FORGIVELESS | GRAYSON HAWTHORNE

twenty seven

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.
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XANDER AND NASH left to try to find the remaining two Hawthorne brothers while Val was instructed to go the Great Room where Avery would be waiting for her.

The Gomes girl hadn't visited that room since the reading of the will; the moment in which the Hawthorne's lives had changed, forever.

Upon entering the room Val did not find Avery. Instead, she was faced with an opening on the floor.

Edging nearer, Val peered down the hole. She could see nothing; whatever was down there was plunged into darkness.

However, the girl could hear voices drifting through the floorboards.

"Where were you the night of the shooting?" It was Avery's voice.

"You don't know what it's like." Came the second voice. Val's breath hitched for a second.

Was that? No, it couldn't be Emily.

Val let out a shaky breath. It was Rebecca, Emily's younger sister. They both sounded so similar.

"To have your entire life revolve around one person, and then you wake up one day, and that person is gone." Rebecca continued.

Suddenly the door to the Great Room opened once more. Val whipped her head around to see Grayson walking towards her.

The girl placed a finger to her lips indicating for him to be quiet. He obeyed, and joined her by the opening in the floorboards.

Rebecca was speaking again. "Mr. Hawthorne told me about the tunnels one summer when I was little. He showed me all the entrances, said I deserved something that was just mine."

"And?" Asked Avery after a beat of silence.

"The night of the shooting, I saw two other people in the tunnels. I didn't say anything, because Emily wouldn't have wanted me to. She would've hated that you stole their money. I owed her. After what I did—I owed her."

"Who did you see?"

"S-Skye Hawthorne. And... And Val's grandfather. They had a gun." Was Rebecca's reply.

Val's heart dropped. João?

The man who had looked after her for all these years.

He had tried to kill Avery?

We trusted you. Val could hear her mother's words. We trusted you and you went right back there. To those dangerous, dangerous people.

Her mother and father had been right to keep her away from the house. Maybe it wasn't merely because of the boys. Maybe her own grandfather was the biggest threat present at Hawthorne House.

Val looked to Grayson. He too was in shock, she could tell by the look on his face. His own mother had equally been involved in Avery's attempted murder.

Without a word the boy took Val's hand, leading her down the steps. They made their way towards the voices.

"I should have told someone," Rebecca was saying. "After the shooting, as soon as I realised what I'd seen—I should have spoken up."

"Yes." Came Grayson's razor sharp tone from beside Val. "You should have."

The girls turned towards him in surprise, finally realising that they had company.

"It was your mother, Gray." Rebecca pleaded. "And your grandfather Val. I couldn't—"

"You know I would've taken care of it." Grayson said. "Everything will be fine, Rebecca. I promise you that I'll take care of this."

"Everything is not fine." Growled Avery.

"Go." Whispered Val to Rebecca, who looked as though she had just seen a ghost. The Laughlin girl looked thankful to have a reason to leave and disappeared swiftly through the opening in the floor.

Avery turned to the two remaining members. "Your families tried to have me killed."

"My mother is a complicated woman." Grayson said. "And João would always follow whatever Skye asked of him. But they're family."

Val swallowed the lump in her throat. It was true, João would do whatever it took to help Skye and Zara Hawthorne. They were his best friend's daughters after all. But going as far as attempting to shoot someone? Surely the grandfather she knew wouldn't dream of such a thing.

"If I asked you to let me handle this," continued Grayson, "would you? I can guarantee that no more harm would come to you or yours."

After scanning Val's panic stricken face, Avery reluctantly agreed.

Suddenly footsteps clattered overhead.

Jameson, Nash and Xander appeared and they were ready for whatever it was that Avery had found.