Chapter 25

It was nine in the morning and I was woken up by the sound of my phone.

"You and your father, what is it with you and doomed girls? Your mom was a depressive timebomb and now you're dating Angel in America," my grandfather greeted me.

Angel in America? What the hell was that about? Had his snooping actually made him able to know she was religious?

Because he wasn't completely wrong, Esther was definitely an angel.

Regardless, this was ridiculous of him to say.

"Hello to you too, Grandpa. I'll have you know me and Esther are not dating."

"Ah yes, of course, because you just asked me to find out everything I could about your little classmate because you're just friends."

I stopped myself from groaning, running a hand over my face, exasperated. Would people drop this shit already? "We are just friends."

"That's how three of my marriages started."

"You have zero credibility. You're a horn dog."

My grandfather snorted. "And what? You're virgin Mary? You think I don't keep a close tab on all of my family?"

I kind of froze for a second. What the hell was that supposed to mean? "Are you... what are you saying?"

"It's been a while since you've gotten tested." I could hear the grin in his voice. It was too early for this shit. "I'm assuming we have your little Esther to thank for that. Gotta stay abstinent with her."

"Actually, my friends made me an intervention and told me to stop sleeping around," I replied, feeling smug to show him he was wrong.

My grandfather had a specific skill at getting under people's skin. A talent, really.

"Your friends sound dreadfully boring."

"They were right," I answered, a little defensively.

As much as their constant mothering annoyed me, I could admit that they'd been right in sitting me down and talking to me.

I had been destructive. I was still a little. But I was working on it now.

"Please, you're only this young and good looking once. Fuck around."

I sighed, staring at the ceiling. "Can we get back to the reason why you called?"

"Oh yes, your doomed girl. She filed a restraining order against a Carson McHugh. It was rejected. There's a police report, but it was filed all wrong, so all charges were dropped. Mister Carson McHugh has friends at the right places. Unfortunately for him, I have better friends."

"Can you do anything?" I asked, feeling angry and sad for Esther.

"Please? Have we just met? It's already done. She'll be contacted soon about the restraining order." I didn't ask how he had managed to do that. I'd called him last night. How had he managed to get a judge to okay the restraining order in the middle of the night? "I can also try to have the charges against him reopened, but that means she'll have to testify against him, and well... I would understand why she wouldn't want to have to do that."

If even my grandfather was sounding empathic for Esther, it had to be bad, whatever that Carson had done.

"Okay... what are our other options? To completely destroy him?"

"See, this is my grandson," Grandpa dearest replied with a bit too much enthusiasm. "I have two interns looking into his taxes. Something ought to stick out. Anyway, anything tax related will give him more prison time than sexual assault."

Hearing it actually out loud kind of felt like a punch in the chest. I'd assume as much. But... well, without confirmation, I could assume something... not as bad.

Now I really wanted to destroy that Carson.

"Is there anyway we can... I don't know? Take away everything that he loves and give him an incurable disease?" I asked, feeling absolutely furious.

"We're one for two on that front, but yes, dear grandson, I'm working on it."

I wasn't sure what he meant by that exactly, but I was too mad and also slightly exhausted to ask. "Can I do anything?"

"You have the hospital contacts, so I guess you can take care of that part of this mess," he said, letting out a loud breath.

Yes, I could probably find her a therapist. I knew a few that probably wouldn't mind helping me out. And I'd pay them.

"Anything else?"

"Be careful," my grandfather said, his voice surprisingly caring. "And see with her if she wants to pursue the legal route. I can't promise that the legal route will not be messy and traumatic for her, but I can promise her I'll win the case."

"Can you really promise that?"

"If I say I'll win a case, that means I'll win a case. Imagine the face your uncles would make if I actually went to court. They'd piss themselves," he said, a little too gleefully, almost giggling. "Pretty sure everyone in that court room would piss themselves actually," he added as an afterthought.

"Can you even represent someone in this state? Don't you need a license."

"Nik, Nik, Nik. Who do you take me for?" Grandpa said, unimpressed with me.

"I don't know? I'm just asking, okay."

"Such a fretter. Anyway, that's about all I can do for now. I'll get back to you when I have more."
I sighed. This was a lot more than I had yesterday. But still not enough. I wanted the man who ha hurt Esther to burn. "Thank you, Grandpa."

"Anytime Nik. You know that, right?"

"I know," I replied.

"It would have been a lot more fun if you'd called me to bail you out though, I gotta admit," he added, chuckling.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll make sure to call you next time I go to jail."

"Please do. I'm itching for a good unlawfully detained lawsuit."

I snorted. "Bye Grandpa."

"Goodbye Nikusha," my grandfather said softly.

Hearing my childhood nickname didn't hurt as much as it had the last time. It felt almost comforting, if I was being honest.

Maybe I really was getting better.