ENDS

Chapter 44- Therapist

Third person pov

A knock resounded on the door and the entire occupants knew who they were expecting.

Mr. McConnell went personally to answer the doorbell, it was a vital discussion that was long overdue.

"You are a bit late, we agreed nine o' clock" said Mr. McConnell the moment he came face to face with the invited visitor.

"The streets aren't safe and you know that. Also, I needed to see the therapist as planned." Mr. Reid replied with a bit of annoyance in his voice, he wasn't familiar with being questioned and being in such situation triggered his nerves. "May I step in or would you rather me killed by your doorway." He continued and that made Mr. McConnell grudgingly give way for him to come in alongside two heavily built body guards.

Stepping aside for Mr. Reid to come in, he also scanned the outdoors like he was expecting someone else... which he actually was.

"Where are they? I thought you were bringing them in or even the therapist that had you delayed."

"I would appreciate it if you watch your tone with me McConnell. I dropped them off at her office, she needed to speak with them too to carry out her job accurately" Mr. Reid responded and turned around to everyone else in the living room.

"Good morning to the rest of us, I hope you at least were able to catch an eye rest as I couldn't" he added and took a seat not too far from the entrance and Mr. McConnell closed the door behind him and also proceeded to have his own seat.

"I don't know how you expect us to even consider batting our eyelids at this hour Reid, if you think this is some sort of joke then I suggest you desist from such mindset." Mrs. McConnell almost barks at him with a glare in her eyes.

"Brooks, your wife is still as rude I see."

"You know... there was a reason I always avoided you, I guess Hunter was too oblivious to your aura." He replied Reid's off-comment.

"Before we begin this tussle, where are the other occupants of this home?" Reid asks just to be cautious of whatever he says under their roof.

Mr. Reid has always been a careful man of few words to the right people hence why he avoided public occasions, he also had a low tolerance to stupidity.

"Edward and Guillermo took the cars to the mechanic for a check out, Cheryn and Claudette were sent to the mart, Megan, Matt and his wife went to stay with Dylan... he's been visiting the park ever since the passing of his mother." Laurel says coming out of the kitchen with a tray of drinks in her hands.

"Laurel love, didn't expect to see you here." Reid smiles as she approaches where they were all seated.

"Never planned to see you till I passed on to glory." She comments under her breath but loud enough for him to hear.

"Same here, sadly we couldn't convince Brooks to delete you from the equation" Tucker added also stepping out behind Laurel.

And for some reason Mr. Reid found their comments amusing. "Tucker, how is your lovely wife? Been years since I heard from her"

"I still don't like you Reid, don't act like I do." Steadily taking his seat and taking a glass from Laurel's tray.

Laurel handed over a glass to Brooks and Rose and proceeded back into the kitchen with an empty tray.

"Don't bother getting some for me Laurel, the feelings I'm getting in here could get me poisoned" Reid shouted as he watched her leave the room.

"I never had you in mind Arthur" she shouted back.

'oh' said Reid quite lowly.

He knew they never liked him from the beginning but he never knew the hate was this deep.

Maybe yes, he deserved it after what he pulled years ago but he had apologized and given them the space and assumed that it would have been enough to repair his damage.

Well, it seems nothing has changed between the family and him. He was still the Lucifer who had betrayed God in their sight.

There was a cold silence in the room as everyone waited for the return of Laurel, this gave the air conditioner at the far end of the room enough peace to play its humms.

Mr. Reid's heartbeat could've been heard by the person seated next to him which were his guards, a fearless man only knew fear in the presence of the McConnell family... a classic display of authority without mention.

Laurel returned from the kitchen and was the first to speak up and start the conversation.

"Brooks has briefed us on the saddest news of the year, my question is why."

Reid looked to Brooks to be sure when she said briefed, that meant she was well aware of everything before he could speak and Mr. McConnell's facial expression was enough to say yes to his internal question.

"You were asked something Reid" Rose reinstated just in case he hadn't heard it the first time.

"Because why not?" came his reply as he looked each and everyone of them directly in the eye. "He came to me for help, who am I to refuse?"

"You are a grown ass man who shouldn't be encouraging kids to get themselves into this mess." said Laurel.

"I didn't get hunter into this mess Laurel..."

"Then who did?" Tucker interrupted his statement.

"I am not well aware but you all can ask Hunter when and where he got himself into this problem because I had no hand in him getting into it, I only came in to get him out of it" Reid explained and leaned into his seat a bit more confident now that he could answer every questionable argument thrown at him.

"Well he is about to get killed" Laurel said again

"If not for me he would've gotten killed long ago, are you certain you were briefed on this issue?"

There was a moment of silence after the question was thrown and Reid took it as another opportunity to speak up again.

"Hunter is not a child, he made actions and actions deserve consequences especially if they were drastic and dangerous actions... if there's anyone to allocate blames to his head it should be Hunter. Not me, not you Rose, not Laurel but Hunter and until we're ready to accept that, only then would the guilt of what we are about to do lessen.

Oddly you were the ones who brought up the idea, not me... I would have never considered it knowing my past and yet here I am and you all are still trying to find a way to put blames on me? Quite a shame on all of you"

Mr. McConnell cleared his throat as he had been silent throughout the entire exchange, now was the time he felt was right to speak.

"This is something we would have done long ago but Rose insisted she wanted to speak with Miss. Jules first before her conscience could be clear on her decision and our delay has only led to more problems" he paused in between to be sure everyone concurred with all he was saying.

The face of his wife was sober and he knew the reason, he also was sober but he knew this was the right thing and it needed to be done.

"We are a family that believe in justice and exempting our son from it would only make us and our previous judgments' biased and two faced. My son was a bully, a rapist and was involved in illegalities and it is only vital that he is brought before the law. I do not know how to do that with a murderer hot on his tail and that is why I got you involved.

You were into all this, so we want to join forces with you to make sure all this is brought to an end. Whatever man power you need we are here to back it up with all we have and get our innocent baby and Jules safely home and Hunter behind bars" he ended.

Mr. Reid was silent after the McConnell's speech but he knew he was right and only wanted to do what's right.

But before he could reply they heard the doorbell.

"That should be the therapist and Jules parents" one of Reid's bodyguards said and stood to answer the door.