CHAPTER NINETEEN

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile.

Jax lets go of the door holding me in place while it swings closed again "Who is he?"

"He's the senior partner in a law firm in Florida; he was my parents' lawyer. I don't know why he's here though."

Jax shrugs "He wouldn't say anything to any of us. The only reason he's inside is Clay recognised him."

I nod "He would, they met a few times back when I was little."

Jax reaches forwards again and opens the door, following me into the darkened room it takes a second for my eyes to adjust, seeing Clay and the old grey haired lawyer sitting at a table, neither of them speaking and both looking rather tense. Crossing the room I slip into the seat between them and twist my head to look at the older of the two men "Mr Goldsmith. What are you doing here?"

Opening his briefcase he pulls out a pile of paperwork and sets it on top of the table "The recent events in your life have made my visit necessary. With your marriage, which your lawyer informed me of, the final parts of your parents' estate get released."

I can't do anything but stare at him, my brain has stopped working but it's Jax's voice that breaks through the haze "What final parts?"

Shaking my head I attempt to clear the clouds from between my ears "I thought it was all done when I turned 18?"

Shaking his head he flicks through the pages of my parents will that I'd seen dozens of times, the additional two pages he slides across the table are new, along with the fat envelopes resting on top of them. I barely look at them for a second before recognition floods my bloodstream; the curly writing on one belongs to my mother while the block lettering on the other is my father's handwriting.

"Your parents wrote you a letter each year on your birthday. They are in those envelopes. The other pages are the remainder of your inheritance that was put in trust for either your 25th birthday or the day you got married, whichever came first."

Picking the entire bundle up I lurch to my feet and run for the door, my feet moving faster than my mind in that moment, the last two times I'd sat with my parents lawyer had been the day their will was read and I found out I was being shipped across country like some piece of pretty furniture and the day I had millions of dollars dumped into my lap.

Getting to the driver's door of the truck I stop mid movement where I am, one hand on the door handle and the other clenched around the papers in my hand. Taking several deep breaths I lean my forehead against the window of the truck.

The sound of footsteps running across the lot register a second before Jax wraps his arms around me, pulling me to his chest and running his hands over my hair "You okay babe?"

I shrug "I don't know. Nothing registered after seeing Mom and Dad's writing."

Jax chuckles "Well the old guy didn't seem surprised when you ran."

I nestle closer to his chest "I did that the last time I saw him in New York. He'd just dropped the million dollar bombshell on me."

Jax puts his fingers under my chin and tilts my head so I'm looking up at him "Well this time you've got me to help, and Clay's still in there too. Piney and Opie are on their way out to see Laroy with Tig and Bobby so the clubhouse is empty."

I nod, letting him pull me back towards the doors, my body curled under his arm.

Sitting back down in the chair I apologise to both Clay and Mr Goldsmith first and the long look I get in reply from Clay makes me wince, Robert's quiet shake of his head all the disapproval I need from him, not that I'd want his approval anyway.

Clearing his throat he picks up the papers from where I'd dropped them "As I was saying, these are the last bits of your parents' estate. The letters which you obviously can take when you leave and post-marriage/25th birthday parts. Do you want me to go over it all?"

I shake my head "Not really, just give me the highlights. I'll read it all later; I trust that Patrick already has a copy?"

Robert nods his head once turning one sheet over "I assumed you would only want the 'highlights' as you did with the rest of your inheritance. This part is rather simple. The remaining funds are released and the stocks that have been held will be merged into your portfolio. Full control over the donation distribution is turned over to you as well."

Each sentence makes my brow furrow a little more "Okay, so maybe I need more than the highlights."

Robert sighs "I thought as much. The remaining funds are the simple part. A further 5 million dollars will be processed through to whichever avenue you want, your lawyer or your own accounts?"

"Send it to Patrick." I answer without thinking "The same with the stocks, they can be merged as planned. What I want to know is donation distribution?"

Turning the pages to me he flicks the top one over "One account your mother set up was solely for charitable donations. All interest is donated wherever you wish; the only conditions are that it's a yearly cycle. You may not repeat a charity within a 5 year span."

"So where have they been going for the past 10 years?"

"The first 5 years they were being sent to charities to assist with senses. Three for sight and two for hearing. The last 5 years they have been split between 5 different charities for returned servicemen and women, both who have been injured in combat and those who required assistance settling back into normal lives."

I nod and he flicks the page over "The stocks that will be merged are a further 5 million dollars' worth. The investment accounts are registered completely seperately to the Hale Trust which is the company your parents set up for them."

I lean against the back of the chair I'm in and sigh "This is just stupid. I don't need all this money appearing." Jax reaches over and picks up my hand, stroking his fingers across my knuckles lightly.

Pressing my hands to my face I take a second in darkness to attempt to absorb some of what I'm being told. Shaking my head and sitting up again I squeeze Jax's fingers "Okay, anything else?"

Robert shakes his head "No that's all. The last thing you have to do is fill in these forms."

Picking up the three pages I roll my eyes briefly at the thought of still using carbon paper, but in situations like this it's easier than having to do the same information multiple times. The 4 paragraphs simply say that I've had all the information explained to me and that the directions have been given. Filling in the lines where it asks where the various things are to be distributed I sign the bottom of the page and hand it back.

"Is that it? You're not going to show up in another few years and drop more stuff on me are you?"

Robert tucks the pages into his briefcase after tearing the middle one out for me and shakes his head and gets up, crossing the dimly lit clubrooms towards the door. "That's it. You shan't see me again Miss Hale."

"Mrs Teller." I correct him following him towards the door "After all, this visit was because I got married."

An incline of his head is all I get as he settles into the driver's seat of a new sedan and starts the engine. "Good luck Mrs Teller."

Lifting my hand halfway up I drop it back to my side when he reverses out of the park and pulls out of the lot. Jax's hand drops on my shoulder and I lean back "Can I run away now?"

Leading me to the car he nods "Sure you can. I'll get the base out of the back and get Ma to bring Abel home later. Go do whatever it is you need to do."

Handing the two envelopes to me he kisses my forehead "Just remember, I'm here for you."

"I'm not going anywhere out of the lot baby. I just need some time. I'll be on the roof, K?"

Jax nods and let's go of my hand, watching me as I cross to the ladder and up, my feet almost silent on the rungs as I climb towards the sky.