The Legacy: Trouble Comes Disguised As Family (Unspoken Book 2) T. Belshaw (management books to read .txt) 📖

pulling her credit card from her purse, she entered her personal details onto the website.

Feeling pleased with herself and with excitement building about the upgrades to the old farmhouse, Jess returned to her car. With a shock, she saw that parked next to it was a black BMW. Before she could open the door to her Toyota, Calvin climbed out and with both hands in the air in a gesture of surrender, he walked around the front of Jess’s car coming to a halt about six feet away from her.

‘Jess, it’s so nice to bump into you like this. You’re looking well.’

‘Go away, Calvin. I don’t want to speak to you.’ Jess pressed the button on her key fob to unlock the car.

‘Don’t be like that, Jess. I miss you. I only want to make sure you’re all right on your own.’

‘I’m fine, Calvin. Now, I’m busy. Goodbye.’ Jess opened the car door, but before she could climb in, Calvin stepped forward and placed his hand on the roof.

‘Jess. Look, I’ll be honest with you. I’m struggling money wise. I don’t have enough coming in to pay the rent or the utility bills.’

Jess stepped behind the open door so there was an obstacle between them. ‘What’s new, Calvin? You hardly ever contributed to the rent or the bills when I was there.’

‘That’s not true, Jess. I helped out when I could.’

‘Helped out? You lived there with me. I can’t ever remember saying that you could stay, rent free. Nana ended up paying your half of the rent every month and all you could do was wish her dead. Well, Calvin. You got your wish, she’s gone, but so has the charity. You’re on your own now. Deal with it.’

‘Jess, please, don’t make me beg.’

‘It wouldn’t make a difference if you did, Calvin.’

Calvin pulled his best sad face.

‘What’s happened to you, Jess? You’ve become so hard. You were never like that.’

‘You happened Calvin. Now, as I said. I’m busy. The rent is paid until the end of the year, that’s when the lease expires. I’ve already contacted the Estate Agents and they’ve agreed to leave it until then before they start looking for a new tenant. You can apply for it if you like and they’ll consider your application, but you’ll need to be in secure employment by then.’

Jess climbed into the car and tried to close the door but Calvin got hold of the handle.

‘Jess, Jess, please. I still love you despite everything. Shall I book a table somewhere nice? We can talk things over in a civilised manner.’

‘No, Calvin, I’m not falling for that.’ She pulled on her seatbelt. ‘I’d only end up paying for the bloody meal anyway.’

‘Jess, help me out, please. Think about what we had. It was glorious at times.’

‘You killed it, Calvin. Any love I felt for you, died when you attacked Sam in the flat. I saw the real Calvin then. Nana warned me about you months before, but I couldn’t see past that bloody smile of yours. She said you’d show your true colours soon and she was right.’

‘That interfering old witch, I’m glad she’s gone, I—’

Jess’s face turned into a mask of anger.

‘Stay away from me, Calvin, and stay away from the farm. I’ve seen you twice, and the third time won’t be lucky, because I’ll call the police and have you arrested for stalking.’

Jess snarled as she pushed at the door, forcing him to step back. In a flash she leaned out, grabbed the inner handle and pulled it shut. Quickly pushing down the lock button, she took a deep breath, inserted the key and switched on the engine. A furious Calvin stood in front of the car in an effort to stop her pulling away. Jess hit the horn repeatedly until the noise attracted the attention of two middle-aged men who were walking back to their own vehicle. Calvin gave Jess the middle finger and stepped aside as the men changed direction and began to walk towards them. Jess dropped the driver’s window, mouthed, ‘thanks’ to her two rescuers, then pulled out of the car park. She was still shaking when she arrived back at the farm.

Chapter 12

Nicola Griffiths groaned as her clock radio clicked over to six o’clock and heralded in the new day by blasting out the Rolling Stones classic, Street Fighting Man. She pulled the pillow over her head and pushed her arm from under the warmth of her quilt, making patting motions with her hand until somehow her fingers found the switch to shut off the alarm.

She closed her eyes and dropped off to sleep again only to be woken by a hammering on her door some ninety minutes later. Pushing the pillow from her head, she sat up and groaned as a bolt of pain flashed behind her eyes. The hammering continued.

‘All right, all right, I’m coming.’

Nicola slid out of bed and holding her head in both hands as if to keep it in place, she shuffled across the bare floorboards of her bedroom towards the window. Tugging the dingy, full length curtain aside she looked down into the street to see Mrs Kaur, owner of the local mini-market, staring angrily up at her.

Nicola cursed, pulled up the sash window and stuck out her head, blinking in the morning sunlight. Her head began to spin and she just managed to shout, ‘I’ll be there in ten minutes,’ before pulling herself back inside and throwing up on the floor.

She dressed quickly, pulling on the same clothes she had worn the day before, then she crossed the landing to the bathroom where she urinated, before standing in front of the aging bathroom cabinet mirror to study the all too familiar, hungover face reflecting back at her.

She shook her head slowly, a pained look on her face that was only partly due to the hangover.

‘Christ, you look older than Mum,’ she croaked. ‘How much did you have last night?’

Nicola half-filled the sink then, taking a deep