by Leia Thorne
“Yes, Mrs. de Pont,” he replies.
As she settles back in the seat, she says, “The truth will come out, Remi. It always does. I can be patient. One thing I’ve learned about this town is that secrets are more valuable than money. When everyone has money, a new currency is always in demand. Secrets are coveted around here like precious jewels.” She looks over at me. “But eventually, someone will want to cash in their jewels for the real thing.”
I feel so out of place, and I’m not sure what to say to her. She’s lost a daughter in a horrible way.
At my confused expression, she reaches over and touches the top of my hand. “I’m sorry. I have a tendency to ramble and go on tangents.” She pats my hand before she draws away. “This really isn’t any of your concern.”
“I just feel badly,” I say. “It’s so much to deal with.”
Her gaze lingers on my face, and she shakes her head. “It’s so uncanny…” She trails off. “When Gage said you resembled my Lesley… I’ve been so curious about you.” She touches her chest, right over her heart. And mine aches a little for her.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I say. “I wish I could’ve had a chance to know her.”
Her smile wobbles. “That’s kind of you to say.”
The backseat morphs into silence, the rumble of the tires riding over the road the only sound between us.
Mrs. de Pont reaches down to the floorboard and removes something from her handbag. She opens a billfold and tweaks out a photo. “This was taken just a few weeks before the accident.”
I accept the picture. It’s Lesley seated atop a black horse. She’s in riding gear, her hair pulled back into a high ponytail. She’s beautiful, and she looks happy. “I didn’t know she rode.”
“Oh, Lesley loved horses. She’d been riding since she was five. Are you trained at riding?”
I shake my head. “I’ve never ridden a horse.”
She frowns, the skin between her eyebrows doesn’t wrinkle. “That’s a shame,” she says, as I hand over the picture. “Well, we should remedy that. I would be honored if you’d let me teach you.”
“Okay. Sure.” What am I supposed to say? The cab of the car is starting to feel as if it’s closing in. Her emotional state is clogging the air, and I’m desperate to get out.
“I actually do have something important to discuss with you,” Mrs. de Pont says. “Thank you for being patient while I indulge. I don’t spend time with too many people these days.”
“It’s okay,” I say to her.
She smiles at me. “I was close with your grandmother before she passed,” she says, surprising me. “It was always one of her greatest regrets that she never got to know you.”
A hard lump forms in my throat.
“Anyway,” she continues. “My firm handled her will, the division of property. Everything was very straightforward. Martha St. James wasn’t one to play, you might say. She liked things tidy.”
Mrs. de Pont reaches into her bag again and unearths a white envelope. She then hands it over to me. “There was a clause in your grandmother’s will. Your father wasn’t privilege to this, as Martha wanted it kept secret until you were close to age.”
I flip up the seal and take out the letter. A handwritten letter. My chest tightens.
“You don’t have to read it now, dear,” she says, touching my arm consolingly. “Read it in private.”
I nod a few times. “Thank you.”
“When you’re decided, give me a call.” She holds out a business card. “Upon your eighteenth birthday, you’re to inherit quite a fortune. This is a big decision. A lot of responsibility. As Martha trusted me to handle her affairs, I hope you will as well.”
My breathing ramps. “I turn eighteen next month. How much is the inheritance?”
She hikes a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “Let’s just say this. Should you accept your financial obligations, you’d become the wealthiest heiress in Crescent Valley.”
My heart gallops in my chest. Holy shit.
“A word of advice,” she says, drawing my full attention on her. “Your grandmother was very adamant that this remain between us, handled privately and without your father’s knowledge. At least, for the time being, until everything is arranged.” Her red lips flatten into a thin line. “I can only caution you, of course. But in matters such as these, it can become messy for families.”
I nod emphatically. What would I even say to my father? He’s been distant ever since my mother’s accident, and he’s never once tried to explain to me what happened between him and his own mother.
I grip the letter between my fingers, hoping there are answers within. Why did my grandmother disown her son? What happened between them all those years ago?
As I glance at Mrs. de Pont, I wonder… She said she was close to Martha St. James. Does she have the answers to those secrets?
The Town Car pulls to a stop before my house, and Mrs. de Pont turns my way. “It was lovely to finally meet you, Remi.” She touches my hand, letting it linger atop mine for a moment before she pulls away. “I hope to hear from you soon.”
I thank her again, then exit the car, still completely stunned. I don’t go inside right away. Instead, in spite of the cold, I sit on the porch swing and let the silence clear my head.
My world just toppled upside-down.
I’m rich.
Not my father’s money—but mine. An inheritance that will change my life.
I can become independent and possibly do anything I want. Be anyone I want.
It’s terrifying and liberating all at once.
I glance at my phone. Still no reply from Gage. Fear creeps over me. The awful realization that he may be with Sawyer sinks in, and I turn off my phone.
I open the letter and start to read. The answers are here, I can feel it. Every guarded secret and hidden motive will be revealed.
What was it that Gage first said to me? Something about money and power being interchangeable in Crescent Valley? If that’s true, then things are about to change. This town, Brighton, and its elite society has another old money contender entering the ring.
I just might be powerful enough to rival even Gage Astor.
Thank you, dear reader, for continuing this journey with me. I hope you’re anticipating the next installment just as much as I am.
Who killed Lesley de Pont? Did she commit suicide? What are your theories?
Are you Team Remi or Team Sawyer - or Team Gage?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in our secret Facebook group.
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Nefarious Boys: Broken Saints Society 3 is now available to order here.
By Leia Thorne
Broken Saints Society Series:
Dark Ties
Dangerous Girls
Nefarious Boys
About the Author
Leia Thorn is the author of the Broken Saints Society series. Dark, edgy, dangerous. Romance that feels.
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