His Canvas [Suncoast Society] (Siren Publishing Sensations) Read online

  “I haven’t told her yet. The papers just came. What do I tell her?”

  “The truth, that we’re going to kick his ass. Did you look to see who the judge is?”

  He hadn’t paid attention to that. Then…

  Kel burst out laughing. “No shit?”

  “No shit. Can you bring her in here tomorrow morning at eight to go over this?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Meanwhile, it’s very important to make sure she does not contact her uncle. Tie her up if you have to, but don’t let her—or anyone else for that matter, like Tilly—go after the uncle. I’ll wipe him up in court. I have enough of the trust documentation I can get a ruling on the executorship. I’ll be filing an emergency countermotion this afternoon to be heard at the same time. Tell her not to freak out.”

  “Not going to be easy.”

  “I’m sure you have your ways.”

  Kel hung up and reread the papers. Her uncle was trying to have her declared mentally incompetent, make sure the control of the trusts remained with him, and have himself appointed as her custodian and guardian for all matters.

  Asshole.

  If the man was that desperate, Kel could only imagine the world of hurt he was in to think this ploy would work.

  He drove over to the consignment shop. Mal’s expression darkened when he walked in.

  “What’s going on?” she immediately asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “Are you alone?”

  “My boss is here.”

  “Ask for a quick break.” He held up the papers. “It’s important.”

  He watched Mal’s face as she read through them. “That son of a bitch!” she screamed.

  “Shh.” He didn’t think there were any customers out front, but her yell of outrage could easily be heard from where they stood in the back room. “I already talked to Ed. We’re meeting with him in the morning and he’s filing a countermotion.”

  “I…I just…I have no words for how pissed off I feel right now.”

  “I know. But you cannot contact him at all. Promise me.”

  She glared at him.

  “Promise me.”

  “Fine.” She shoved the papers at him. “What am I supposed to do until then?”

  “Try not to think about it.”

  “Really?”

  He pulled her in for a hug. “Do you trust me?”

  She let out a long, sad-sounding sigh. “Yes,” she whispered.

  He kissed the top of her head. “Then try not to think about it.”

  “Easier said than done.”

  “Ed’s good. This is the turning point your case needed. Your uncle just screwed up in a big, big way. This is a good thing, believe it or not.”

  Another sigh. “I believe you. I just don’t believe this whole situation.”

  “I know.”

  “Can I call Tilly?”

  “I’ll call Tilly. After I call Landry and Cris and warn them to sit on her so she doesn’t go kill your uncle.”

  “I never want to get on her bad side. I’m glad she’s our friend.”

  “Believe me, so am I. She’s scary.”

  “You’ve got that right. But I love her.”

  “So do I, sweetheart. And because she was there for you that night when we got you moved out, I’ll be forever grateful to her for protecting you until I got there.”

  “I think she was hoping my uncle would put his hands on her or me.”

  “I know she was. Landry said she was disappointed she didn’t get to punch the guy.”

  “Why is he being like this?”

  “Some people are just born assholes,” he told her. “There’s no explaining it. They just are.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Wednesday morning, with Kel on one side of her, Tilly on the other, and Chelbie and Seth following behind them, Mallory nervously trailed Ed Payne into the waiting area outside the judge’s chambers while ignoring her uncle’s icy glare.

  The attorney had warned her not to speak unless she was asked a direct question by the judge or one of the attorneys, and to not respond to any snarky comments her uncle might sling her way. Tilly, Kel, Chelbie, and Seth couldn’t go in with her, because they might be called as witnesses if things got that far.

  The night before, at Kel’s urging and with him holding her hand, Mal had reached out and called her Aunt Susan, the first time she’d talked to her in over a year.

  And when Mallory revealed everything to her aunt, an enlightening conversation had ensued.

  Such as her aunt admitting one of the reasons she’d divorced Saul was because of this exact situation. That he’d wanted them to live off the trust fund monies and squirrel their money away. Not squander the trust funds, but that if they played things right, they would be able to save up money to ensure their own retirement while the trust fund paid for their living expenses, vehicles, all of that. All they’d have to do was make sure Mallory went to grad school so they could milk it as long as possible before they had to hand over control to her.

  When Susan had threatened to report what he was doing, he’d threatened in return to file a police report against her, alleging she’d been sexually abusing Mallory.

  As a teacher, that was something she couldn’t afford to have on her record, even once she’d been exonerated. It didn’t matter that, at the time, Mallory had been old enough the courts and police would believe her. Saul had threatened to destroy her reputation if she didn’t just walk away.

  All that fueled Mallory’s hatred of the man and her desire to cut him out of her life once and for all. He wasn’t family.

  Family didn’t do that kind of bullshit to people they loved.

  Family was there to support you, to love you, to boost you up, to help you out.

  Saul had never been family. Not really.

  Not in the ways that truly mattered.

  Once the bailiff closed the door and called the session into order, the judge entered and took his place behind his desk. “You may be seated.” He looked over the file in front of him. “Emergency competency motion, I see, and countermotions.” He looked at her uncle’s attorney and started asking questions.

  Mallory forced herself to sit there, silent, hands tightly clasped together in her lap and pretending it was Kel’s fingers around hers as she squeezed.

  After several minutes of summation and pontificating by her uncle’s attorney, the judge focused on her and her attorney. “Counselor, your response? I have a feeling I already understand this case, but I want to hear everything before I enter my findings.”

  “Your Honor, what the plaintiff hasn’t mentioned is the value of the trusts that are at stake. You have the exhibits in the file of the financials. Saul Weaver has engaged in a pattern of behavior over the years to conceal the existence of a significant amount of money and property from Miss Weaver, both inherited by her upon the death of her parents, and the estate left to her upon the death of Saul Weaver’s father, her paternal grandfather. Saul Weaver only benefitted from this as long as he was the executor of the trusts. Which was as long as Miss Weaver was in school and agreed to allow him to remain the executor. She has already stated her intent to enter the workforce instead of attending graduate school, and by all rights, the control of the trusts should have been handed over to her upon her eighteenth birthday. However, Saul Weaver abused his position as executor by not revealing all the details or offering her the option to take the responsibilities over for herself when she turned eighteen, and by refusing all attempts on her part to gain information about the trusts. Also, he gave her a laptop computer that he used to illegally spy on her without her permission…”

  She tuned it out. She didn’t want to focus on the words. She only wanted to get out of there and back into the comfort of Kel’s arms. This was like having to deal with the death of her parents all over again, the emergency custody hearing, the probate, all of it bringing back horrible memories and feelings that had been the start of her living nightmare
.

  The judge looked at her uncle’s attorney. “What is the basis of your claim about her incompetency?”

  “Miss Weaver has been engaging in extremely risky behavior, including putting her health and welfare in jeopardy to make pornography.”

  The judge’s eyebrows went up. “Pornography?”

  “Yes. She—”

  “Hold on a second, counselor,” the judge said. “Is Miss Weaver legally an adult?”

  “Well, yes, but—”

  “And has she ever faced questions about her competency in the past?”

  “No, but—”

  “So the entire basis of your argument is that her uncle wants to hold the reins of an estate that legally should have been handed over to her nearly five years ago because she’s been taking dirty pictures?”

  She felt hope swell in her when her attorney coughed, masking what suspiciously sounded like laughter.

  “You don’t understand!” her uncle said. “She’s been letting some guy tie her up and take pictures of her!”

  The judge’s eyebrow went up again and he addressed her directly. “Miss Weaver, are you at any time being forced against your will to take the pictures?”

  “No, your Honor,” she said. “I wanted to.” She glared at her uncle. “And I needed the money. He always refused to tell me what was in the trust.”

  The judge went back to her uncle’s attorney. “Do you have statements from mental health professionals attesting to her incapacity?”

  The attorney’s face went redder. “No, but—”

  “Here’s how I see it,” the judge said, closing the file and resting his hand on it, patting it as he spoke. “I see there is a considerable amount of money and property at stake here. Money and property that should have, legally and by the very guidelines of the trust, been handed over to Miss Weaver by your client years ago. Yes, there are stipulations about her attending school. But it would seem your client has taken advantage of those stipulations and twisted them around to make it advantageous for him by not offering her the opportunity to take control of the trusts for herself.

  “So here’s what I’m going to do. Plaintiff’s motion is denied in full, with prejudice. And Plaintiff is responsible for paying Miss Weaver’s attorney and court fees out of his own pocket, not that of the trust funds. Furthermore, I am ordering that all assets of the trusts, and paperwork relating to them, be immediately handed over to Miss Weaver. As in today, and the Plaintiff’s access to any and all banking or other financial or retirement accounts be immediately revoked. If any evidence shows the Plaintiff diverted funds from the trusts for his own use, those will be immediately returned to the trust or the Plaintiff will be found in contempt of court and jailed.”

  The judge glared at Saul. “You’re damn lucky she’s not pressing charges against you for the computer.”

  The judge looked at her attorney. “Am I correct in my reading that the Plaintiff and Respondent’s residence is an asset of the trust?”

  “You are, your Honor.”

  He nodded. “Miss Weaver, do you want your uncle out of the house? I can enter a finding to that effect as well.”

  When she realized both the judge and her attorney were waiting on her for an answer, she nodded. “Yes, your Honor.” She faced her uncle, staring him down. “I want him out of my house. Today.”

  “So ordered,” the judge said. “I’m also entering an order of protection for Miss Weaver. Your client is ordered to immediately vacate the premises, and he has until noon tomorrow to remove his belongings from the home, and he’d better have a deputy with him when he does it. He is no longer allowed unsupervised contact with Miss Weaver.”

  He pointed a finger at her uncle. “I’m halfway tempted to have you thrown in jail for contempt of court, because, technically, you are. The probate courts in New Jersey and North Dakota entered orders regarding the trusts and you have violated them. Lucky for you, she isn’t asking for a contempt finding.” He glanced at her attorney. “Is she?” She thought the judge almost sounded hopeful.

  Her attorney gave up trying not to smile. “No, your Honor. She only wants the trusts and all their assets turned over to her, and her uncle immediately removed from the home.”

  “So ordered. Counsel for respondent, you write the final order. I want it on my desk so I can sign it by end of business today. If the assets are not transferred immediately to Miss Weaver, I will issue a bench warrant for Saul Weaver’s arrest by eight o’clock tomorrow morning.” He looked at her uncle. “Do you understand me, Mr. Weaver?”

  She thought her uncle was going to argue, but his attorney spoke up. “Yes, your Honor. Clearly.”

  When they finished and the judge left the room, her attorney briefly conferred with her uncle’s attorney. All the while, her uncle sat there, glaring at her.

  This time, she glared back.

  When he finally looked away first, she couldn’t help herself. “Hey, doucheball.”

  Her uncle flinched and turned back at the sound of her voice.

  She flipped him a bird. “I talked to Aunt Susan last night. She told me what you did. If your shit isn’t out of my house by noon tomorrow, it’ll be out at the curb, and on fire. You ever set foot on my property again, I’ll have your ass thrown in jail.”

  Her attorney rested a hand on her shoulder, holding her back as her uncle’s attorney practically dragged the man out the door. Then they followed, gathering up Kel, Tilly, Chelbie, and Seth from the waiting room.

  She practically fell into Kel’s arms, eyes closed, listening as her attorney gleefully filled them in about what happened.

  “Let me make some calls real fast,” Seth said. “I want people at the house now, in case he tries any bullshit, like steal stuff, or trash it, or set fire to it.” He stepped out into the hallway.

  Kel smiled down at her. “See? Told you it’d be okay.”

  “I know. It’s just hard to believe it was that easy. All these years I spent fighting him, I never believed it’d be this simple to take him down and get the truth.”

  Chelbie tapped her on the shoulder and got a hug from her, too. “Hey, if you’d actually, you know, listened to me all those times I tried to get you to do this earlier, it would have been done by now.”

  “I’m sorry. You were right.”

  “Yay!” Chelbie cheered. “Y’all heard it. She said I was right!”

  “Well,” Tilly said, cracking her knuckles, “I for one plan on spending the rest of today and tonight and tomorrow morning over at the house. Let the guy try to cause trouble. I dare him,” she added in a dark and threatening tone.

  “We don’t need you in jail,” Kel playfully said.

  She grinned. “Hey, no body, no jail.”

  “Tilly,” Ed warned. “Landry told me I’m not allowed to let you get arrested.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she huffed. “No one ever lets me have any fun.” She stepped in and hugged Mallory. “Congratulations, sweetie. We all knew this would work out in your favor.”

  A prickle of tears threatened. “It feels like I really have a family again,” she said.

  Kel slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against her side. “That’s because you do. We are your family.”

  “Yeah, and we don’t want you for your money, either,” Chelbie said.

  “I hate to break this up,” her attorney said, “but I have to run back to the office and get this ready for the judge ASAP. Meet me there at five this afternoon. That’s when his attorney will turn everything over.”

  “Is it that easy?” Kel asked.

  “Well, there will be more paperwork, I’m sure. But the court order will override and bulldoze through any issues that might crop up. And I plan on having that ready for the judge’s signature in less than an hour, so I can send copies to the bank and get Saul off the accounts. I’ll rework all the trust papers to take him off everything and we’ll file all that in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, the emergency court
order will hold us over and let us get started.”

  “I feel like lunch,” Kel said, smiling down at her. “Let’s go celebrate before we finish this day.”

  Seth returned. “Okay. I’ve got four guys on their way to the house now, with explicit orders not to let the uncle in if he shows up, unless he has a deputy.”

  “Aw,” Kel said. “We were going to get lunch.”

  “Oh, we absolutely will go get lunch,” Seth said. “But let’s run by the house first and drop a key off so they can wait inside in the AC. And we’ll bring them back lunch.”

  Mallory’s vision blurred as the tears broke through again. “You have no idea how grateful I am to all of you for your help.”

  Seth laughed and hugged her. Then he whispered, “Hey, this was a slam dunk. Judge Donnelly is a friend of mine. Pat married me and Leah. He doesn’t get out to the club, but he’s in the lifestyle. We didn’t want to say anything to you before, but there were no doubts you would win this.”

  Her tears transformed to laughter as Seth stepped back. He wore a playful grin.

  “What?” Kel asked, curious and looking from Seth to her.

  Seth shook his head. “Tell you later, bro. Let’s get moving.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  With the papers signed and filed, they went out for a celebration dinner at Sigalo’s with their friends. Kel was pleased to see the worry had lifted from Mal’s face, but he was eager to get her home, and alone.

  It was nearly eleven that night when Kel and Mallory returned to the apartment.

  “Straight to bed,” he ordered. “No passing go, no collecting two hundred dollars.”

  “What about passing a bathroom?”

  He swatted her on the ass. “Hurry. I’m horny and want to do a little celebratory fucking.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He was naked and lying on his back, camera in hand, a condom pouch next to him, and his cock hard and ready when she walked into the room. He pointed at his cock. “Start sucking, baby.”