Chapter 7
Christina's POV
I dressed in a yellow dress that Satan had put in my closet. I sighed as I slipped on some sandals and headed up to the house. The Cameron's were already there when I walked in. Marissa was sitting in the chair already drinking heavily. Wheezie wasn't there and neither was Rose. But Rafe and Sarah were here.
"Christina. Lovely to see you again." Ward said smiling at me.
"You too." I said nodding.
"Your uncle should be here soon." Marissa said downing her drink. I nodded.
"No offense. But why is Rafe, Sarah and Mr. Cameron here?" I said grabbing a drink from the cart.
"Your uncle imposed on my dinner with them." She mumbled.
"Won't be the first time, would it?" I asked walking to stand at the fireplace. She rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. Her maid filled her drink again. Rafe came over and stood beside me.
"Any forewarning to this dinner?" He asked.
"Arguing, dead silent dinner, judgement, heavily drinking and yelling." I told him.
"So, nothing compared to last night?" He asked.
"Last night wasn't supposed to go like that. Corey wasn't supposed to be there." I said sighing. He nodded.
"You okay?" He asked.
"I will be." I said nodding. I looked over at Sarah and she looked bored. The doorbell rung. My uncle walked in with Greg and Tony.
"I had to open my own door, Marissa. I thought you were well stocked in servants for that?" He told her.
"And let the judgment begin." I mumbled.
"I am. You just don't have the patience to wait." She told him. I looked up at Rafe.
"And let the fighting begin as well." I told him. He sighed. My uncle sat down and the maid handed him a drink.
"Who are you?" My uncle asked Mr. Cameron.
"Nathaniel." Marissa started. He held his hand up and she went silent. Ward stood up.
"I'm Ward Cameron. These are my children, Rafe and Sarah. It's a pleasure to meet you." Ward said holding out his hand. My uncle took his hand and shook it. I nudged Rafe and nodded to my uncle. He walked over and shook his hand.
"Rafe Cameron, sir." He said nodding.
"Sarah." Ward said. She got up and walked over. My uncle looked at her then at me as he kissed the back of her hand. He knew about her. Hardy and his big mouth. Rafe came back over to me.
"When is dinner, Marissa?" Uncle asked her.
"730. Drinks at 7, socialize, then dinner and dessert, then coffee." She told him. He nodded, got up and looked around the room. I grabbed Rafe's arm and we walked to the side as my uncle got to the fireplace.
"Not even a picture of your family, Marissa. None of your niece, nephews, our parents, your brother's or sister. God rest their soul." He said walking around.
"I don't want to be reminded of our life, Nathaniel." She said. He looked at me.
"Christina. In the guest house, do you have pictures of us? Your family?" He asked.
"Yes sir." I said nodding.
"Even your niece has photos of our family, Marissa." He said nodding. I looked at her and she rolled her eyes.
"Well, good for her." She scoffed. He walked up to her. I squeezed Rafe's arm as my uncle grabbed her chin.
"Do not disrespect our family ever again." He told her. He let her go and sat back down.
"Now, what brings the Cameron's to our dinner?" He asked.
"I had already made dinner plans with them when you demanded we do our dinner." She told him.
"I'm only in town for a short time, this is only the free time I had." He told her.
"Ah, yes. Your business." She said nodding. He glared at her.
"We're going to go check on dinner. Rafe." I said pulling on his arm.
"Stay." My uncle snapped at us. I stopped but didn't let go of Rafe's arm.
"You're bruising me." Rafe whispered. I let go of his arm.
"Sorry." I mumbled. He nodded.
"Christina, where is your boyfriend at this evening?" My uncle asked me.
"He is with his friends, uncle." I answered. He nodded.
"I'll meet with him before I leave then." He told me. I nodded.
"Yes sir." I said. A few minutes passed of silence.
"Ms. Clarence, dinner is ready." The maid said coming in. We all followed them into the dining room and sat down.
"How is business brother?" Marissa asked.
"Why? Need some money?" He asked her. I looked between them then back at my plate.
"Please. Like I would ever take your dirty money." She scoffed at him.
"I've earned my money, Marissa. Unlike you, who has lived off our parent's inheritance and insurance." He scoffed at me.
"Both of which is still dirty money." She said sipping her wine.
"How long are you in town uncle?" I asked him.
"Until the end of Friday." He told me. Marissa mumbled something, loud enough for him to hear, cause he slammed his hand down on the table, making us all jump.
"Enough! You have disrespected our family for the last time! I will not allow it at my table!" He snapped at her. Silence fell over the table.
"Mr. Cameron, I apologize for my sister and my behavior this evening." He told Ward.
"It's okay. Families argue, am I right?" He said nodding. He nodded. We continued to eat.
"Tell me about your school, Sarah. My niece, may want to attend if she hears great things of it." My uncle said.
"The academy is great. Lots of kids our age go there. The classes are well informed with every subject." She said nodding.
"I'm perfectly fine with going to public school, uncle. My grades are excellent, attendance is great as well, I was the top in my last school. Plus, we don't have to wear disgusting uniforms to class each day." I told him.
"But will it help you get into a college of excellency?" He asked.
"If I apply to them, and go for scholarships, then yes." I answered.
"No scholarships. You'll pay full price for however long needed." He said shaking his head. I nodded and looked down at my plate.
"Yes sir." I said nodding.
"Your niece is running around with thugs, Nathaniel. These men she grew up with, your men, you're going to allow that?" Marissa scoffed at him. He rubbed his face then leaned forwards on the table. He was pissed.
"My apologies for tonight's dinner. Christina, please walk the Cameron's out to their car for the evening. Then you will take the Rover and go join your boyfriend and his friends. Remain there until I come." He said as calmly as possible. Tony handed me the keys and nodded. We all stood up and walked outside.
"What's going to happen in there?" Sarah asked me.
"Nothing you need to worry about." I told her. She nodded and got in the car with Ward. I looked at Rafe.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah. I'll see you around Rafe." I said nodding.
"Topper is throwing a party later, if you want to join." He said smirking.
"Thanks, but if I'm not at John B's when my uncle comes, he'll have my head." I said chuckling. He nodded and looked at the car.
"I'm surprised you haven't hit her yet. For kissing your guy." He said laughing.
"It's coming, don't worry." I said patting his shoulder. I walked to the Rover and got in. I drove out to the cut and headed to the Chateau. Everyone was around the fire pit. I got out and walked over to them.
"There she is." John B said standing. I smiled at him.
"Show her, man. Show her!" JJ said excitedly.
"Close your eyes." John B told me. I closed my eyes tightly.
"Now open." He said. I opened them and gasped at what he was holding up.
"Is that? No way!" I said happily.
"Yup! And baby, there is so much more down there! You just don't know! God, I wish you could've been there tonight with us!" He said picking me up.
"Oh my god! Oh, John B!" I said laughing. I pulled back and looked at him.
"I'm so proud of you, baby." I told him. He leaned down and kissed me. I kissed him back. He pulled back and leaned his forehead against mine.
"So, tomorrow we will take it to a pawn shop, and see how much we can get for it." He said holding me closer.
"They're going to low ball you if you take it there." I told him. He pulled away and shook his head.
"And who do you think we should take it too? A jewelry store? One of your crooked friends that deals?" He scoffed. I scoffed and nodded.
"Wow. Okay. I was just going to offer some help for you to get the gold and at a higher price but uh. I can tell you don't want it." I said turning away. I headed to the car.
"Christina! Christina, stop! Wait!" He called out. He ran up and grabbed my arm. He turned me around and sighed.
"What?" I asked yanking away from him.
"Don't leave." He said.
"I can't, even if I wanted too. Not until my uncle comes anyways." I said huffing. I crossed my arms and looked down.
"Until then? Then what?" He asked.
"I'm here." I said sighing.
"Can we talk about the offer you were talking about?" He asked.
"No. You clearly don't want my help, so no, we can't. I'm going inside to change." I said walking past him.
"Christina." He said sighing. I shook my head and walked inside. I looked around the living room for my bag but I didn't see it. I went to John B's room and saw it on the floor. The bed was fully put together. I picked up my bag and pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I changed clothes, let my hair down, and walked out of the bedroom. I sat down at the table with a beer.
"You okay?" Kie asked walking in.
"Just peachy." I said sighing.
"John B is an idiot." She said sitting down beside me. I took a long sip of the beer as I shook my head.
"I'm not talking about it with you, either." I told her. She huffed.
"Chrissy. If it can help us, then we need to talk about it as a group." She argued with me.
"Sorry, but captain jerk out there doesn't want my help. Good luck with the pawn shop." I said standing up. I walked outside just as my uncle's car pulled up. He got out and looked around.
"Uncle Nate." I said nodding.
"I'm sorry about dinner. Your aunt shouldn't be disrespecting our family that way." He told me.
"Trust me, I know. Did she tell you she's using mom's death for her own personal exposure? Loving aunt and sister takes in deceased sister's troubled teen?" I mocked.
"No. But I will speak with her again about it later. Now, where is this boy of yours?" He said. I looked over at everyone by the fire.
"John B." I called out. He came over.
"What's up?" He asked me.
"Uncle Nate this is John B, my boyfriend. John B this is my uncle Nate and his men, Tony and Greg." I said introducing them. John B held out his hand to my uncle.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. John B Routledge, sir." He said swallowing. He was nervous. My uncle took his hand.
"I understand you're with my niece. I hope she will catch you up on our family one day. But for now, you break her heart again, I will make sure your body is never found." He told him.
"Yes. Yes sir." He stuttered.
"I mean that, son. She's my only niece, she's a daughter to me. I don't mess around when it comes to my family." He said.
"I understand, sir." He said nodding. He let his hand go.
"Now, Christina, the Rover is yours. Use it as you please. Your aunt will be enrolling you in the local public school tomorrow, so come Fall you won't be behind." He told me.
"Yes sir." I said nodding. He looked around the place.
"I will make some calls to the company about getting everything back up and running around here by Friday. Steven taught you well, Chrissy." He said nodding. I laughed and nodded.
"Had to learn it somehow." I said shrugging.
"If you need anything, Chrissy, call me. Mr. Routledge, if she gives you any trouble of any kind, let Hardy know." He told him.
"Yes, sir I will." He said.
"Now I have some business to attend. Hardy and Steven are due back tomorrow. And I'm sure they will be by to see you." Uncle Nate told me. He kissed my head.
"Can I ask a business question, sir?" John B asked him.
"What sort of business?" He asked.
"John B." I started. My uncle held up his hand to me and I went quiet.
"What sort of business, son?" He asked again. John B cleared his throat.
"My dad started a treasure hunt for The Royal Merchant. My friends and I picked up where he left off after we found something of his that he left behind. Recently, we found a large amount of this treasure." He said. He brought out a gold bar from his pocket. He handed it to my uncle.
"Tony." He said looking at the bar. He walked to the back of his SUV. We followed him. He put it on a scale, tapped it, scratched it.
"It's real boss." He told him.
"How much for one bar?" I asked him.
"This size, weight, probably about 40,000 a piece." He said.
"What? 40,000 for each bar that we find?" John B gasped. My uncle nodded.
"How many bars did you find, son?" He asked.
"It was muddy down there. But there has to be more than that down there." He said shaking his head. My uncle looked at me then at John B.
"Let me speak with my niece for a moment alone." He told John B. He handed him the bar back and John B walked off.
"I sense tension there between you two." He said.
"I really like him uncle. More than I liked Cody. I've been honest with and the others about everything, and every little detail of my life except what you do of course. I was going to offer up setting up a meeting if you were available to help him get the remaining out of the hole, but he threw up in my face about one of my crooked friends that deal. Now I won't talk to him about it at all." I told him.
"He doesn't like your history." He said sighing.
"It's just something he'll have to get use too." I said shrugging.
"Table inside?" He asked.
"Yes sir. But uncle." I started. He held his hand up and I nodded. I walked over to John B and the others. John B stood up.
"Well?" He asked.
"Come inside." I said softly. He nodded and followed me. My uncle followed us inside and I cleared up the table and they sat down.
"Leave us, Christina." He said. I nodded and walked out of the house.