The Perfect Family

4. Nero, fix it.

Tesni and Samuel sit across Maci as Nero leaves, meeting up with a colleague of his. Stressed, he takes out a cigarette, lighting it then taking a few puffs before putting it out under his shoe. "Reed, you look like a middle aged man my guy." The colleague says jokingly. "Work will do that to you, especially when working all hours of the day and night." The colleague shakes Nero's hand taking a seat with him at the bar they decided to go to.

"How's the family?" Nero nods, "Great actually. How about you? How's the new wife and baby?"

The colleague smiles widely, "Absolutely amazing."

Nero's phone vibrates with information he asked about in Maci's principals office and more with the Orson incident. "Your dad?" The colleague asks while getting his beer then passing another to Nero.

"No, the girl I'm talking to."

The colleague smiles, "Well, that's good. I know you like testing every pond to demand."

Nero looks at the guy with his polished shoes, neat suit with a red lipstick stain on his collar and missing wedding band on finger, dissecting every little thing about him.

"Happily married and with a baby, yet..." Leans in close to the guy's ear, "You're trying to cover up that it's just a mask to hide what your real interests are." Patting the guy's shoulder, Nero gets up dropping cash onto the bar's countertop leaving disliking the guy in general.

Opening his car door, he gets inside looking at his phone more, making home visits to the two people that needed to keep their mouths shut.

First was Elizabeth's parents, the Wentworths.

They pretend to be very wealthy but not as well off as the Reeds which gave Nero the upperhand.

Knocking on the door, he fixes his suit coat, checks his watch and sees the two lovely pair standing in front of him.

"Marshall and Pamela?" Nero asks like a salesman would.

Marshall adjusts his bifocals while Pamela adjusts her blouse.

"Yes...who are you?"

Nero extends his hand out, "Nero Reed, Maci Reed's older brother." The both of them shake his hand slowly wanting to know why he was there. "I came on behalf of my sister to help with Elizabeth's recovery and to apologize for the unfortunate volleyball accident." Elizabeth slowly walks downstairs seeing Nero and hearing what he said. Getting in between her parents she points at Nero, "Your sister is Satan himself! All of you are!"

Nero grins low, "I see that hit of yours may have caused some head trauma."

Pamela clears her throat holding Elizabeth back, "Let the man speak hun." Nero takes out a great amount of cash handling it to Marshall. "This should be fine for all the expenses and Elizabeth to not go around calling us Reed's, Satan." Pamela snatches the money, "Why should we?" Nero nods, "I can see where the disconnect could be but I assure you this is the best option Mrs. Wentworth."

Marshall takes a moment to register what Nero was implying and nods, "Thank you for your generosity," Marshall looks to his wife while she acts upset but is actually hot and bothered by Nero.

"Have a good rest of the day," Nero goes to leave but turns to Elizabeth, "Make sure there's no more volleyball accidents from here on out." Elizabeth scoffs stomping her foot looking at Nero with a spiteful look.

Nero gets into his car driving to the second home.

When he parks outside of the home the brother comes out from the garage with oil stains all over him.

"You are?" The guy asks. Nero takes off his suit jacket loosening his shirt collar looking at the guy. "Nero, I'm friends with Kade Guerra." The guy squints his eyes looking at Nero's car and then Nero hesitantly. "Why are you here?" The guy leans over getting a canned beer in the portable cooler he has out on the ground.

"Your sister's incident. You told him the Reed siblings had something to do with it?"

The guy stops reaching for the beer looking up to Nero, "Come to think of it you didn't tell me your last name."Nero chuckles low, rubbing the bottom of his chin kicking some gravel with his feet.

"I just want to see where your heads are at with the whole thing, you know see what you think happened."

The guy stands up straight, folding his arms, raising his eyebrow at Nero, "I know what happened. My sister was pushed to keep quiet. About what? I have no idea. But I know she wouldn't have fallen down those stairs from losing her balance. My sister isn't that clumsy."

Nero nods, "That you know of, she has a track record of indulging in partying a lot and being hungover most of the time. What's so different this time? She could have lost her balance from being disoriented."

The guy thinks about it but shakes his head, "She didn't go out the night before, she was with her friend to study for an exam." Nero smiles, "Was she really? You know siblings younger than us have the habit to lie about what they do and go." The guy tries to go over the day and the day after but comes up short. "I guess..."

Nero holds the guy's shoulder as he says, "So I would just stop going around spreading false information. Okay?" Nero squeezes his shoulder with a warning then pats it leaving after having the guy understand what he was saying.

Driving to his place, Nero gets a call from his father.

"Roe, what happened with Benjamin? He backed out of the deal you were supposed to nail."

Nero sighs before answering, looking at the rearview mirror and the cars behind him.

"Dad, can we talk about this when I'm not driving?"

Samuel leaves the kitchen going into his home office.

"You know we need this accountant. If your mother finds out that we lost it , she'll have my neck. Capiscimi?"

Nero starts driving again letting the cars behind him go in front as he parks on the side of the street.

"Dad, Benji wasn't a good candidate anyways. He acts like he has morals but he doesn't. We don't need a man like him working with us or spreading his money with ill intent to save his ass and not ours."

Samuel curses in Italian pouring himself a glass of wine.

"Nero, fix it. That's all I ask."

Hanging up, Nero chucks his phone in the passenger seat side gripping the steering wheel.