Risk & Reward

Thirty

⚠️Trigger Warning: mild⚠️

"Adam?" Shi asks, surprised to see her 'uncle' sitting at the dining room table when she walks into the house.

"Hey fancy pants." He smiles but it doesn't quite meet his eyes. The concerning part is it isn't the expected slight pity for the day, something's clearly wrong and he's the one who has to break the news.

"Not today... please." She sighs, knowing she's already got a battle to fight or ignore on Twitter.

"It's more Paul's problem than yours, but you should know too." He offers, sliding the chair beside him out for her.

"Shi, please?" Paul asks when she doesn't move.

"Fine... like this day could get any more fucked as it is." She grumbles, dropping into the chair and giving Adam her attention.

"I'm sorry I have to do this today, but as soon as the file hit my desk this morning I left to come tell you guys." Adam rubs his forehead as he pulls a manila folder out of his bag. "There's been a lot of unrest in the gang activity in the Carlsbad area lately." Shi is distracted by the way Paul's fists clench sharply at that.

"Ya." Adam signs out in response to Paul's movements.

"Who this time?" Paul's voice is hard, coming out between clenched teeth.

"Steven." Adam's eyes flicker to Shi as he says the name.

"My dad? My bio-dad I mean." Shi gasps, her chest twisting uncomfortably.

"That's the life I took you girls away from, Shilo. However you are feeling, is fine. I knew we'd have this conversation eventually. I'm sorry it's today." Paul turns quickly to her.

"There's only one person left, Paul. I had my assistant double check that while I drove up here."

"Besides me and the girls?" Paul assures.

"One left down south, yes." Adam confirms.

"Who?" Paul's voice has gone a bit weak, though no less angry.

"Dallin."

"Oh." Paul's eyes go wide, "he'd be what? All of twenty-two now?"

"Ya, he lived mostly with his mom growing up and she tried to keep him from Brian as much as possible. But he is still down there, and he doesn't have a clean record."

"I chose to leave that life, Adam. And I got these girls out too. I'm not trying to fix an adult."

"I'm not asking you to, but you're the oldest member of the family still living, which means you inherit a bunch of shit you don't want."

"You're right. I don't want it, and I don't want that family ever brought up again! We aren't part of it. Whatever I have to sign I'll sign, but it's dirty money and it's not coming anywhere near me or my family!" Paul stands up in a bit of a rage.

"I assumed as much, and that's what we'll do. But I had to tell you and legally you had to know."

"This couldn't have waited until tomorrow?" Paul adds sharply.

"The faster we settle this, the less you're dragged into things. I assumed that was worth more than finding out what was inevitable finally happened!" Adam is standing now too, his voice raising to meet Paul's.

"I'm going upstairs, thanks for the update." Shi excused herself before their tempers rage higher, she can't do this right now. She has few memories from her life before Paul adopted her, but her birth father had always been a looming and somewhat terrifying piece to those faint memories. She really doesn't have much to feel for his death and she has much bigger problems.