It was the first time she ever looked him in the eye and lied - well, for the little time they had been together.

Fiona had always been the trustworthy one, the one he could always depend on to tell him the truth when he was young and for the one week since he'd rediscovered her.

But today she lied to him, straight to his face, unblinking, and unbothered. It disturbed him.

The days leading from Timothy's engagement party, Devlin had gotten a condo close to the Chernyshevsky mansion and had started the process of getting the rights to the company and the Chernyshevsky house. He started by hiring lawyers and holding meetings with some shareholders in the company. He was also in the process of tracking down his dad's lawyer. The man could be dead for all he knew. But he had started the process and that was all that mattered.

For those six days, He hadn't let Fiona or anyone else know except Pamela, who had done nothing but complain on and on about how he was making a huge mistake and how inheritance battles could lead to a blood bath. He'd told her she watched too many movies.

Today, he invited Fiona to the house to tell her the plan. She'd given him a reaction he hadn't expected. Anger.

"I thought I told you in clear terms last week to stop those plans a once?"

Devlin rested into the sofa. "And why should I?"

"Because I want you to!"

"But you're the real owner of the house and company, mama. It's yours. You should be glad I'm fighting for you."

"I don't care. I don't want it. I want you to end those plans at once."

"But why? What is your problem?"

"What is your problem Leo? Why can't you leave everything the hell alone?"

"Because I don't want to!" He stood and paced the width of the sitting room. "Vivian is one cruel bitch who has been messing with our lives from the outset. Why can't you see that she needs to pay? Why don't you want to pursue this? Are you scared of her?"

"Just leave her alone."

"Don't tell me -" he scoffed. "Don't tell me you feel indebted to her. Don't tell me you feel grateful."

Fiona raised her chin defensively. "Yes, in fact, I do."

"What did you just say?" Devlin asked incredulously.

"Did I stutter?"

"What the fuck? You owe her nothing!"

She stood and walked to the high window over looking the parking lot. "That's what you think. That's what the whole world thinks. But despite it all, I owe Vivian a lot. I owe her my life," She turned to face him, one hand on her stomach. "I owe her you."

"Mom, she left me for dead! She abandoned me. I admit, it was foolish of me to have run off but she should have moved heaven and earth to find me. That's what a real mother would do. Tell me, do you owe her the heartache you went through when they came back without me?"

Fiona turned to stare through the window. Then she said with a small voice, "I don't want Vivian to suffer. Why do you think I never left? Because of you? Yes, that's partly true but also because I feel like I have a responsibility to your father to take care of her -"

"That is the shittiest thing I have heard in my life. That woman is pure evil. She let her husband molest my sister, even as a child! And the son of a bitch not in jail. What more do you need?"

Fiona nodded. "I admit, she was wrong on that. But Lily is another reason I stayed. To protect her. To protect anyone that needs it. That's my job."

Devlin laughed scornfully. "Tell me mother, look me in the eye and tell me you don't want the things the man you loved worked for. Tell me you don't want the house or at least a part of the company. Tell me you do not want to be a land owner. Tell me"

Fiona looked him in the eyes and lied. "I do not."

Devlin shrugged. "Well I don't care. I don't need your permission. I'll get those things for you and you will accept it."

"What are you a dictator? How is your wife bearing up with your attitude?"

"It's something called love. Do you love me?"

Fiona sighed and cupped his face in her palms. "Oh Leo, my son. My poor boy. You're everything I want in my life, everything I have always wanted. I don't need anything else. If you're worried about me being bored, I have a lot on my plate, like taking care of you and your wife and my grandchildren."

He coved her hands with his and removed it from his face. "If you need grandchildren, get it from Timothy and Lilian. Oh, Lilian has one already. I'm sure they'll give you a dozen more. Not from me."

She laughed. "You're angry that's why you're saying that."

"Mom, please. Let me help you."

"But I'm fine this way. A simple life."

"No. You're used to this way. Which is a sick way to live."

She picked her handbag and stood. "I don't want to discuss this any further."

"Okay. Even if I have to kidnap you to sign the documents, I will. Ask Pamela. She knows I'm not joking."

She laughed. "This discussion has ended." She snapped her fingers. "That reminds me. I've been wanting to ask you. What job exactly did your wife's father give you that made you so rich?"

"I though we weren't discussing anything further?"

She smiled knowingly. "You're avoiding the topic."

"Just like you are. Mother, why don't we make a deal? Agree to let me fight for your inheritance and I'll tell you all you need to know. The whole nine yards."

"No deal."

He shrugged. "I feel bad for your curiosity. It'll tug at you all day."

"Goodbye honey." She kissed his cheeks and turned to the door then stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot. There's one more thing I need to tell you."

"What?"

"It's an invitation."

~

Pamela checked the wall clock for the umpteenth time and looked back at the TV screen she had been starring at for thirty minutes since Devlin started discussing with his mom. She retained none of what was being said so she stood and started pacing the width of the room, giving up the pretense.

It was a beautiful master bed room with wooden ceiling beams and a roof shaped like a pyramid. It had an oversized headboard which was the focal point of the room's décor. The side of one wall was made of see-through glass that over looked the city below. It was especially beautiful at night, when a thousand lights were switched on in different houses and apartments, looking like bright, beautiful stars.

In the space of six days, they had stayed in two different hotels before settling for the condo. They had left the first hotel because Devlin had been worried when he saw the same car pass twice. She had thought he was being paranoid but knew better than to argue with her gangster husband who had all the experience. Getting a house had been worse because Devlin had needed a well equipped one with surveillance cameras and highly sensitive alarm system.

Her mind drifted back to what was going on downstairs. What was Devlin discussing with his mom? Not knowing was driving her crazy but Devlin had insisted she stayed in the room while he spoke with Fiona to decide her fate. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

The moment the door opened, she stopped pacing and looked up at him expectantly. "So?"

"So what?"

"What's the plan? Are you planning a face off with your evil step mother or?"

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and walked into the bathroom. "Yes, my darling wife. I am planning a face off with her. I want to fight tooth and nail for the house and my father's recycling company. It's rightfully mine, and I give it all to my mom."

Pamela followed him and watched him pee. "No."

"No what?"

"Why don't we forget this whole episode and bring her back with us?"

"We can't go back to the US for now or have you forgotten?"

"So what, you want to stay and start a war? That Vivian is vicious. She won't give up without extracting a pound of flesh from you. When are we going to end all these and concentrate on starting a family?"

Devlin flushed, washed his hands and moved towards her and held her by the waist so that they were hip to hip. "Don't you have something better to do with your mouth other than talking?"

"No, like what?"

"Like kissing me?"

He leaned in and covered his lips with hers. His lips were warm and inviting and when they met hers, she returned the kiss passionately. He then pulled his head back, squeezed her butt cheeks and planted a kiss on her neck.

As if coming back to her senses, Pamela groaned. She tried to push him but he didn't budge. "Devlin seriously -"

"I'm Leo now."

"Devlin, focus! What did Fiona say about it?"

He shrugged and released her from his embrace. "She was cool with it."

"That is a big lie."

"You eavesdropped? Why ask me when you know the answers?"

"I didn't eavesdrop I just guessed. Your mom doesn't want problems I'm sure."

"Exactly. She's too comfortable in that position. It's such a shame. It's as though she loves Vivian despite it all."

"I know. I would have left immediately if I were her. But she was waiting for you so it was worth it, right?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "You won't believe what she told me before leaving."

"What?"

"That Vivian invited us for dinner tonight."

"What? Despite the whole engagement party fiasco? I think she has ulterior motives."

"Of course she does. That woman's a snake. She'll bite your balls off without making a damned sound. I can't believe she made my mom play errand boy for years."

"Are you going?"

His phone rang before he could reply. "I have to take this. It's Art"

He moved to leave but she grabbed him back. "Answer it here. No secrets, remember?"

"No, I don't remember." Then he laughed and placed the phone on his ears. "Art you're on speaker and Pamela is here. What's up?"

"Can you move away real quick?"

Devlin gave her a pleading look then walked out the door. "Done."

"We found Delaney Whitaker."

Devlin was glad Pamela wasn't there. "What did she say?"

"Everything. And to the hearing of Rodgers, that bastard."

"I see you've met him."

"He's a type A asshole. The bastard tried to plant seeds of doubts in Maya - if he hasn't already. He told her stuff that made me wonder how he knew."

"Like what?"

"He said I was affiliated with you and that I helped fake your death. That dude is smart. Smarter than I gave him credit. I almost peed in my pants when he mentioned how unbelievable it was that you died from drowning when you survived bullet wounds. I was honestly surprised Maya didn't piece the picture together. I thought she was very smart. Guess I was wrong."

"Or she might be doing it on purpose. She might be playing the fool to catch you in the act."

"Well, either ways, I'm walking on shells here. That Rodgers bastard is tenacious."

"Seems he will be a huge problem."

"Not for long. I think I might have found a way to get rid of him once and for all. But as for Delaney, I don't know."

"How is she?" Devlin asked, genuinely interested.

"Raging. Ranting. Foaming in the mouth. Literally. She keeps screaming, "he promised me my freedom. Get me Devlin Gusev" like you're a wizard of some sort."

"Poor thing."

"What do we do with her? Say the word boy. Set her free or take her to jail?"

~

Art clicked off and walked to Delaney Whittaker. She looked tired, ravaged and starved. She'd refused to eat but had spent hours arranging some set of papers that Art had given her on special request. It had worked like magic in calming her and diverting her attention.

She looked up at him as he walked towards her in the holding cell and smiled. The smile would have looked at home on the face of an angel. Delaney Whittaker was a beautiful young girl. He felt sad for her.

"They look great don't they?"

"They sure do."

"I arranged every single one." She grinned at him then her eyes flickered to the phone he held. "You just got off the phone with Devlin Gusev right? Did he tell you to let me go? Did he tell you he promised me my freedom?"

"No, Miss Whittaker."

"There must be some sort of mistake. He promised me. In the car."

Art wished she would stop talking about Devlin, especially in the presence of other cops. "I'm sorry Delaney. I didn't speak with Devlin Gusev because he's dead."

"No he isn't! That traitor! He promised me my freedom!"

"Miss Whittaker -"

"Let me speak to him myself. I'm sure he'll agree -"

"You're not going to jail." he interjected. "You're going to a facility where you'll be treated and taken care of."

She gave a slow, snide laughter. "You're putting me in prison for lunatics! You're putting me in prison with crazy people! I'm not crazy! I'm alright!"

"We care for you that's why you'll be put there. You'll be safe there, I promise. I'll do my best to visit you -"

"No!" She started to drag her hair out. "You can't do that! Noooo!"

Art stood, walked to the door and signaled at the psychiatrists who were waiting to take Delaney. "Please make sure she's given the best treatment. We depend on you."

"You have our word." One of them replied and the three of them entered the cell. He could hear her screams even when he was out and in the lobby. Poor thing.

He picked his phone and speed dialed a number. He ended the call after the third ring and called it again.

It was answered on the second ring with a hesitant, "Hello?"

"It's me."

Her release of breath was audible over the phone. "Detective Dwayne. Of course I know it's you. I still remember you said you would always hang up after the third ring and call again."

"Sure you still remember? You sounded rather hesitant."

"I was just scared Cain might have gotten wind of it."

"There's no need to be. You and the kid settled in okay?"

"Yes we did. Thank you very much."

"We'll have to start the questioning soon."

"Of course." She paused.

"What's on your mind?"

"I'm worried. Are we going to be safe, during the testifying and all? I've heard a lot of stories of how testifiers are brutally murdered and I cannot help but feel... tense."

"I assure you that none of that will happen. I took you to a safe house didn't I? That's the first step. If everything goes according to plan, Cain Rodgers will be brought to justice and taken off the streets."

~

Happy new year guys! May this year be the start of something beautiful for us all.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much for reading. Please vote for this chapter, comment your thoughts and if you haven't, please add this book to your library and reading lists and share with others. Thank you!