CHAPTER NINETEEN

Interest figures at the end of this chapter are guesses.

I squeal and jump off the couch, crossing the couple of steps to where they're sitting and throw my arms around them both. Donna laughs and tugs me down to sit on Opie's other knee before looking at me seriously. "But with that list of reasons why comes a list of our own, well not really a list is, it's only two things. We do want some more answers, and we will get to the questions and after this you forget any guilt, any stupid sense of owing us anything. You're our friend, you're going to have to put up with us till we're all old and grey and shouting at each other about the 'good old days' who you are isn't about what you're worth. That doesn't matter to any of us, wouldn't matter if you were broke we'd still love you."

I nod, a couple of tears sliding down my cheeks and give them both another tight squeeze before going back to the couch. "Okay; so the rest of the questions?"

Opie straightens a little and looks at me again "There are only a few. Do you plan on telling Clay, and the rest of the club, what you're worth? Are you going to tell us why we're going to LA? Why does Donna keep muttering about Oswald? How much are you actually worth, total?"

I laugh, "First question, no I have no intention of telling Clay, or anyone else, what I'm worth. Clay knows that my parents were rich, he knows that their wealth is now mine but that's all he knows in regards to that. We're going to LA for booze. Chibs got hurt cause of me and while I wanted to buy him a drink he ever so helpfully pointed out that drinks are free. I told him to name any booze and I'd try and get it for him. He named some whiskey that he wanted, my lawyer found a bottle and we're going to pick it up for him."

Donna snorts, "It's more than booze. Tell them how much it cost you, cause you never told me."

I shrug a shoulder, "It was a little over 100k." I'm expecting the shocked looks that my friends all give me and my gaze doesn't change. "Chibs could have been killed if he'd been hit differently."

Opie shakes his head, "Why on earth are you spending that sort of money on a bottle of booze that will be drunk in a night?"

I shrug and cross my ankles in Jax's lap. "Because I can? If it makes you feel better my insurance payout for the car will cover most of that."

Jax laughs and rests a hand on my foot, "So you heard back?"

I nod, "While we were out today. Full payout on the car and modifications. Now I decide if I want to replace it or just stick with the one car for the time being."

Jax gets a calculating look on his face. "Well, you are going to LA tomorrow you know."

I shake my head at him and Donna who's nodding furiously. "I'm not going car shopping in LA. If I decide I want another car I'll do the same thing I did with the other two."

"What was that?" Opie asks draining his beer bottle. Donna jumps up and takes the empty bottle out to the kitchen, returning with 2 full ones she sits back down and looks at me.

"I decided what I wanted, researched it online then ordered one directly from the manufacturer."

"You can do that?" Opie sounds amazed.

I nod "Well my lawyer can. I guess anyone can when they throw enough money at something."

"So we're going to LA for a bottle of whiskey. You do know it'll get drunk aye?" Opie asks I can tell he's still trying to get over the cost.

I nod "Oh I know that and I'm looking forward to the look on the face of the person we're buying it from when they realise it'll get drunk. But just a heads up, if you're coming with me we're going into one of the richest suburbs in LA, I don't think the bikes, or my truck for that matter, will fit in."

Jax shrugs "Well it don't matter what we look like, you've got the money to pay for the booze and that should be all that matters."

I smile "It's already paid for, and yes it should be, which is exactly the reason that we're going to show up on the bikes. I'd like to burst a few bubbles while I'm there."

Donna laughs, the evilness in her laugh would be concerning to anyone who wasn't her friend "Oh I like it. And what's that smell?"

I sniff "Oh shit! Dessert!" I jump off the couch and rush through to the kitchen, barely saving the cakes I'd put in the oven before they turned completely black. "Sorry guys, guess it's just ice cream for dessert."

Jax's voice floats through the door "Training for the store already?"

I hear Donna asking what Jax means and he fills her in on the decision I'd made in a split-second today. By the time Jax is finished explaining I've put ice cream and spoons in four bowls carrying them out to the living room.

I sit back down on the couch "Can't believe I burnt dessert. I haven't done that in years."

Opie shrugs, stuffing a spoon piled high into his mouth "Not a big deal. You did have some bombshells to share today. And you still haven't finished. Oswald and do we actually find out how much our Little Sarah is worth?"

I eat another couple of spoonfuls of the vanilla ice cream before handing the bowl to Jax "I'm done. Right, so Oswald first. Really really briefly I own a portion of Oswald Lumber, Construction and Beef."

"Expand." Opie says blinking.

I tilt my head to the side "Jax and Donna already know most of this. While I was in New York I had my lawyer keeping an eye on a few businesses around here, ones that I knew would create awful situations in Charming if they failed. About 3 years ago Patrick came to me and told me that my dear cousin was causing problems and that Elliot's businesses were in trouble. I kept out of most of it but dumped a rather large amount of cash into the accounts and ended up with shares in all three of his businesses."

"How much?" Opie asks Donna and Jax are just quietly listening.

"Did I put it or do I control?"

"Both."

"Give me a second, I have to remember. Percentages are easy; it's 35, 30 and 10 in Lumber, Construction and Beef. Which works out to about ΒΌ of the whole of Elliot's businesses." I search through my memories, remembering the brief conversations that I'd had with Patrick regarding the contract and what it was going to cost. "So I think I put 1.5 in to start with, most of it went straight to Lumber which was having the most problems, but half all the profits that are meant to come to me get put back in the for expansion, plant and training."

Opie nods "That's a huge amount of money for someone who doesn't even live in the town to spend keeping it afloat."

I shrug "To me it wasn't a big deal. Without those businesses Elliot would have moved and taken away one of Charming's biggest employers."

"And our last question?" Opie says, meeting my gaze "Then I promise I'm done protesting."

I smile at him, the corners of my mouth twisting high "Thank god for that. How accurate do you want I can give you ballpark, if you want exact I'll have to go get my laptop."

"Ballpark is fine." Donna says her eyes more curious now.

"Okay, ballpark figures. I have 12 million dollars in various investments, short and long term which bring between 3 and 15 % returns per year. The interest is paid into my every day running account quarterly. When that gets too high I funnel more into the investments."

"How much is too high?" Jax asks and I sigh with relief, I was starting to wonder when his curiosity would get the better of him.

"Depends on what's on my immediate agenda. Right now my agenda is another glass of wine before I answer any more questions." I hop to my feet, retrieve the bottle wine from the kitchen and return to the living room.

Refilling Donna's glass I pour the last of the wine into my glass and sit back down on the couch taking a sip I look up and start what will hopefully be the last of my explanation. "Because of the house purchase and renovations, and the rebuild of your house I'm not putting any more into my investments at the moment, but my current bank balance is somewhere in the region of 11.5. I would have moved more into investments but I haven't gotten around to it yet. My normal balance is between 2 and 3 depending on what's in my plans."

Donna clears her throat and takes a gulp of her wine, the huge mouthful makes me cringe a little but her shocked expression stops me from saying a word. "Are you talking 11.5 million?" At my nod she continues, "Fuck you really could buy the whole town. So, and this is the last question. I promise, then we'll go home and see you tomorrow. How much do you make a year in interest?"

I smile "That is the million dollar question...quite literally. I make over 1 million dollars a year in returns. After taxes, so please all three of you stop worrying about my shopping addiction, the amount of money I'm pouring into the houses and the trip to LA. It's not going to make a dent in my finances unless someone burns down the hotel or something stupid like that."