw Jackson and Dani turning around and he waved at them. “Ladies and gentlemen I’m here tonight to honor Jackson and Dani. In way I’m sure Atlas Falls will never forget.” Pressing a button on a remote, the projector came down. “Well tonight I want to honor you both by telling you what lies beneath. You see the dumb ass police of Atlas Falls let Hunter Kincaid, Max Devonshire, and from what I hear ladies and gents. Oh there she is with her husband Bliss Kincaid. She made history marrying her sister’s where’s Max? Oh let me finish my thought she married her sister’s ex-husband if that’s not trailer park trash with money. Come on everyone! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Girl you give new meaning to a bastard child. So I wanted to expose my ex- Max Devonshire. Where is Max? But everyone knows she’s the bargain bin version of Paris Hilton. You know she’s a whore.” Philip saw Chauncey, Rory, and Jackson moving toward the booth. “Oh no I’m here to give you a gift. You all should know whom Max and Bliss both married and the reason why Scottswood was decimated. You never gave MontCorp a second fucking thought because DGI and Steven Kincaid were destroying and city while they rich off a cities back. Isn’t that right Brenda Kincaid but she’s fucking Walter Fraiser the Democratic fucking mayor. The stern Republican Kincaid’s. They glow, don’t they with perfection. But I have a secret.”

Philip looked over at Dru and knew she was eating this up. This was their moment. As he smirked at them all. “Exhibit A. Is a picture of Steven Fucking Kincaid and isn’t that little Anderson and little Hunter hold your hands up high boys. Goddammit we are white and we have pride. Isn’t that right Hunter? Hold your hands up high for Hitler boys. That is why Scottwood wad decapitated sis since you are trying to save the part of your city? Where’s my sister she was in the wedding Yasmine that’s for you. I have proof DGI built the Scottswood homes as transitional homes for at risk parents and youths and then let them rot. Getting richer and richer along with the government which then pulled all funding from the community. Steven backed that also. But isn’t this Steven Kincaid and Grand-Wizard of the fucking KKK Colton Hayes? Isn’t that Papa Kincaid, Steven’s father in all his white glory and robes. Or as I like to call it exhibit B. So you see Jackson and Dani. I gave you a gift the information on why you are so rich and the government in this city remains corrupt due to DGI who thrashed the community of Scottwood before. How you guys got the revitalization project I’ll never know oh yes I will Dani you just fucked your way to the top and popped out two heirs in record time. That’s how you did it. You are so delectable with your milky skin and your marital glow. You two have five years tops before something destroys you? What I don’t know but everyone is so happy and fucking fake. This is a Greek tragedy and I can’t wait to see what happens next. But back to you Walter Fraiser who is also very fucking Jerry Springer too. I may add because he had a offspring with Brenda on the low! Not only that Brenda is broke.” The crowd hushed as Philip looked at her shocked expression. “She’s looking to fucking latch onto anything and I mean anything. I hear she’s knocking at dad’s door and that’s pretty low, hell she might even be screwing her business partner Charles Hessington ladies and gentleman. This runs deep on how dirty and scandalous these people are. So now you can try to kill me or fight me but I thought the city should know just how dark this goes.” Philip dropped the remote and put it a loop rotating the pictures back and forth. Then stomping on the remote as he opened the DJ booth.

Looking at Hunter, Brooke, and Anderson’s shocked expressions and the look on Brenda’s face was priceless. But it was Hunter who so deliciously loved seeing him hurt and embarrassed was worth any money MontCorp lost out on this year. As he looked around at everyone whispering and the eyes peered on the Kincaid’s he saw Dru’s glee and he felt pleased with himself. Zerick never had the panache to do something this elaborate and to break back into the mansion along with the pictures he got from Dru. Well that was all her doing and tonight she’d watch the city along with respect for Steven Kincaid’s legacy. “One more thing. MontCorp is filing a class action lawsuit against Atlas Falls for active discrimination and blatantly acting on DGI monopoly of the economic structure of this city. I think we have a case and I think Scottswood deserves more than the people who destroyed it in the first place pretending to have the right to save and restore is almost comical right?” Philip dropped the microphone.

Hunter had been so relieved when Bliss had showed back up in the room after the shit show that was Jackson and Zerick wrestling for the gun and Max’s strange behaviour earlier. He was relieved to see that she was safe without a scratch on her and he hadn’t even had a chance to ask her where she was before they were thrown into more wedding festivities, it turned into a bright spot in the evening and the music was dying down after John Legend had come out for a set, he recognized the voice over the intercom as soon as it spoke. His eyes had cut to Bliss and then frantically looked around for Max who wasn’t there. Did he really need to cause sucha  fucking scene at the wedding as if Jackson or Dani wanted him here and halfway through Philip’s speech he realized it wasn’t to target them at all it was to target him and Bliss, Max by extension as well and he froze when the photo had come up on screen he had to have been maybe two years old at the time and he had no memory of that day with his father at what appeared to be a KKK rally. He looked over at Anderson’s shocked face, his father was a good person he loved them growing up and surely his mother would not have tolerated that from him? Not to mention his father was friends with Tony or he always thought they were Mason and he are best friends with Jackson they did everything together as kids and even now. His eyes scanned the room the look on his mothers face told him everything that he needed to know it was true all of it. Bliss looked shocked and uncomfortable not to mention the bride and the groom.

“Mom what in the hell is he talking about? Jackson I had no idea he’d bring this to the wedding.” Hunter said looking at everyone who was now staring at him, Anderson, Brooke and his mother. He refused to believe this about his father he was a good human, a good father and by all accounts a beloved mayor. He saw Walter take a few steps back from his mother and almost wanted to laugh at him, always so pious. Saving face for himself as if his mother was suddenly poison didn’t they have years of an affair and have a kid out of wedlock and now he was ashamed? “Philip Montgomery is a liar and a monster that likes to terrorize people just like his father has over the years. My father was a brilliant man and the people loved him. If he was such a racist why in the hell would he let one of my best friends into our life?”

“I don’t know if maybe his racist urges subsided or Tony was such a yes man that he broke down his racist thoughts. I don’t know but this picture says so much about the state of Atlas Falls no? I mean Scottswood was decimated and looks dilapidated. Yet here you are thriving Hunter. You can pretend to ignore what you say but you’re looking like a baby Hitler with that white power stance you got going there Hunter.” Philip said with a steady fury as he aimed at every Kincaid.

Standing before the projector seeing her ex-husband’s past on display. How Steven was already murdered with his mistress. This would forever change his name and history. How could she spin this for the kids? For herself? Looking around she saw Lauren’s eyes, Jackie’s eyes, Tess glee, Pierre’s judgement and she gasped for air. As she looked at Tony she felt her heart sinking. That was proof of her husband’s change. He didn’t mean to destroy a community of people and it wasn’t intentional it was circumstance.The city did nothing with Scottswood and it never had a chance to evolve. The revitalization was on the table before Walter and the Devonshire’s spearheaded it.  Brenda charged at Philip from behind and began clawing at his face as she viciously swung on him. “You son of a bitch! You have no idea what you’ve done! Steven wasn’t a racist! He was lost and you have tarnished his image! You have no idea! What have you done you monster! My husband changed and he wasn’t that man. He was so much more than that. You have no idea! What have you done!” Brenda said running to the projector and began trying to rip it down nobody could see the picture. As she covered her mouth gasping looking at her children. “Please let me speak to you alone, please. I assure you Philip you will never and I mean never get a happy moment. You’ve made the biggest enemy out of me.”

“Another day and another enemy.” Philip said touching his bloody cheek. His guards would be fired for not keeping that ravenous bitch off him. “I think my wedding gift killed the happy mood. But with Zerick shooting his uncle daddy well that is quite enough to ruin anyone’s wedding mood. C’est la vie. A eternal gift from the Montgomery fucking family who you all have screwed over so I guess Steven is a racist. The photograph doesn’t lie.”

Brooke looked at the picture as her lips quivered. “That’s not my father and if you are validating this mom. You aren’t my mother. I can’t do this right now. I can’t.” Brooke grabbed Atticus hand and looked at him. “Please get me out of here.” She couldn’t breathe and seeing Greer getting on her phone made her nervous. Watching the editor of Vogue looking disgusted she felt her entire body shivering. Her dreams of being on the cover were going down the drain. As she leaned into Atticus arms she buried her head into his shoulder. “I can’t look at that any longer Atticus. Please help me. I don’t want this out about daddy! Oh my God how could this be?” Brooke cried to him. The shame. Selina was one of her idols growing up, she was always so elegant and stunning. Brooke completely disagreed with this picture and what her father clearly had Anderson and Hunter doing. “That wasn’t him.” Her eyes drifted to a shocked and confused Val and Jamal standing over in the corner. She could see Yasmine and Ophelia. Talia Rose was staring at her the people of color she loved. Her lips quivered as she looked at her fiance. “Please.”

Atticus was not one to judge someone based on their family when it came to their past, the crown was itself not flawless it had its blemishes. Most recently there was the scandal of everything that his brother had done and had been revealed to be a rapist, a scandal that had almost destroyed the crown. Now this scandal about Brooke’s father was almost even more damming. He refused to let it derail him and Brooke however, one’s parents past was not their own and it would go doubly so as far as Brooke was concerned. She was to be his future queen and he simply nodded his head at her as they made their way for the exit of the wedding the crown had a superb public relations team that could make this go away for thm and help her still secure her place in modeling as well. When one of the press approached them he simply help up his hand. “Ms. Kincaid has no comment for the press at this time and if you so much as print this filth to dishonor her I can assure you that Isla Del Cruces will bury you.” He finished as he escorted her out of the wedding and prayed theirs would be much better.

Anderson saw Brooke and Atticus who were rushing out of the wedding. He brutally turned to his mother storming past other guests. He grabbed her and pulled her to a private room and then looked at Hunter following them. As Hunter entered he slammed the door. He pointed at the wall that none of them could see. Biting his lip Anderson shook his head. Digging into his pocket he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and pulled out one. Flicking the lighter he took a deep drag. “What the fuck is that? Hunter works for the city and I’m this close.” Pinching his fingers together. “To being the governor and you don’t tell me something. Something like this fucking exist hell that my father was with the grand fucking wizard. Mother you truly have outdone yourself. Let me tell you something you aren’t going to scream and act like a fucking banshee. You’re going to go to Gale King, Tameron Hall, and even the damn Red Table Talk you will repent for him. I don’t and won’t have this shit derail me and my mother who is so stunning won’t be screaming. Now talk to us, tell us.” Looking at Hunter to speak, flicking the clove cigarette.

Hunter was still in shock as he watched Anderson drag his mother into a room and he followed not sure what his older brother was thinking, he still couldn’t get over the stares that they had gotten. Was his father really this monster that the picture had made him out to be? He was one of if not the most loved mayors that Atlas Falls had ever seen, he had openly accepted his friendship with Mason over the years hell Tony himself had come over too. He didn’t know the man in the picture raising a hand at a flag that went against everything that he had ever known his father to stand for. He looked over at his brother who was rattling on about their mother needing to grovel and fix this for his political career and he shook his head at him. He wanted to show up now and pretend to care? He was off living his life in Pittsburgh with Cara and whatever mistress of the year seemed to fit and he wasn’t one to forget that he had that torrid affair with Talia either and here he was trying to shame his deceased father and alive mother?

“Fuck of Anderson you’ve been gone from Atlas Falls for years trying to get in politically because you frankly couldn’t cut it here and now you’re worried about your political career and how this affects you? You really think you have a bid for Governor? I have some land to sell you on the other side of town if you really think that is true then again we all know you like to run from shit here and hide out with Cara instead of face your own shit.” Hunter spat not really caring if Bliss was shocked or not at his outburst, where int he fuck had she been the last hour? His eyes then landed on his mother and he shook his head at his mother, this was not the time for her to cower and hide behind his father’s secret, she was dating the fucking mayor and he had good standing at City Hall. “Like she is going to do that she changes stories about her past and fathers like she refills her alcohol glass. Everyone here knows that her and dad stayed together for us and for politics it’s not like they actually loved each other, he was off fucking Carla Luciano and she was off popping out bastard shildren with Walter. So either way we’re fucking screwed Anderson and yet you think you’re the one to fix this with the ghosts in your closet spare me.” Hunter said taking his own glass of champagne and downing it.

Anderson blew smoke in Hunter’s face. “No I won’t spare you. I think that we outta have a damn good story on why we were looking like the KKK fucking poster boys. That’s what I think. I think we are owed a good explanation on why we were at a clans rally and not to fucking your condescending remarks. Now listen to me and listen carefully because I’m only going to say this once. One time and one time only. I want to know because I will be governor and I will need to step on my own fucking father to get there I will. So I need to know Hunter and I’m sorry that you are jealous that you keep fucking Devonshire’s and thinking it’ll give you a different result. You are my brother but don’t think I won’t. You know what mother talk to me now!” He roared at Brenda.

“Watch your damn tone boy.” Brenda said looking up at her son. “You think that I changed my past? How about you don’t know my story but you have never even asked. I was twelve when my daddy gave me moonshine on the Thorpe Ranch. You know that huge desolated ranch and land that is worthless now that’s your land boys. That’s where you come from the shit of the earth. The shit of high society. He was always the one who you all loved the most. I had hoped that the hero worship would die down after his death but Brooke still doesn’t see her daddy as human. He was flawed and so was I.” She exhaled as she looked at her sons. “Your grandfather was a grand-wizard for Pennsylvania’s KKK chapter. He raised your father to breathe hate and at one time he did. He hated himself and he didn’t know how to subside the rage inside of himself. How he was taught to hate and he tried to teach you hate for a period. Steven knew I was pregnant with Walter’s daughter. Her name is Kendall, your sister’s name was Kendall. She’s dead and um it’s my fault that picture was taken because I was away having a baby that I knew I couldn’t keep and you two were used in ways to hurt me. After I came home Steven and your grandfather got into a huge fight. He renounced all those ugly hateful things and saw it was wrong. I don’t know how it happened but it did. For the first time we had a shot. We were trying to make our marriage work and then it did work. For a period of time we were happy and it wasn’t pretend but after Brooke we sort of fell apart again. I carried on affairs pretending to not be Brenda Lynn Thorpe, I was Brenda Kincaid. I wasn’t the poor girl whose momma made all her dresses, I was the mayors fucking wife. So you want to ask me if I changed any of the story? Ask me the story then Hunter.” She pushed her son.

Brenda couldn’t help it because it was coming out. “You want to know why it was always so hard to love you? Do you Hunter? Because at that time your father was a dark and twisted man and he made me have sex with him that night. It wasn’t rape but it sure as hell wasn’t my fantasy in conceiving. So you remind me of the darkest point in my relationships. You don’t judge me and my drinking because you never cared to know your mother. All of you were enamored with Steven but I was the one who changed your shitty diapers, who fed you from my own body, and loved you when you slammed your heads against the wall. So even if I drink a little you will fucking respect me! You will respect your mother! I have sacrificed everything for you kids and you will respect me!” She exclaimed, grabbing the glass of brandy and finished it by gulping it down. Then slamming it against the wall. “I can’t fix this. This is the truth and the truth just reared its ugly head. And Anderson I don’t give a fuck how you are going to fix this. I’m going to leave this godforsaken wedding and go home. To my empty mansion and drink a little more. Maybe I’ll get my Christmas gift early and wake to grateful children. When your dear sister Kendall didn’t make it. You three were my chosen ones even if I didn’t like it. I gave birth to you so I demand a little more respect. And Philip was right. Steven gave DGI the Scottswood projects because Lowell helped me hide my bastard baby. But if your war Hunter ever spills into my personal life like this again. I swear I’ll disown you myself.” Brenda looked in the mirror fluffing her hair. Rubbing her eyes as if she had been crying.

“It’s a show, politics is all a show and you boys better be ready because we have to show the world. We will weather any storm. I have to fix my public and private relationships so if you boys are done breaking my heart I can um see if I can salvage your relationship with the Hessington’s and keep your job in the mayor’s office and a Kincaid in City Hall. You come from fighters and I am the biggest fighter of them all. The Thorpe family might not have stayed in Atlas Falls but we ran things when we were here. Look at me from beauty pageant winner to mayor’s wife. This isn’t over that little fuck Philip Montgomery just fucked with a sleeping dragon.” Opening the door Brenda walked out of the room looking more distraught than she actually was.

Anderson looked at Hunter as he felt that her words were more true than she ever had spoken. “So what do you think?” He asked his brother. “You stayed and I didn’t. I’m sorry Hunter that I wasn’t here for father’s death. I’m sorry that I wasn’t the best big brother to you but what do you think about what she just said?” He asked looking at his brother.

“I think you’re just as delusional as she is if you really think I’m going to mop up her mess at the moment to save face for your political career. You left and you’re right you haven’t been the best brother to me or Brooke the last few years, you were barely around for Dad’s last run for office. Don’t stand there and pretend that you actually care about Atlas Falls you haven’t in years since you and Cara left or do I need to remind you why you were ran out of town in the first place? Oh that’s right Dad told you to leave because your affair with Talia would have ruined him and your marriage but I guess it all worked out in the end didn’t it?” Hunter said seeing Bliss look at him shocked and maybe she should be, he wasn’t going to apologize for his mother or his father’s atrocious behavior but he didn’t owe Anderson anything either. “Dad clearly had some fucking issues and the best and only thing we can do is let this play out and hope that Brooke marries Atticus without so much as a hiccup and we all work our tail off to prove that is not our viewpoints either. Dad’s not hear to speak for himself but if I’ve learned anything children aren’t replicas of their parents and people should see that. So how about you crawl back to Charles and wherever the hell else you have been and stay there and let me, mom and Brooke actually worry about Atlas Falls and dad’s legacy?” Hunter finished seeing the shot on Anderson’s face he simply didn’t leave him time to answer as he gently placed a hand on Brooke’s back and escorted them both out of the room.

**********

Belle sipped a glass of champagne and her niece Maddie had talked her ear off earlier so she needed this drink. She was asking her all sorts of questions and it was annoying to an extent. Seeing Maddie say she based a lot of fashion choices off of her when she was in Euro She did like Maddie though she was spunky and could tell when she was older she was going to give Chauncey a hell of a time. She sat and watched the wedding from hell and a piece of her felt jealous. She saw the way Dani and Jackson looked at each other that was love. She honestly thought she didn’t have an idea if anyone would ever look at her. Walking out of the tents and back into the ballroom she stumbled into Talia and David talking. She took another sip of her champagne and smirked eavesdropping on them.

“I just can’t keep pretending I don’t love Zerick.” She said covering her mouth.  “David I’m sorry but he’s in trouble and I can’t just let him rot so I’m going to do all I can to help and to protect him. I’m sorry David but he’s my chance at a great love.” Talia leaned in and kissed his cheek as she covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry David.” Talia ran down the hall to get to the police station and help Zerick.

Belle tilted her head as she simmered at what she just witnessed. Poor dashing doctor David, that shoe obsessed ditz wanted to go after Zerick. Bad boys always won or did they? Since she was a little girl she had been able to see a good deal. A deal that would transform her from pariah to girlfriend and arm candy of the chief of staff at St. Christopher’s one of America’s most advanced hospitals. It would elevate her from spoiled princess to the elegant new daughter. It was time to show David why she nearly wrecked Atticus and Brooke. She needed an image revamp and David was the quickest way in her eyes. If she was with him she would kill all the drama but the age difference was a problem. Seeing him sit down and honestly look pathetic and crushed at Talia she knew it was her time. Walking to the ballroom she snapped at a waiter and they brought another champagne flute to her. Belle looked around the corner this time he was standing looking at the beautiful mirror in the back. No doubt questioning where he went wrong with Talia. Walking down the hallway she saw him making eye contact with her through the mirror. Purposefully she dropped her flute letting it crash into the marble floor and rubbed her neck as if it was still bothering her.

When she sat down on the same bench he was on moments ago. When she saw his heart shattered by Talia. “I’m such a clutz.” She mumbled as she looked up at him approaching her. “I’m fine I just lost balance and I was choked earlier by the man who shot another man today. Welcome to the Devonshire family right?” She sneered as she squeezed her clutch purse to her breast wrapping her arms around herself. “I know they resent me for being born but almost nobody asked if I was alright. Maybe I should go back to London, they understood me and everyone knew me. I wasn’t the new Devonshire, I was Belle Archibald and I was my own person. Not another Lowell Devonshire bastard. At least father isn’t a rapist like everyone was saying. I knew it.” Belle said softly as she looked at him. “You look sad are you alright?”

David wasn’t sure if the wedding ceremony would go off but it did after Lowell’s stunt and then everything went to hell in a hand basket. Zerick had showed back up at the party gun drawn ready to shoot his rapist of a father and then the groom wrestled with him for it leading to Linus getting shot. Him having to rush out and render medical aid while Zerick was arrested and he had watched as Talia had watched the entire thing unfold. He could tell by the look on her face that she still had major feelings for Zerick just like when it came to his entire relationship last year with Tamara that he had been blinded by. He simply hadn’t said anything back to her he was on the losing end again and he was going to take it this time with a shred of dignity that he had left. He had wandered off down the halls to one of the mirrors this was certainly turning out to be the wedding that would be the talk of the rest of the town for years to come for the absolute shit fest it had become. He had seen Belle approach in the mirror and remembered their kiss that they had shared something that now he felt no shame in it was clear that Talia’s heart was never in it and when he saw the glass shatter and Belle rubbing her neck he made his way to her eyeing her neck.

“You should probably have that looked at I still can’t believe he had the gall to wrap his hand around your neck and try and kill you. From what I understand you are lucky that Ms. Price was there to intervene seeing how he manically shot Linus afterwards if you ask me he is better off in a jail cell than celebrating your brother’s wedding. Then again I wonder if the bride and groom will celebrate or not?” David said looking at her and seeing the amusement on her face at the comment it was going to be hard to ignore what a shit show the entire thing had become. He looked over at her reaching his hand to the back of her neck and gently massaging it easing the tension that was there. “I do hope that in the future that your wedding is one that doesn’t insure such chaos as this one. I think it would be a pity if you left the hospital and all the good work you have been doing there to head back to London. You are probably going to have some bruises from the encounter in the morning. You may want to put an ice pack on your neck to ease that later. As for me well I was just dumped for Zerick Davis of all people, so I’m doing grand.”

“That’s horrible.” Belle said looking at David touching his chest as his fingers examined her neck. “I’m fine. I just haven’t really eaten and after the attack. Well I feel like Zerick should have been thrown out completely but for some reason they let him stay. Call it some twisted sense of Devonshire loyalty. I just don’t think it’ll be fun here everyone has me pegged as the demon seed. I’ve been there and done that. I thought that my art therapy was something to show people I’m not as vapid as I seem. You know getting strangled can do that to a person. I for sure sometimes regret not getting to be a part of this family. Seeing how many people love and protect them. Even in all of this chaos it’s endearing you know? But I wasn’t given the opportunity at least Bliss knew. I was lied to and given a fake life, when I was always heading for this tornado. I feel Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Spinning so far out of my comfort zone and all I want is an anchor to hold me steady you know?” She shifted in closer to him placing her other hand behind his neck.

“I have to say some women are fools not to see the gold right in front of them. Zerick isn’t a prize, he’s a headache. I personally feel like you should be treated as a king. As a man that literally has life and death in his hands is very attractive to me. But you think I’m just a little girl. Why not let me show you how grown I am?” Belle said as she leaned in and kissed him. “David the carriage house is empty and I think we could throw a couple of logs in the fire. My father told me to explore the estate and that’s exactly what I plan on doing!” Belle purred her perfectly sensual accent oozing out of her mouth. “Come along. You’ve been on the grounds before and I haven’t, which is a crying shame this is a part of my birthright right along with there’s you know. Father said just as much.”

David didn’t know why it was so confusing how he was drawn to someone as young as Belle was she barely of age but he was lonely too and tied of being dragged back and forth as the leftovers of someone else’s failed romance. He really did think he and Tamara were in a good place last year when she suddenly went off the wagon and was using behind his back and all because Braden and Selina got married. Then it was him and Talia, who was sweet and caring and he felt that she got what it was like to be tossed aside after her own mistakes when it came to her past and his with Ophelia only he was the one that was duped again, after all her times telling him she couldn’t take someone back like Zerick she ran off dumping him on the spot to do just that. Maybe he had bad hygiene or didn’t dress as fancy as the rest of them but he was at his heart and soul a good person who had made a few mistakes. Was it that wrong of him that he wanted a romance without the cloud of drama that surrounded his life? Was is that bad that he wanted to sweep the girl off her feet without having to worry about the perfect men in their past coming back to rip them right out of his clutches. He picked up his champagne flute when she mentioned going to the carriage house on the grounds draining the liquid as he thought over her offer and before he knew it he had his hands wrapped around her small frame and was kissing her.

He knew in the back of his head he was probably making another irrational mistake in judgement Lowell was his patient and Belle was barely legal, making this entire thing sketchy at best. But he needed someone or something to understand what he was feeling at the moment and Belle seemed to want the same thing so as he continued to kiss her and run his hands along her back and neck he was going to go with her to the carriage house. “I think I can get behind that suggestion and besides it’s not like I’m needed her anymore after your dad and the mayor drug me in to spill paternity results earlier. I also don’t think anyone would miss us if we were to how did you put it sneak off for a private tour? It sounds like a mess just got messier.” David said hearing the commotion downstairs and the screeches that were breaking out and he had no idea what it was next another fist fight or shooting and he realized he really didn’t care and that made him the world’s worst doctor at the moment. “Sorry that was incredibly rude of me but like could your  brother’s wedding get any worse at this point?”

“Oh please this is a literal shit show.” Belle said, wiping the side of her mouth as she looked at him. “To be fair, who wouldn’t want to leave this wedding. It’s quite interesting to see how the states do their affairs. I’m sorry that you believe that you need to apologize for kissing me. I’ve wanted that to happen since I first met you.” She said taking his hand as she walked to the back of the mansion outside of the backdoor. She followed the cobblestone and marble brick down the path. As she opened the door she saw a fully stocked home that no doubt set up for visitors and guests. She turned and locked the door walking to the fireplace clicking it on. As the fire began to roar she walked to the icebox pulling out a bottle of champagne. Curling up on the mink floor she began to pop the cork. As she looked up at him as she rubbed the mink patting it to signal him to come on the floor. “I think this is special though a Devonshire actually married a Fraiser hell has frozen over.” As she played with her pearls on her neck.

Popping the cork she giggled seeing David jump back a little. Twirling the champagne glass in her fingers as she poured them both glasses. Taking a small sip of the ice cold liquid she smiled sprawling out on the rug. “I’m not a little girl David and I don’t expect to be treated as such. I’m here fighting for my place with my family. With that being said I’ve wanted you for a long time. So please keep the boring chat of me being your patient’s daughter. We are grown and my father honestly isn’t going to dictate my life with you or anyone else. I do what I want to whom I want. I think you need to ravish me the way I want to be right now because you are who I want.” Raising her hands against the fire she smirked, unzipping the back of her dress. Twisting her back so he saw her unblemished perfect skin. Holding her soft and supple breast up with her other hand. “Now don’t have me drinking alone.”

David wasn’t sure what he was going in the carriage house until Belle just made them feel at home opening up the ready and waiting champagne. It wasn’t the first time he had been in a compromising position with Belle he remembered back to their kiss at Christmas where he had almost taken advantage of her due to how attractive he found her, at the time he was committed to Talia. He watched as she moved around the room with confidence he supposed was the best world for it she certainly knew how to put all eyes on her and make a man turn his head when needed. He ignored his cell phone when it rang placing it on silence he wasn’t on call at the moment the hospital knew that and placed it on the table by the fireplace. He watched as the firelight lit over the glass in Belle’s hand and over her gown and couldn’t help but bit his lip at how fucking sexy she looked at the moment innocent on the rug. David rose the glass up to his lips taking a drink before sitting it down.

“I think the small talk can be left to just that small talk.” David said looking at her as he knelt down on the rug and leaned in kissing her lips again he was so tired of being the good doctor half the time and Belle was right. They were both adults and they both had needs, his hands traveled over her bare back gently lowering the dress as he did so, his hands coming to cup her supple and perky breasts as he did so pulling back to look at her. Her face showed she enjoyed being touched like this and he flicked his thumbs over her nipples seeing them perk a bit at the action he grinned. “I think we can both agree that we want this at the moment we can deal with the rest later.” He whispered in her ear before his mouth moved down her neck and he laid her back on the rug lowering her dress and helping her out of the fabric till she was laid out in nothing but her panties. He took in the sight for a moment before he mouth moved over her breasts sucking and biting as he did so and worked his way down to her navel and back up to her breasts, his fingers found their way into her panties that were already soaked and he began to move them in and out.

Belle exhaled in pleasure never once stopping looking at him. How Talia traded David for Zerick she was insane. It was the look in his eyes and she knew that he was hers for now. You see, getting a man never seemed to be a problem it was keeping them in her grasp. Right now he was in her hands. As his fingers entered her body she began to moan as she gripped the rug moaning in pleasure. She wanted him badly feeling herself dripping on the mink rug. She leaned in and kissed him passionately. She could tell he was getting anxious to be inside her. Quickly she unbuckled his pants as they unbuttoned his shirt together. Kissing through laughter which was something she found electric. If you can make her laugh ‘during sex it was something quite interesting about that. As she playfully pushed him down and straddled him she ran her hands on his bare chest. “Why doctor, who knew you were hiding all this?” As she leaned in and nibbled on his ear. As she removed her panties and lifted her hips up.

As she gripped his girthy penis she immediately bounced her hips up sliding down on him. Hissing at the pressure of him entering her body. Slithering her hips up and down she lowered her torso and kissed him. The way he wrapped his arms around her she felt safe with him. Moaning as she began to throw her little butt up and down riding him like the prized horses her adopted parents taught her how. She saw his eyes. He was pleased by her tightness and wetness. Just like she thought he was under her spell. Biting her lip she moaned softly as she squeezed down on him. “Yes David!” She cried out knowing he was enjoying everything that was happening.

David wasn’t sure that he had ever been so turned on before while he watched her drip out of her panties and onto the rug. How was she this wet for him already and he hadn’t even got to the good part yet, he let his tongue swirl with hers while he kept using his fingers to drive her crazier and wetter with desire. He pulled back to come up for air from the kiss bitting on her lip as he did so and she reached for his shirt, he helped her with the process while he licked his fingers tasting her for the first time as he did so. She was playful and if he had to say so a bit shy, yet she was drawing him in with her words and they way that she touched his chest. He was turned on and had been ready to show her exactly what he would do if he had the chance to devour the rest of her until she playfully shoved him on his back on the rug. He watched as she moved over his body how cock rock hard in anticipation as she brushed against it and he had to restrain himself to simply pulling her down on him. He wanted to be inside of her if only to feel that he was the only person for someone and it always helped when he found a partner attractive as well. He bit his lip as he looked up at her when she grabbed him in her hand.

He relaxed even more when she rose those perfectly round and just right hip and began to engulf him inside of her and he bucked at the hot sensations that surrounded him.”Fuck Belle.” David managed to growl out keeping himself to gether as he did, she was so fucking wet not to mention the way her hips were moving on him. His hands moved up from the rug to grip her hips as she moved wanting to make sure that she didn’t go too fast or too slow he wanted to make this last with her. He rose his hands up her sides and over her breast flicking her nipples again with his thumbs hearing her moan out as he did so and he couldn’t help but grin up at her and smile watching the pleasure on her face while his hips rose up to buck against hers. He pushed himself up to a sitting position wanting to feel her at a new angle as he did so hearing her moan out and eh ran his hands over her back and up to her hair using his other hand to pull her hip as close as it could get against him. “You feel so good.” David said whispering in her ear while he continued to move her just at the pace he wanted, his breathing heavy and hot against her earlobe. “Do you like it?” He asked wanting to make sure that he was pleasing her fully.

Belle shivered as he began to drill her tight hole. Pushing himself further inside of her, as she looked into his eyes. Leaning in her tongue explored his mouth as she knew they’d be doing this again and again and again. As she began to lose her breath he was so deep and she could feel her legs quivering and buckling. Taking a deep breath as she drug her hands down his back. Slowly moaning as she knew she was getting closer to her climax. As she swirled her hips and threw her hips down faster as she smiled at him as a moan escaped his mouth. Leaning in she kissed him passionately as she looked in his eyes. “Yes I love it, keep going David.” As she buried her head into his shoulder.

Feeling the pressure rising as she began to shake uncontrollably feeling her body give away. Belle knew she was climaxing as she threw her head back and her blonde hair went flying down her back. “David I’m coming.” She screamed out knowing that she was satisfied sexually. He was passionate and his broken heart made her feel like she could get anything from him. As she looked into his eyes she could tell he was almost there of getting lazy she freakishly kept throwing her ass vigorously riding him. “Yes David! It feels so good.” Belle was feeling waves of pleasure hitting her all over again.

David was thrilled as he continued to move her hips and feeling her do exactly what he needed her to in order to keep him going. He hadn’t had sex like this in a while so he was surprised by it by the adventure of it, how free he felt at the moment with no obligations or ambitions especially the way that Belle was. She was fucking amazing and that was something that he wasn’t actually counting on, she was so young and yet he could tell that she had experience too which made him wonder exactly how much experience she had not that it mattered but he wouldn’t of expected that from her. He leaned in and kissed her when she crashed her lips into his and continued to move his hands over her back making sure that his tongue fully explored every inch of her mouth while he did so, she tasted like the champagne that she had been drinking whens he looked back to look at him and say yes he almost exploded then and there but kept himself together.

Instead he felt her lips on his shoulder driving him deeper and deeper into wanting to send her over the edge so he continued to rock his hips back and forth making sure to fill that back space in her channel to send her over the edge. When he felt her clench down and tighten on him he let out a groan seeing her throw her head back in ecstasy, he couldn’t help himself as he leaned down taking one of her nipples in his mouth and sucking hard on it feeling her buck against the waves at the same time. He moved her gently on her back while he continued to plow into her as she continued to shake and silver and he let out a loud groan as he finally felt himself buckle into her and begin to shake himself making sure to not crush her as he used his arm to support himself while he came. He let out a loud moan as he did when he continued to come inside of her and he felt himself shrinking and his brain was coming back down to reality, he hadn’t worn a condom he waited till they had both stopped moving till he exited her and then laid on his back for a moment. “That was wow, you’re on something right? I think we both needed that.”

“No, I don’t take the pill.” She said, sarcasm dripping from her voice rolling her eyes at David . “I also don’t have unprotected sex but I think as you said. We needed that and I needed you. But there’s a plan B pill, and I don’t want a child at all. Like ever unlike Bliss who is the domestic mommy goddess. I couldn’t imagine ever a time where I would. I don’t want children plus it’s a million Devonshire out here having babies I won’t be one.” Belle said, laying her head on the rug. “Trust me Dr. Rhodes I don’t plan on having your kid like ever. Now if you don’t mind I am hungry for round two, three, and four.” She leaned in and kissed him playfully as they fell into the rug.

**********

Elliot had woken up near the back steps and had been found by Devin Thompson sitting down on a bench and then treated for a cut on the back of his head that was still throbbing. He had told Devin what he remembered about five times which wasn’t all that much, he and Selina had been talking and then dancing and just as he was leaning in to kiss her everything went black. When he had come too he had noticed that he was under some ice and had actually thought he and tripped and she had ran to get help. He was shocked when Devin had told him that one of the waiters had seen him lying there and got help instead. He didn’t know where she had run off too and he had wondered if that psycho had got her and that was why she had run off. He waited for what seemed like forever and was finally able to stand enough to head back into the reception with the picture of the deceased mayor Steven Kincaid came up and he about choked on his drink at the horror around the room. Did these people really think that some of the people they followed didn’t have hateful views? His mind was racing he could use this to his advantage and was just about to when he saw Selina reenter the room just like she had left with not a scratch on her or her dress.

“Thank god you re alright. Where have you been?” Elliot said looking at her and then seeing Tamara and a few other make their way over to them, his brain in still a bit of a fog about who was who after hitting his head. He knew Tamara and Braden Fraiser but the rest was all still so blurry and sometimes people and names all ran together into one large amount of unfiltered and unknown information. He saw Devin looking at her and he could swear he was partly in cousin mode and ten also in cop mode and who could blame him Dimitri had been spotted on the grounds at the party, but then he wondered where exactly that meant that Dimitri was? Had he taken Selina and if he had she certainly didn’t look like Dimitri had gotten her. “We apparently lucked out what happened did I slip on that ice out by the steps? I came too and you were no where to be found lucky for us your cousin worked with the rest of the staff to patch me up. Are you alright? Dimitri is on the loose.”

“Yeah I um went to see if I could find Tamara to bury a hatchet actually when you got a call and you must have fallen.” Selina said looking at him with doe eyes not believing how easily the lie was rolling off her tongue. Leaning forward she touched his head and smiled. “I found a ghost and Tamara. We both faced him and he left when Simon found us. Simon was so brave and he left. Simon is inside Devin if you want to talk to him. So is Tamara but he’s gone off the estate and Simon really let Dimitri have it.” She said, sitting down as she grabbed Elliot’s hand and looked into his eyes. “I know you might not remember this but we had a conversation and I told you that I was ready to open my heart to you. You told me you had been ready.” She laughed as she touched his face. “I’m so glad you’re alright now let’s go make our statements and get out of here. This wedding is horrible.” She laughed, taking his hand and walking him back inside as she saw the wedding dissipating and starting to thin. That was good people were leaving and nobody seemed the wiser to them being missing.

“You sure you are alright Elliot, I mean tonight is a lot for any guy to take when he’s just attending a wedding.You fell, a psycho is on the loose, a racist ex-mayor is revealed, and someone was shot.” Selina almost scoffed and a murder happened. It was a justifiable murder but they placed Dimitri in Lake Everest and prayed to never hear about him again. Licking her lips she saw Jon and Devin speaking with Tamara and Braden. Her eyes met Tamara’s as she rubbed her belly and Dylan approached with Maddie. “Jon, and cousin, well I just want to make my statement and leave with Elliot to get him home and nurse this nasty wound. Tamara did you tell them how Dimitri had us and Simon saved us.”

Tamara looked at Selina and nodded. “I just told them both that Simon came and just as he was confronting us and scared him off. He was rabid and said how he was leaving Atlas Falls forever.” She rubbed her belly staring at Jon and Devin’s expressions. “Simon is around here. You can talk to him.” Looking at Braden who had a overly concerned expression on his face for her and Selina. “We were fine and he didn’t hurt us.” Bliss had a cover with Max and Jackie that she was in the nursery with Fox and the twins. Exhaling she felt a twinge of fear lying to Jon and Devin. They were family but Jon was more angry right now than ever. “Babe I want to go home too. This was enough for me and your sister is leaving soon.”

Braden had rushed outside along with Miranda when the shot had went off outside and had seen Miranda arrest Zerick and made sure his sister was alright before he returned inside to Devin and began to scour the grounds for Tamara. What was supposed to be her taking a break to get some air and use the restroom had been her disappearing for most of the reception and with Dimitri on the lose it had unnerved him to say the least. He didn’t care about the rest of the drama going on it didn’t really concern him his only concern was finding Tamara and making sure she and the baby were okay and Dimitri didn’t get his fucking hands on her again. He’d meant everything he had said to Dani when he asked her to ask Jon to kill Dimitri, if he didn’t face justice for what he put Tamara, Selina, Bliss and all his other victims through he would make sure he met his maker one way or another. It was weird walking the mansion with Devin and Jon in silence with Zach as they searched for them and eventually finding Elliot. When he saw her enter the room with Selina he was a bit thrown when they had all bent tending to Elliot.

“You mean to tell me that Simon rescued you both from Dimitri with his bare manicured hands? Where did Dimitri go from there?” Braden asked and he was serious about that he’d never seen Simon lift his hands in a fight let alone scare off a rapist in his entire life. He actually felt abd for doubting Tamara’s story maybe it was all the awful surprises in the evening so far but he really had never seen Simon in a fight it wasn’t exactly his style to lift an actual finger in one he preferred the more Devonshire way of doing things blackmail. “Sorry it’d been a night for all of us we’re all tired I’m just glad you are okay.” Braden finished wondering if he lawyer brain was overworking at the moment why couldn’t Simon of fought of Dimitri, it was possible.

Devin looked at his cousin and then back at Braden and then cut his eyes over to Simon he supposed it was possible that Simon fought off Dimitri, he could already tell that Jon wasn’t buying it. He didn’t want to put Selina though a rigorous questioning at the moment at a wedding they were all supposed to be enjoying, the girls were back safe and maybe it was for the best that Dimitri had run off in the middle of the night realizing he was out numbered and already had one murder on his hands. It meant he was out of Atlas Falls and everyone’s life he was on the run with no political help whatsoever and if he crossed lines that made it the FBI’s business and all his victims could start to heal he would be thrown in federal prison versus state and the key would be tossed with all the laws he broke. He saw Braden raise the question of how Simon defended them from Dimitri and then saw like himself Braden just wanted to move the fuck on too.

“Listen if you say that you and Tamara got away thanks to Simon I’ll take your word for it. We can come get your statements tomorrow and make a call to Diego about Dimitri being on the run that way the feds can pick him up. Thank god that Simon came along when he did for both your sake and the baby.” Devin said seeing Jon mentally shaking his head clearly he wanted to dig more but he wondered if now really was the time? Did it really matter if Dimitri got away without them catching him if he didn’t terrorize Selina and Tamara again, if they were fine not a scratch on them he personally thought it was better to turn it over to the Feds to get a Dimitri and prosecute him where they couldn’t with breaking state laws across borders. “Did he say anything to any of you about where he was going?”

“He said that he was going home. He kept saying how everything would be better when he got home. So Ilsa De Cruces is where I would think he was trying to get back to.” Selina said as she looked at Tamara in her eyes. “I mean Simon didn’t beat him off or anything. He startled him when he saw Simon and Simon started spouting off all the security here and police. He just ran and I think maybe he’s gone.” Selina said as she looked at Braden who didn’t seem to understand or wasn’t putting the story together. “Elliot really hurt himself tonight and I’m with Tamara. I’m honestly exhausted and just want to go home. Jon you understand right just come by my condo and I’ll give a full statement but right now I’m emotionally beat.”

Jon looked at Devin and saw that he wasn’t believing this or comprehending how a man who had stalked Bliss, Selina, and Tamara didn’t hurt any of them tonight. How they were missing and how Simon just magically found them. Hell he went through the tunnels trying to find clues with Talia and Simon who gave him the routes and he didn’t find anything. If that was how Dimitri got into the party and was using the tunnels to hide how did they not run into each other once? “I will do that Selina, we actually will be getting the security footage of the night hopefully we can trace where Dimitri went to. Hey Devin we need to find Merci and get that footage. We’ll be in contact with you both.” Jon nodded looking at Devin as they walked away. “Someone’s lying.” He said to him as he looked back at Selina and Tamara.

Tamara looked at Braden and took his hand. “Well that was sexist of you just because Simon is gay that doesn’t mean he couldn’t defend us. Is that what you were insinuating?” Tamara slightly panicked at Jon looking at him like a dog with a bone. “Come on let’s find Dylan and get out of here.” She said looking at Selina. “Thank-you for tonight.” Reaching out to the other woman she couldn’t help it she hugged her.

Selina took Tamara in her arms and gripped her into the embrace. She saw Braden’s shock and she leaned in and whispered. “Call me if you need me. You hear me.”

Tamara shook her head. “Come on, Dylan is somewhere we just have to find Maddie.” Walking to Braden. “Elliot please take care of her, she deserves it.”

Braden looked at Tamara and shook his head he didn’t mean it like that at all it wasn’t like Simon had ever been in a fist fight in all the years he had known him. “No I just mean I’ve never seen him actually use his fists it’s not his way, he is much more the blackmail type to threaten someone. But you’re right let’s go grab Dylan say our goodbyes and head home.” He finished letting the ladies say their goodbyes before he led her off to find their son so they could leave.

Elliot wanted to get the hell out of dodge his head was pounding and he likely would need some Advil or Tylenol tonight to sleep it off the medic had already cleared him he didn’t have a concussion he was lucky. He hated cops but he was really trying to wrap his head around Devin being one of the good ones and he was also Selina’s cousin. He nodded his head at her when she said she wanted to leave and let her say goodbye to Tamara as he wrapped his hand around her waist to leave. “For first dates I don’t think we can top me literally cracking my head open and next time we’re invited to a wedding how about we vow to keep inside.” He said, choosing to believe her story for now about Dimitri as they walked out.

**********

Jackson watched as his reception devolved into a damn orchestra of mess. First his cousin-brother-cousin was arrested for doing what everyone wanted to do to Linus Devonshire. He liked his cousins but always detested his uncle and now everyone else did to. Well then psycho prince chose his wedding to show up and cast his darkness over. Not only that but Mr. Kincaid was a racist? That was the weirdest shit he’d ever seen. A racist being exposed at a wedding? Jackson was exhausted and he couldn’t take much more. It wasn’t Merci’s fault it was these people who demanded some sick sort of attention. It was fine because their wedding would be memorable. Jackson stepped away from Dani who was talking to Val and Whitney to make a phone call. Calling Dias a he would do something that was just for them. This wasn’t the wedding that Dani envisioned and he wanted to give her something intimate and special, another ceremony with just them. He texted Merci the details of a second island wedding and she was already on it. He smiled even though Merci tried parties and big events in this city never went right.

Jackson returned to Dani pulling her away from the women and their conversation kissing her passionately. He smacked her ass commandingly in front of everyone and heard the hoots and hollers. “We have a ride and I think the twins are coming downstairs with the nannies. I already called for them to get into those cute little mink coats mom got them because of course kids that are only a few months should be wearing thousand dollar lynx on their backs.” Jackson said sarcastically. Max had bought them so much stuff, Rory and Aspen spoiled them with all new toys for their age, Lauren had so much stuff at the cabin it was ridiculous. These kiddies might be more rotten than Max and he were growing up. “I just want to go. I hate this entire thing right now.” He whispered in her ear. “I told you elope.” Jackson snickered as he smiled at her. “Merci is demanding for pictures we leave in the horse drawn carriage. What do you say Ms. Devonshire?”

Dani had been ready to leave when Jackie had come back over to them and she honestly thought that was the end of the drama until Rory and Aspen got into it with Yasmine and Khalil. She actually felt really sorry for Aspen and Yasmine that Rory had put them both into the positions that they were in at the moment Aspen apparently pregnant with Rory’s baby and Yasmine carry a flame for Rory that she simply couldn’t put out or let go of. Khalil was unfortunately caught in the cross-hairs of all of it and she was actually happy to see both Chauncey and Jackson stop yet another fight. She had turned her attention to Whitney how had let her know that Miles was getting cranky and Val and some reporters to talk about the dress and pictures. Only to have it all ruined by fucking Philip Montgomery taking over the microphone and then looking at the slideshow come up on screen her mouth dropped in horror. Steven Kincaid was racist, that was news to her and she out of the corner of her eye saw Charles take several steps back from Anderson Kincaid over it. She was still thrown in a bit of shock when Jackson returned to take her away from a shocked Whitney and Val and say they were leaving.

“I thought you would never ask can seriously just one thing go right for us today? Not that the ceremony wasn’t amazing it was but this was not how I thought we’d be starting out our life together surrounded by the cloud of Dimitri lurking around, Zerick shooting your uncle, Rory knocking up Aspen and Steven revealed as a douche bag.” Dani said looking him when he finally pulled back from her and she was able to breathe. All she wanted to do was leave and start their night hell their day over without all this shit on her wedding day. “I still can’t believe your mother bought them mink jackets. If we have to leave by carriage then yes can we please just go already?” She asked, she was amused by Jackie and would never tell her or her own mother no but those coats would be covered in spit up and have to be cleaned in a week at best.

Walter had been in the crowd when what seemed like more chaos had erupted dancing with Brenda and actually enjoying the evening only for the music to stop. He watched as Philip sauntered out with the microphone in hand and dropped one of the biggest political bombs and tightly known secrets someone could, he knew that Steven had changed over the years it was no secret and that is what made him such a good mayor is he had been on both sides. As much as he wanted to stay by Brenda’s side as Philip spoke he knew for right now it was career suicide and he watched as Charles did the same with Anderson. He let Brenda flee the room, the crowd fill with silence and somber, whispers among themselves about the Kincaid and the Devonshire’s and then saw Lauren making her way to Jackson and Dani and he followed suit. Frankly they should leave now while it was quiet and all the focus was on the Kincaid’s before the media and the press turned it on them and DGI, as bad as it was you let the bad man and his family take the fall no matter the real truth to save face with your own company and the future that you promised for it. DGI was running the Scottswood revival with real change and incentive and it was best they left as the new face of the company and put a continent between them and the Kincaid’s for a bit.

“It was a lovely ceremony but I would advise you both to leave quietly without a lot of fuss or mayhem behind it. Leave your reception with smiles plastered on your faces and head off to your honeymoon. You’re an idiot for wrestling on the ground with a gun earlier in the evening but I have a feeling she already told you that but now is not the time for heroics. This goes beyond your ego or your Devonshire need for attention trust me.” Walter said not quite sure what Jackson was going to do or not he could have an outburst at the media over it yelling and screaming but the tone had been set and if they weren’t careful the media would bury DGI and he would lose. He saw Dani eyeing him and he knew he could be frank with her over it she knew how it went she used to run PR for Charles she knew how to turn a story into a happy ending if she played her cards right. “She knows I’m right you let this sit in Atlas Falls you don’t come to Hunter’s defense as your friend and new brother in law you let him and his family take their licks and handle this. You put my daughter, your children and the future of DGI first by leaving town exactly as you two planned at this reception and put a continent between DGI’S future with you both at the helm and Steven being what he was back in the day. If you don’t if you stay any longer and the press hounds you and you misspeak it can haunt you and I assure you, you can lose everything that DGI is and can become.”

Jackson listened to Walter’s advice and as badly as he wanted to punch the older man he took his words and understood. The Kincaid’s were in a bind that none of them but the truth could get them out of. Not to mention the drama with his family and now Walter wanted to come here and berate him. That was enough and to be frank he had his own family now. Dani was his daughter but she was his wife. That distinction would go far for all the Fraiser’s. They were a family but he knew better than to put his children and wife and company in the line of fire. Bliss was a Kincaid and her influence and power would go far. He knew that and she’d help them through this. Steven wasn’t a racist not in his opinion he didn’t know what happened in the past but that man treated Mason like a son. His relationship with Tony was strong and they were all associates and friends. He didn’t believe it but he knew that DGI couldn’t get into any more controversy. “I appreciate your sage words of wisdom but the Kincaid’s have to face whatever they are going through. I’m leaving town with my wife and children.” He saw the nannies approaching with the kids in their minks just as he assumed. “Look Walter, I think you have a keen business sense and when you’re done with being the mayor I believe DGI would be happy to have one of its original brain trusts back. However I think I know what I can accomplish with my wife and I. If we were to speak out, understand that we would have the proper spokesmen and people write it up for us. She’s a Devonshire now she’s protected.” Jackson claimed seeing Dani’s pride as he stood his ground but also listened to Walter.

“I do have to say it’s interesting Walter you brought Brenda and now you let the love of your life run out of a party in tears.” Grabbing Dani’s hand he hated the cowardice of how he came to the wedding with Brenda now he was alarmed at what her image would do to him and his future. Walter was truly the worst and honestly he could see how his damn father and he were best friends once upon a time ago. Grabbing his daughter and watching Dani take their son he knew that he was ready. “Well thank-you for your well wishes.”

Dani honestly wanted to roll her eyes as hard as she could at her father he was always to testy was a good way to put it and trying to bait Jackson again was icing on the cake for how much of an ass he could be. She also knew that he was right that picture of Steven would set the tone about how how DGI handled the Scottswood project from here on out and the fact Philip implicated DGI in helping with their oppression and plight was something they would have to fix. She knew the best way to handle it was to get with Talia and get a statement out after a few weeks when they returned but her dad didn’t need to be an asshole about it. She didn’t know how she felt about Brenda running from the room in tears it wasn’t like she would ever understand what her father saw in her or that she liked her, she wasn’t going to forget their little run in they had at the boutique that day.

“Next time just lead with you two should leave and leave the personal attacks on my husband out of it will you. Unlike someone else I know he knows when to publicly make a hasty exit and save face, unlike someone who let his wife get blindsided by bullshit and a child that appeared with Brenda Kincaid at a debate.” Dani said with the best smile plastered on her face as she could he was her biggest headache half the time the man that she always tired to prove herself too but he was not some saint he liked to paint himself as whens he knew deep down the only person he truly cared about was himself and that god awful bitch Brenda. “I think you’re blocking our exit dad. Plus as you can see I’m fine.” She finished as she adjusted Donovan in her arms.

“Old habits die hard Dani I’m trying. As for working at DGI I like being mayor for now though you both can always come to me for advice if you need it and I likely will offer a lot of unsolicited advice along the way.” Walter said knew it was always going to be two steps forward with Dani and two steps back it had been that way for years but he was going to work on it for all their sake. He would remember to bite his tongue when it came to insults it was just hard after years of hating everything involving the Devonshire’s for him to move on from that. He saw Lauren cutting her eyes at him and the newly weds as she approached and knew he pushed Dani more she’d make sure it was longer than a few weeks he wouldn’t see the twins. “Are you both sure you don’t want to leave them here I am sure your mother would love to watch them and so would Jackie while you two enjoyed the honeymoon.” Walter offered trying to break the now awkwardness between them all.

“This is our first family vacation and we are certain that we will be right with us for the honeymoon. It’s a chance to bond as a family even more and we have nannies on the island. I mean Lauren and mother both know that because they are around us.” Jackson said seeing Dani cut her eyes at him. Well Walter started it but he had no problem finishing it. “It was our idea to just enjoy each other as a family together.” Jackson bounced a fussy Jolene in his arms. “JJ hey it’s alright sweetie grandpa is just a jerk you’ll get used to him yes you will.”

Lauren cracked up laughing at Jackson well it wasn’t as if Walter didn’t deserve it. He always seemed to prod and poke at Jackson and he got exactly what he deserved. “Can I say this has been one of the worst receptions I’ve ever been to. I’m sorry you two it really has been bad. But I am so excited that you get to take these adorable babies and get away from this dumpster fire. The bags are packed and sent to the airport for the jet. I’m so proud of you both. My beautiful daughter and my handsome new son-in-law. You two deserve all the wonderful fun you will have and I will say this in ten years please just have a small ceremony no more big one okay for you two.” Leaning in she kissed both of her grandbabies. Turning to look at Walter she shook her head. “You are a trip you know that?” Slapping her ex-husband behind the head.

“Come along!” Merci said clapping as she opened the glass doors to the foyer leading to the front entrance. As a huge six horse carriage awaited them. “Okay picture time.”

After enough pictures Jackson saw his family all surrounding him. His siblings were all clapping and waving them off, his parents and all of his friends. It was a good feeling to see everyone waving and throwing flowers, rice, and blowing bubbles at them. Jackson stepped into the carriage with Jolene in his arms, placing her down in the carseats he helped Dani in with Donovan. Waving off to their friends and family he felt a sense of relief at least they got out of there without a hitch. Down the road they’d transfer into the limo and go to the airport and they’d be away from this reception. Before he knew it the jockey had stopped and they were in a limo. With a blink of a eye and lots of laughs about the drama at their wedding they were at the airport. After check in they were in the air flying away from Atlas Falls and onto their vacation.

**********

Natasha sipped a cup of coffee which Chauncey had said over and over again not to drink. Caffeine wasn’t something she was ready to give up just yet. Rubbing her belly as she looked in the mirror and saw her reflection. Fear was starting to inch inside of her spirit after all she was about to do something horrible. Hell Chauncey deserved it. He still loved Greer no matter what he said. She knew the truth and it wasn’t going to hurt her anymore. She told him not to treat her like a trophy that he threw away after winning. Standing up she wondered if she would have a boy or girl. Would they have their true fathers eyes? Would they smile like her? It didn’t take her long to know that Chauncey Devonshire wasn’t this child father. She went to New York a few weeks ago to see another OBGYN other than Ophelia. The fact was Ophelia was a Devonshire apologist and she had now gotten back with Tony. Which meant one thing in general. She would always side with them. Her OBGYN in New York informed her she was fourteen weeks through her diary entries she and Chauncey hadn’t touched each at that period. But she had traveled to his city one night and he was inside of her feeding her the pleasure she needed. As she closed her eyes remembering his touch on her skin. Her eyes blurred knowing what she was doing was horrible. She took a chronic villus sampling test which was a DNA test in her womb for her baby. Running her hands through her chocolate hair and looking in the reflection in the mirror she stood. Chauncey would raise this baby and nobody would ever know who the true father was nor that he wasn’t. It was what she had to do to secure her family’s company and legacy back.

This wedding was absolutely horrible. Steven was exposed as a racist, Dimitri was lurking, and she absolutely hated to see Greer so smug holding onto Brock. Jealousy was a strong emotion  because she honestly looked happy with Brock and that stung. Not because she wanted Brock but she was actually with someone who made her happy. She clutched her belly at least this baby would have the Devonshire family. Seeing how they closed rank around Zerick and Hunter tonight made the choice clear. This baby was a Devonshire. As she walked down the hallway she could smell the scent of perfume in the hallway. Which was strange because she’d told Carmen no perfume because it made her ill. She turned around after hearing a noise she saw nobody and laughed. It was a mansion with all sorts of sounds. They also said Dimitri had escaped and left Bliss. She didn’t fear that psychopath but she knew for certain that she didn’t want to end up alone with him. Some men had no restraint and it was clear that Dimitri was that type. Bliss and she had grown up in boarding school and college; they were in the same circle. So when she married Dimitri at first plenty of their friends were jealous until they found out she was getting viciously beaten. The rich covered up things but sadly that was a well known secret. As she flipped her hair she saw someone in the shadow right behind her.

Stepping on the first stair grabbing the railing on the balustrade staircase. She tried to turn around fast enough. She couldn’t move quick enough to see who was there but she saw the hand and black gloves impacting her back. As her back slammed into the marble staircase. Natasha body crumpled rolling backwards and slamming into each step painfully. As her head slammed into the bottom of the staircase she saw a woman as her eyes blurred and she began to try and scream. To try and let out a gasp as she closed her eyes and drifted away into the darkness.

Greer was holding Brock hand enjoying that Dani’s wedding was a fucking dumpster fire. She deserved to have a horrible wedding. Well she wouldn’t tell Brock that but she still couldn’t stand Dani. It was so satisfying to see Zerick finally get his revenge, Aspen revealing her pregnancy in front of everyone, Philip exposing a dead Steven, and Dimitri lurking at the wedding. It was delicious and just what the people’s favorite couple deserved. She didn’t really have anything against Jackson but overall she felt glee at their horrible wedding. It was like a bad omen hanging over them. She was sure Brock knew she was gloating at how horrible this wedding truly was. At least Dani  was pretty for once. Turning to look at Brock she leaned in and kissed him passionately. “I have an idea let’s go upstairs and find one of those empty rooms and erase all the drama of the last few hours.” As she pulled him toward the back rooms Chauncey and she had made love in before. When she saw Natasha tumble down the stairs she screamed in horror.

Rushing to Natasha she stooped down and touched her neck to see if she was still breathing. “Her pulse is faint. Brock should I go get help? I know you are trained to help someone.” Looking at Natasha she saw her bleeding between her legs. It was no way that the baby survived that fall and her mouth hung open. When she looked up she saw Chauncey walking with Talia and one of DGI lawyers. “Help!” She screamed as she looked at them. “Help me she’s hurt!”

Brock had been enjoying the reception well at least most of what he could enjoy, he actually felt awful for his cousin. When she imagined her wedding he doubted ti was filled with Lowell trying to upstage it moment’s before, followed by Zerick trying to kill Linus with Jackson jumping in and finally Philip reveling that dear old Steven Kincaid was dirty as fuck. Greer was a little to gleeful about the events that had transpired but she didn’t cause more of a scene than his cousin needed to fucking deal with so that did amuse him. Instead he decided to escort her on a tour of the Devonshire property she and Dani would need to learn to et along for him if they were going to get anywhere. He had nodded his head at her suggestion that they make the most of this dreadful wedding party and head to a private room when they had turned a corner. He saw Natasha tumbling down the stairs and Greer screaming out at her in the dark of the hallway though his eyes strained to see the figure up at the top who disappeared into the shadows and he knelled down as Greer and he rushed forward placing his fingers against her neck she had a pulse. He knew the verdict as soon as the blood starting to pool there was no way the child survived.

“Take this call Terry Olsen that is nearest ambulance on call it will be faster than calling dispatch put it on speaker phone. Hand me those pillows on the sofa.” Brock said watching as Greer followed his directions and he placed a pillow under Natasha’s neck carefully and then undid his belt to wrap around the pillow to secure it as a makeshift brace. The phone was still ringing at on the forth ring he almost hung up and he relaxed a bit as he arranged the other pillows to keep Natasha stable until the ambulance arrived. “Hey Terry it’s Brock you owe me one come over to the Devonshire mansion as fast as possible. Women mid to late thirties I’d say about twelve to sixteen weeks along just took a tumble down a flight of stairs, bleeding very heavily. You put on the sirens it should take you about twenty to get here. Make a call to the hospital upon arrival she’d going to need x-rays, her spine and neck look alright but we want to make sure, she is barely conscious.” He heard the call end and looked up at Chauncey who looked so full of rage at him and Greer he played it cool. “We found her like this.”

Chauncey had went to his father’s study ready to bail out his cousin from jail at all costs and well he was more interested in having Linus locked away and out of their lives for his crimes. It also meant the board could continue on with outing his father from DGI he may of been innocent but his little scandal and coverup had costed them millions if not billions in revenue and the company name. He had left Natasha alone for a mere hour at most, mainly because he knew that she could deal with shit herself and now was not the time for them to announce her pregnancy at what had been a disaster for his younger brother, not that he would have been opposed to the idea but his mother would have skinned him alive. He had just left the office when Talia had approached him about getting Zerick out of jail followed by one of the company lawyers when he heard the scream from the back west wing staircase and they had rushed out seeing Greer standing next to Natasha at the bottom of the stairs and then Brock bending down to attend her. What in the fuck was going on was she really that off the rocker that she would push Natasha down the stairs because they were going to have a baby together? His face blanched as he saw the blood and he rushed forward his eyes darting at Greer and Brocks’s terrible explanation that was likely a lie.

“Of course I’m supposed to believe that you had nothing to do with this? You hate her and have been playing this game with her and I for months. You wanted me and Brock at the same time hell I’m surprised that you let my brother even say his vows seeing how much you have professed to hate my family and you learned she was pregnant. The other night dare I say that you were upset at the news when I told you.” Chauncey said his eyes daring Greer to refute any of what he said was true and he leaned down to Natasha wiping some hair from her face and felt tears swarming in his eyes, of course wanted more children to give Maddie brothers and sisters. “I get jealousy is not your best color but killing my child with her is even callous for you Greer. And you covering for her while Natasha lies here Brock I thought better of the honorable Fraiser’s since you were flirting with her the other night to make Greer jealous who knows maybe you two were in on this together. Where is the fucking ambulance!”

“Look I hate her but I wouldn’t hurt her right now. Not like this and if you knew me you’d know that.” Greer clearly hurt at the accusation as she shook her head. “We found her and I had Brock call in an ambulance. He’s getting them to come as fast as possible Chauncey.” She said with her voice cracking. “I know you think I’m just some corporate whore. That I just used you and I just manipulated you but I have a heart. I have feelings and you really just stepped on what I thought we had once upon and time ago. Wow you are really an asshole I could have just called the ambulance and walked away. I begged Brock to help your fiance. The woman who always seems to come behind me and take what’s mine. So you see I don’t want to hurt a child and I saw her flying down the stairs. Now one thing I know about this place is that it’s cameras everywhere. I couldn’t be coming from the ballroom and upstairs pushing her. I’m sure we’ll be vindicated from your assumption. But grieve your child somewhere else. When the ice queen awakes and she’s no longer friendly you don’t knock at my door anymore. We aren’t friends or associates Chauncey. I’m done. You think I want to kill your baby. I hate you for think of me so lowly.” Greer said stepping back as she heard the ambulance arrival and saw familiar faces arriving to the scene. As the EMT began to examine Natasha placing her on a stretcher.

She exhaled as she walked to Brock and fell into his arms. “I don’t want to be that person. That person he thinks I am. Have I done that much horrible that people would assume I would. I’m not jealous of him and Natasha, I have you and what we have and I don’t want to ever be around him again. I’m done and now that she’s safe can we go?” She said looking at Brock. Knowing how horrible he must be feeling right now for even helping Natasha when Chauncey behaved like this. She did however know how to get revenge. “Take me home please. I’m done with this wedding if you are and your cousin is gone.” She watched the EMT’s begin CPR on Natasha and Chauncey watching the entire scene horrified.

Chauncey wasn’t sure if he was being too harsh or not but he did see Greer’s wounded face at his accusation and he thought about it for a brief second before he noticed the paramedics starting to panic. He didn’t know what was going on with Natasha or his child but he was worried the amount of blood alone that he saw he knew it wasn’t good, he’d seen that happen when Maddie was born and Logan was rushed back for emergency surgery. The memory was still so fresh in his mind that she had birthed Madeline with no problems whatsoever and then she was bleeding and it simply wouldn’t stop. He was frozen watching them work on Natasha in order to make sure she was still okay and eventually felt a hand on his shoulder as he watched the paramedics loading Natasha into the ambulance and saw her personal assistant Carmen get inside with her. He was still back in the hospital in California in the hall watching them roll Logan down the hall a faint smile on her face his newborn daughter in her arms when he finally was broken out of the memory when Brock spoke.

“I get it you’re pissed right now and you are one of the biggest assholes I know and if you ever accuse Greer of something so God awful as this again I’ll knock you on your ass.” Brock said as much as he wanted to leave this God awful mess Chauncey looked broken down not even moving from where he was when they loaded Natasha. He honestly didn’t think that Greer was that evil in her life sure she ribbed people and got under their skin but callously pushing a pregnant woman down the stairs seemed harsh even for her standards. He knew that once Chauncey buried his own grave with that statement he and Greer could actually move forward. “That being said let me and Greer give you a ride to the hospital.”

Brock paused for a moment as he saw Chauncey think about it before he took a step towards them Greer looked horrified at his suggestion but he would feel awful leaving Chauncey standing there frozen without trying to at least give him a ride to the hospital to check on Natasha and the baby, he already knew the reality but that was for a doctor to tell them not him or Greer. He didn’t say anything else as he and Greer made their way to his truck and Chauncey silently followed them and he kept up behind the ambulance as they made their way though the city to the hospital thankfully there was no traffic this late in the night for the most part on New Years and he watched the clock. They had arrived silently at the hospital to the emergency waiting room he and Greer in chairs sitting across from Chauncey and they stayed their in silence and he wondered if he should even call someone for Chauncey. He checked his watch seeing Chauncey do the same and eventually decided he would be the bigger man as he rose from his seat.

“I’ll go see what I can find out.” Brock said finally breaking the silence as he went to the nurses desk to see if he could pull out anything.

Greer sat down by Brock away from Chauncey as she watched her boyfriend walk away to see if anyone had heard anything. Twisting the ring on her finger she looked over at Chauncey who was stark white. This was his worst nightmare. When researching him she knew he hated hospitals and she knew where he was. California with Logan dying and Maddie living. Sadly she didn’t know what to say to him; he just accused her of pushing Natasha down the stairs. “She’s going to make it Chauncey. Natasha is far too stubborn to die like this. This is unfortunate and I do think this needs to be said. I’m a monster but I’m not evil. You just thought so little of me. I would never hurt your child but I know that this is killing you.” Greer reached over and grabbed his hand. “You need to be strong for her.”

As he walked out of the OR it was another success story. Well did St. Christopher’s expect anything less? The board of directors had hired him from Chicago’s Cook County Hospital. He’d saved young drug dealers with bullet wounds in their heads, the worst car crashes, and tumors were his favorite. Just like that the swelling in Natasha Hassan brain was stopped and she would have all her mental faculties. The fetus didn’t survive but honestly did they expect it? Walking past some man who heard some lowly secretary about Natasha he saw Chauncey Devonshire sitting before him. The idea of saving the fiance of one of the biggest investors in St. Christopher’s fiance was a big coup for him. To think that David Rhodes wasn’t here to welcome him. Sad on him because he would be the face of saving Natasha. However seeing him being proclaimed as cardio boy wonder hell medicine’s newest hero. Did David spend four years in Africa developing nurses and grooming young doctors? Was his name on a medicine that would revolutionize Alzheimer’s? No he didn’t have what he did under his belt. What he did have was white privilege and the right skin tone. He was brilliant and soon he’d be fucking chief-of-staff a even younger doctor in the most prestigious medical teaching hospital in the country. David hadn’t pushed the medical boundaries and he was here to do just that.

“Mr. Devonshire, my name is Dr. Jayden Bradshaw.” He folded his arms. “I first want to tell you that Ms. Hassan is in critical but stable condition. Due to the fall the fetus died upon impact more than likely. However Ms. Hassan’s head trauma was severe enough that she cracked her skull which lead to internal bleeding. Due to whomever found her or saw the fall quick actions. We got her into the OR and Ms. Hassan skull was operated on. I have the great news that she will be fine. MRI and brain activity is strong she’s right now in a medically induced coma for a few days to let her mind and body heal. However I don’t see any reason Ms. Hassan won’t be absolutely fine after the fall. I once again apologize about the loss of your son.” Jayden said looking at Chauncey and the woman gripping his hand. “Mr. Devonshire are you alright?”

Greer sat looking at Brock and then saw Chauncey eyes blurring with tears. She knew he was crushed about losing the baby and worse of all her heart hurt for him. She honestly felt as if she couldn’t do anything to help him or her. “Chauncey, do you hear him? The doctor said that Natasha will be fine.”

Chauncey looked at the young doctor who he really had no idea who he was when he had come out and told him the news, Greer was holding his hand but the words his son was dead were registering so deep in his head at the moment. He instantly dropped her hand and covered his face with his hand trying to mask the falling tears, of course he was excited that Natasha was pregnant if anything to compete with his brother but he was happy for him and her too. He shook his head in disbelief over the news and Brock’s question wondering if he wanted him to call anyone and he didn’t know who to call there was nothing anyone could do and after the wedding from hell who could he really call? He didn’t even know that deep down that he wanted a child with Natasha but he felt like now that it was gone, it was such a tragedy for them both and he vowed whoever pushed her down those stairs would pay as he nodded his head at the doctor before him.

“I’m going to go see her, I should call her father.” Chauncey said looking at Jayden as he moved out of the way and followed the nurse that hold the door open to the ICU he didn’t even glance back at Greer and Brock on his way out, he honestly couldn’t even think straight at the moment. He had treated Natasha like an object something that he used to get ahead at DGI when he really should have been more kind to her and their arrangement. It was all gone now and he would do everything he could to make it up to her.

Brock watched the entire thing not jealous that Greer was holding Chauncey’s hand the man obviously needed support but he did feel a slight sense of relief when he dropped it. He wasn’t sure how to read Greer at the moment was she upset that Chauncey had rushed off without even a glance or a goodbye at them? She was a hard one to figure out and read unlike his cousin she didn’t have huge emotion that she wore on her sleeve which intrigued him, most women he had been around exposed that. Greer was like a puzzle to him and they were so different that the thrill of that alone kept him interested enough to see where they were going.

“We should probably go he obviously wants to be alone. I’ll give you a ride home.” Brock said quietly  knowing that this really was a private matter for both Chauncey, Natasha and their families and neither of them were involved in that.

Greer watched the doctor tell Chauncey that his baby was gone. His hands were quivering and for a brief moment she wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms. Then it happened he let her go. For a moment she thought that it was him just feeling lost. But the way he went to Natasha she had him for now. Not only that she looked up and saw how Brock was looking at her and for once she didn’t want to look back. She didn’t have to be a Devonshire to wield power. She was Greer LeClerq and she would always have power. “I’m not going home. I’m going with you. I don’t want to be alone without you.” She took Brock hand and smiled. “I had so much fun at that wedding.” She snickered as she looked at Brock with a shiteatting grin on his face. “C’était, magnifique.”

**********

Jackie was used to this by now when it came to who she married and all her children cleaning up messes and now that the wedding was winding down in the early morning hours she would have done it all again. She’d left the room with her head held high at her decision there was no need for more drama at the wedding period and had security escort the last problem out with a hefty payment of silence. The last of the staff was beginning to clean up the grounds, all her children were safe and in one piece, Dimtri was out of their lives and the bride and the groom were none the wiser about the events of that evening on their way to a life together. Exactly how it should be and how it would remain if she had any say about it from here on out, there were certain things that were alright to wait till later, this was one of those times. She had grabbed her silk robe to cover her gown on her way down the stairs it was likely she wouldn’t be getting much sleep anyways given what happened with Dimitri but she could at least look presentable for the staff till they went home. She rounded the corner towards the big hall where the reception  was being rounded up and spotted Lowell in his wheelchair looking out over the room and she approached her soon to be ex husband.

“I’m surprised you are still here. Shouldn’t you be running back off to Tess’s?” Jackie said her tone more bitter than she wanted it to be she realized. Bitter and tired, honestly she still couldn’t believe he kept up the entire ruse with her own nephew letting her believe the worst where his conception was concerned let alone her sister to protect his slimeball of a brother. Who knew that Zerick’s paternity and Linus’s involvement would have been the least of her problems that night. No her problems had only started there and gotten worse and here he was at the house acting like he was going to stay there? Not under her watch, she was the one that had held their children together when news first broke of Zerick and he didn’t say a word about it destroying his relationships in the process including their own marriage. All he had to do to put a stop to it was tell them all the truth but it never came. “It was a good ceremony at least I can’t exactly say the rest of the wedding was everything they dreamed of but at least they had that. What do you want Lowell?”

“Your forgiveness. More than anything.” He said looking at her. “I know you don’t understand why I chose to hide all of Linus’ sins. I should have known better that the evil inside of him just didn’t die. It festered and I thought protecting him was better. The moment the DNA test came back I knew Forbes was behind it. I know I should have told you even more I should have been upfront with everything. I just got used to keeping so many secrets. I thought that you couldn’t handle the truth. When I truly wasn’t brave enough to tell you the truth. When I die Jackie some things will come to you. I don’t honestly know if any of them are ready to run DGI but you are. My will leaves it in your hands Jackie. You’ll pick who will run DGI after I’m dead.” Lowell looked out the window yet to look at his wife. “My past is more complex than you’ll ever know. I protected him because of not just a promise but history. I made the choice to break your heart even more or let you go. I did what I thought was best. I let you go because I don’t want you see me like this.” Lowell’s voice broke as he broke for the first time. As tears began to soak his face.

“I’m a shell of the man I used to be. I couldn’t stop my son’s wedding from spiraling out of control. I can’t do anything right anymore. They all hate me and I didn’t do it. My father placed sins in our lives and we all are reaping and poisoned from it. My sister doesn’t know, mother does but I doubt she can remember any of it. Linus doesn’t know but some secrets are meant to be buried. You have dealt with Tess and Audrey and countless other women who weren’t important. I hurt you with Bliss, and now Belle. I continued my own selfishness and you stood by me. The shame I feel in myself. I know hell has a place for me. I’ve betrayed everyone and worse I’ve let my family down. When I die you’ll know. You’ll know everything but I can’t force myself to speak. I can’t force myself to face what the Devonshire’s truly are.” He said haunted by his father’s voice and what he had done. “My mother was a drunk but a good woman, my father was brutal man and I did the very same thing to Chauncey and Jackson. I broke them and now my boys are at war I did it. I did what my father did to me. I did what I knew. I’m here because I need you to say you forgive me. Even if it’s a lie tonight. Just say it because I know Tess wants me to win. It isn’t love and I don’t love her. I never loved Tess like that. She was intoxicating but she was you. Audrey wasn’t you. You have been my soulmate and consumed me but I didn’t know it until it was too late. I had to let you go. I had to push you away because you wouldn’t have left me. You wouldn’t have walked away because you are loyal and even though I hurt you. You stayed so many years. I just want to tell you I’m so sorry Jackie. I’m sorry I wasn’t the man you needed me to be.”

Jackie listened to his apology and of course like always she was endeared by it he had always had a way with words but for her it was long past time she took him back again. She wasn’t going to break that easily he had lied to her and the children protected Tess and Belle over their own flesh and blood for a man who was truly despicable. For her there was no coming back from that this time, she had Rory be the one to run the test with Zerick and perhaps she should have known that Forbes had something to do with the test but she also thought she had it under control. Apparently she was naive and stupid but that didn’t change the fact that he still took up for Tess and his newly acquired heir in Belle over their own children. That he let his relationships with all their children flounder and die down for a lie when if anything he needed to be their for them to guide them. Chauncey was going to marry Natasha fora  board race off, Jackson was so lost in his past with his father he was hurting, Rory was obviously down to repeat every mistake that Lowell choose to do right down to getting Aspen pregnant and wanting Yasmine. Max was trying to get her father’s attention hile pushing Sebastian away and well Bliss it was her burden to carry her secret now she made that choice to save her, she almost laughed at the irony of it all. That Tess’s children would be her downfall yet at the time, that she would embrace her eldest as one of her own not the youngest would always be something she could never accept.

“You set the boys on to war and even now you can’t just pick one of them I don’t want to run DGI so you make the choice before you die no one else. I wanted us to have DGI together with our friends and you tossed them all out on their ears and only by a chance of luck and fate did that just now mend today. Even if everything that happened after I do was a utter and complete disaster and now you want to tell me that I need to forgive you and take you back?” Jackie said looking over at him and his broken face but she was going to remain firm if anything for them to all move forward if Lowell was close to them all again and she took him back it would only cause more problems in the long run. Especially now given what happened earlier in the evening their time was long past and as much as it would hurt her to see him marry that bitch Tess she had made a vow to very scared girl that she would protect her at all costs including her own happiness with Lowell, even now she sacrificed for him and his bastards. “The saddest part of all of this is I know you are sorry but I can’t forgive you this time for what you put me and the children through, for what you put my nephew and my sister through.”

Lowell gripped his pants leg twisting it as if he was a child. He hadn’t done that since his parents came home with Linus. “I saw you with Julian O’Sullivan. He was a shark for us against the government a couple of years ago. Jackie I am not asking to return to our lives, I think that wouldn’t be for the best after all that I’ve done. How could they respect you if you came back.” A piece of him shattered. He’d finally done it; he’d pushed her too far and she finally was done with him. When all he wanted was to feel her embrace one last time. Just to kiss her and to be honest this wedding went off like a lead balloon but that was like Jackson. He was his rebel as he picked up a glass of champagne. “To Jackson and Dani.” Lowell said, clearing his throat.  “What I’m dying I can’t die anymore quicker.” He said chuckling and he saw his wife smiling a little. “Don’t you wish that things were different? I understand if you hate me but I regret so much in my life. I was placed to hate Forbes. He is so stupid. For years I watched him have everything I wanted. Forbes and his father and my past, our past all of us. I listened to a vengeful woman who fed me lies about the people I loved and our friends. I was afraid to love you fully and I was so scared and I just broke. I did what I thought men did and I got myself in situations that I never should have. Bliss was a mistake and Belle was also. I never wanted to embarrass you. I am sorry and if it means anything. My life is less without you in it.” Lowell said as he looked at her.

“I need this to be our goodbye Jackie. I need you to move on and live. If he hurts you I’ll kill him because you deserve all the flowers now. You deserve every flower the world can give. You were a fucking saint with me. I cheated and I hurt you over and over. I let you think you weren’t the most important thing. How I wish I had time to fix this. This break had to happen. Jackie when I die you have to be at DGI. You have to at least be there because Chauncey and Jackson will take the company to new heights but stop them. Help them not make the mistakes I did. Don’t isolate yourself and don’t fall in love with the game of winning more than living life itself. I have so much I want to tell you and them. Our kids I screwed up so badly. Chauncey and Jackson both deserve it because they’ve worked so hard. I messed up. I screwed up so badly because of my own past. What I did to them is my greatest sin and I think I’ll be judged for it. There is so much you need to know but this needs to be the end. Until I die, I’ll be sending over the divorce papers but you need not worry about Tess. You get everything. Every penny, every house, every plane you are my wife.” Lowell exhaled as he looked at her. “You’ve handled everything. I’m sure you will take on being the moral compass of this family. I know Belle is a handful and I know I’m asking a lot but her mother is a power hungry viper and all she knows is pain. She’s never fit in and when I die, Jackie don’t let them isolate her. You have a heart because you love Bliss even though she’s Tess’ daughter just like Belle. She’s a fucked up rich kid. Just like all of them. Oh and where did Max and you go it was like you vanished and reappeared. I couldn’t find my little girl anywhere?”

“I never thought we’d be here like this Lowell I asked you two yeas ago to retire and you refused and now look at the mess we are all in. To the newlyweds.” Jackie said thinking about the ceremony which was wonderful and how the night and been ruined as it went further and further and she closed her eyes at the memory of Dimitri’s dead body in front of Bliss as she and Simon had entered the room. From there she knew that she was taking on darkness inside of her that she would have to live with for the rest of her life, she would cover for Bliss and take the secret to the grave for her family so DGI could thrive, so Fox would have the loving family that he deserved with Hunter and Bliss and if push came to shove she would make sure that she would take the blame if it came to it. She was shaken from the sudden chill she felt and drawn back to reality and what Lowell was asking that she do help Belle and she wanted to say over her dead body. “There is nothing between Julian and I Lowell and I think he knows that until the ink is dry I’m not going to make it anything I don’t even know if I am ready for that. Lauren seems to think I should just jump on that train but truthfully I’m not sure I will ever be ready you and I are not her and Walter.” Jackie said with a sadness in her voice as much as she wanted to move on it wasn’t like she was ready for it and she knew that deep down there was too much love between her and Lowell to erase so quickly, the good times often outweighed the bad for them and she supposed that was the difference, she couldn’t think about it at the moment though not after tonight.

“Its different with Bliss versus Belle Lowell I will never accept her and I am sorry that will disappoint you, Belle came after me at Yasmine’s party and regardless of what she said turning out to be true or not the way she spoke about Katie to me alone. I will let the kids make their own decision about whether or not they are going to want a relationship with her but I think in time it will happen just like they had to adjust to Bliss.” She said taking a sip of her drink hoping that the amber liquid would warm her body back up she could tell that she was shivering from the nerves of what happened with Dimitri and she needed to pull herself together, when he asked about Max she knew now was the time to blend reality with fiction and make it stick. A lie that she would have to keep straight from here on out and Max had already agreed. “Max went to find me when the fireworks started I was in the nursery with Bliss, Fox and the twins I wanted to make sure they were being tended too and didn’t want to bother the bride or the groom. I’d never seen Max so frantic over some dirty diapers so I went and then she got a call about Sebastian.” Jackie said mixing the truth of everything in truth Max had come and got her to go to the nursery but it was an entirely different reason and she didn’t know the specifics but Max did text her to tell her that she was with Sebastian a few minutes ago.

“I hope Sebastian is alright he has a very natural calming effect on Max. He makes her happy and that’s what I like. Last year she seemed so troubled, now she seems complete. It might be happening fast but she’s seeming to find her place. I see her at work and I think in life.” He took a sip of the drink nodding seeing something was bothering Jackie but he didn’t want to push it. They were having a civil conversation for the first time in a long time and he just felt like he owed it to her to not ruin it. “Belle is all bravado but it’s a hurt child underneath Jackie and I distinctly remember you saying the same thing about Bliss. How you’d never like her or want her around and here you are caring for her like she’s your own. She’s mine and a piece of me and I’m just asking you to look out for her as you would any of the other five. The kids will work through the awkwardness but she doesn’t have a mother and soon won’t have a father.” Looking down he laughed a little. “I’m pathetic begging my wife to protect my bastard. It’s sad but that’s my new life. Asking people to help me when I have nothing to give them because my life is over. I see the end and it’s scary but it’s also comforting. I can’t hurt my family anymore with all my lies and failures.”

He looked at her and shook his head. “Jackie, there is nothing left for me. I want you to move on. I want you to have a life after me. I want you to fall in love again. I know that I hurt you but I also never could share my flaws with you. I should have shared all my wounds and maybe I wouldn’t have have searched to open my heart to others. I don’t want you to die with me. You deserve something more than me. Jackie I had everything with you. I need you to know it was never you.” He paused when he saw the snowflakes falling outside. “Remember when we had that Christmas in the alps? We went skiing and Rory broke his leg? I wish I was there for every moment of their lives. I wish I didn’t hurt you but most of all I wish I had more time. Time to fix this.” Lowell looked at his watch as he rolled to Jackie taking her hand and kissing it. “You will always be my heart do you understand? I need to go home, David has me on a strict regimen of meds.”

Jackie took what he said about Sebastian to heart. She honestly hoped that he stayed in the family if for their daughter. Max seemed more relaxed around Sebastian and if anything from the other night she knew that Max truly loved him unlike her time with Hunter. Max forced herself into something that she and Lowell had pushed of course Hunter was still a part of the family but Max was never happy with him. She wasn’t sure if her daughter would ever be fully happy with Sebastian either but it was a step in the right direction seeing how Max actually cared about him from what she knew. “I think Max had finally realized she didn’t need to do what we thought she did to be happy looking back how naive were we to think that Max and Hunter were really in love or ready for marriage? Belle has Tess I have nothing to offer her while that woman is in the picture.” Jackie bit out the bitter tone in her voice clearly coming through it was something that she couldn’t even control at this point she owed Belle nothing when it came to her devotion to Lowell and the circumstances were totally different when it came to Belle and Bliss. Bliss came into their lives as a scared girl who had no one. Belle came into their lives after having a loving home that was completely different.

Jackie didn’t know what to tell him yes they had always had ups and downs in their marriage but he never really fully came to her with all his baggage and she was always trying to be supportive and raising their children, perhaps that was their downfall. It took everything inside of her to remain steadfast as he apologized over and over to her but she knew that she had to protect Bliss if only for Fox how suspect would it look for her to reunite with Lowell and throw out the divorce and have him look into what happened at the mansion. She silently cursed him at that moment the last year hell their entire marriage would have been different if he would have just confided to her. “I remember.” Jackie said it was one of the trips that she actually felt like he was really there with them not at DGI not with Tess but even that was a lie now, but still those memories were at least in her mind and they were happy ones. “I think you have time to fix this with them Lowell if you make the effort, not all of them hate you even the one who got married today, they all love you in their own way just like I love you.” Jackie said pausing at the gesture and then pulling her hand away when he said he needed to get home to Tess. Picking up the skirt of her dress she nodded her head at him. “I’ll walk you out.”

Lowell looked at her. “I think that I have to fix it before I die. All of it and I promise to do what you want. You want me to pick an heir and I’ll give you peace in this war I caused. I have done so much to not make you happy while you did everything to give me any and everything I wanted. My heart was full Jackie being your husband and even if I didn’t show it I was appreciative that you were in my life. You were the mother of the children I raised, and I know I had Bliss and Belle but I raised a family with you. You are one half of my heart and even though I’m gone. I’m here and I’ll always be here for you. In life and death you will be taken care of because you deserve it.” He gulped as he felt the pain of what he was saying. He was saying good-bye to his family life and his life with Jackie. He was walking away from more than thirty years of marriage and forty years of being in a relationship. She’d dealt with all his children, his affairs, and him ruining their lives when he turned his back on his friends.

As he used his cane to walk down the hallway as he looked at her noticing the faint remains of what he thought was surley mud all over her heels. He turned around and looked at her as the light music from the ballroom still was playing. “Can I have this dance one last time? One last dance with the woman who not only stole my breath still to this day, the woman who I didn’t know I’d lose ever.” Lowell saw her extend her hand and he took it as he wrapped her in his arms and with all his strength he swayed to the soft music. For a moment it felt like 1985 and they were just moving into the mansion. It felt like the first time he saw her. He savored this moment because honestly it felt like the end. It was all going to be over after he let her go. She wouldn’t be Jackie Devonshire, his wife. She’d be Jackie Devonshire, his ex-wife. He just wanted one last dance. As they swayed the music melodically echoed through the halls of a house that used to be filled with so much laughter. A house that was once made out of love. A house he’d never live in with the love of his life again.

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