Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
“As if she ever did. You were never there.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Trix. I was there. You thought I was working so you left her with a sitter to go see Chucky. I didn’t work nearly as much as you thought. It was me and Linnie’s secret.”
“I hate you! You’re a lousy bastard!”
“Doc!” The door opened, the bell on the handle chiming merrily. “Sorry I’m late. I had to make sure the summons was delivered to -- Oh! Mrs. Collins. I’m so sorry to interrupt.” The man was almost as big as Doc. Tall and immaculately dressed, he had an expensive-looking haircut and a neatly trimmed beard, both rich and dark in color. I thought I recognized him from TV somewhere, but I couldn’t place him.
“Wrath, this is my ex-wife. Beatrix Collins, soon to be Beatrix Westmore once again. Unless she marries Chucky, though I don’t see that happening.”
“Yeah, I remember her from your custody battle before the divorce.” Wrath said with a grin as he moved around Beatrix and took a seat in the booth across from us. “And I think you’re right about Chucky. Especially since the little prick is playing hide the wiener with Gordon Correll’s daughter. Thinks he can ride her old man’s coattails all the way to the US Senate. I got news for the man; she’s got her hands on as many men as he has women. That woman is way out of his league, and he’s too stupid to notice.” Wrath chuckled as he picked up the papers Trix had scattered all over the table when she threw them at me. “Oh! I see you got the summons. Wonderful! The custody thing shouldn’t take but a minute of your time.” Wrath pulled out a neatly folded packet of papers fastened to a light blue back from the breast pocket of his immaculate suit and handed it to her. “Normally, I’d deliver this to your lawyer, but since you didn’t bring him, you can give it to him. Have your lawyer look it over. The court date is on the first page. This afternoon at five.”
“This can’t be real,” she scoffed, not taking the documents. “The courthouse closes at four-thirty!”
“Well…” Wrath rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I might have pulled a few strings to get this case on the docket. I mean, for the good of your daughter this needs to be settled as quickly as possible.”
Beatrix lifted her chin. “Jude knows my terms, and I’m not budging.”
Wrath looked confused as he looked back to Doc. “Terms? She talkin’ ‘bout the five mil she said she’d take to relinquish custody of your daughter?”
Doc shrugged. “That’s what the woman said.”
Beatrix slammed her palms down on the table, getting right in Doc’s face. “And not one cent less, you bastard,” she hissed, baring her teeth.
“Not really sure why you’re stopping there,” Wrath said, leaning back in his seat, picking up a menu and glancing over it as he spoke. “I mean, you owe at least three times that to some pretty unsavory characters. Or, at least, Chucky does.”
Beatrix snapped her gaze to Wrath’s and straightened slowly. “What do you mean, Charles does?” She asked the question slowly, like she was equal parts disbelieving and also getting a sinking feeling.
“You didn’t know?” Wrath looked puzzled, tilting his head like he couldn’t believe she was just now learning this. “Honey, why do you think Chucky’s been sleeping with a woman ten years his senior and planning to marry a different woman with high political connections? No offense, you’re a beautiful woman, but your attitude could suck the ass right out of a good time on the best of days.” Beatrix looked like she’d been slapped, her lips parted in a gasp and her eyes wide as saucers. “He owes money. You know he does, because you borrowed money for him.”
“It was a one-time thing.”
“For you, maybe. But he borrowed more money on your behalf right after you borrowed. Same shark. Now, you’re in for three times what you thought you were.” Wrath didn’t pull any punches. I could almost feel sorry for Beatrix, but that ship had sailed along with the accusations she’d thrown Doc’s way.
“Fine.” Beatrix shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but the sweat that trickled from her hairline down her face told a different story. So did her slight trembling. “Triple it, Jude. Fifteen and you can have it the way you spelled it out.”
“Oh, I’ll get it the way I spelled it out no matter what.” He nodded at Wrath. “That’s what he’s for.”
“At our hearing this evening, I’m going to lay out to the judge what I found. I’m going to present to him the theory that your daughter will be in significant danger since you owe so much money to a known loan shark with a brutal reputation. I’m going to outline the good Salvation’s Bane does for the community, how Doc helps children with cancers and doesn’t charge them beyond what their insurance pays -- even knowing it could affect his ability to take insurances at all -- and how he makes deals with drug companies with the sole purpose of getting children the treatments they need to survive without breaking the banks of their parents. I’m going to paint Doc here as a pillar of the community one step away from sainthood who only wants his daughter safe. You’re going to get dragged through the mud, but more importantly, your business will be a matter of public record. You’ll be a liability for your… creditors. What do you think will happen next?”