Bad Bets (Bad News Series Book 3) *Under Major Edit*

Chapter 40

All eyes were now on both Brent and George yet it was difficult to read the expression across George’s face.

He looked lost… confused… vacant.

He didn’t say a word.

He remained silent.

“Buddy is George’s biological father.” Rebecca began. “Your mum wouldn’t let him have anything to do with you, the dad you knew, took you on as his own.”

“Stop.” Isabella pleaded. “Please, stop.”

She knew everything George was being told was slowly processing. She also knew that he didn’t need this. He didn’t need anything else being torn from him.

They were his parents. He loved them. He couldn’t have that broken too.

“To get payback Buddy went after them, he killed them, took George in and got all their life savings.” She concluded and all the gang’s heads instantly directed her way.

“Wait, so you’re saying…” Matt began and Rebecca nodded.

“That’s where it all started. He found pleasure from what he did to George’s parents so he did it to all of your parents too.”

“But it all started because he was angry? At my mum?” George finally spoke up, no emotions present in his tone.

“Yes and picking out the rest of you wasn’t random either. Myself, Jonathon and all your parents used to be in a gang, minus Buddy. He was mad and wanted payback.”

“You were in a gang with my mum and dad?” Jess confirmed.

“Correct but that was in the past.”

Rebecca was trying to move on from the subject quickly, not wanting to dwell on speaking about the past for too long.

It wasn’t obvious why, but she got her way. Everyone stopped talking and continued to listen.

“This time when Buddy tried to threaten us with Juliet for help, we had one over on him. We brought George into it so he backed off. We then went to Brent, whom had been visiting Jay in prison at the time already giving up on his father. Isn’t that right?” She glared at Brent who had been silent this whole time, he just nodded.

“We then told him about George, he didn’t know and that’s why he’s here now. He’s just as angry at his father as you all, and he’s here to help.”

No one was speaking.

Everyone just sat in silence as they tried to push away that sickening feeling this conversation had brought them and instead understand what was going on.

Their whole lives they had been played.

They had been controlled by a man they had once looked to as a father figure.

He had seeked out help from the one couple who were meant to be deadly, yet they had turned out to be cowards and helped him because of threats.

“That’s everything we know.” Rebecca finished, looking over to her five boys before turning her attention to Juliet.

“Juliet, we may not have wanted you from birth but you have something that our sons don’t. You have lifetime protection, we will always protect you from anything that could hurt you. The boys on the other hand, we will never fully look out for them. They have to look after themselves or they will die. It’s as simple as that… and they’ll be lucky to still be here in a few years. You all will.” She focused her attention on George, Matt and Jess too.