Knockout

Chapter 29

*One week later*

"Ms. Dane, did you hear what I said?"

I look up at the lawyer who's sitting behind his desk. Thatcher is next to me, only because he won't let me go anywhere alone. I glance at him, and he's beside himself with tears. Crying silently to himself.

"I missed it I'm sorry." I say softly, sitting up and directing my attention to him.

"I said, now that both of Bo's biological parents are no longer with us, she will go to the next of kin." He says again, slower this time.

"Who will that be?" I ask, crossing my legs and trying to hold myself together.

"She will go to Maverick." He says bluntly. "But given he's in recovery and will remain there for the next week, she will go to the god parents for the temporary time."

"I don't remember who the god parents are." I say quietly to Thatcher who quickly dries his tears and sits up, deciding to join the conversation.

"Ms. Dane, you are listed as a god parent." He says, never changing from his monotone voice. "You and a man named Marshall Mathers."

I internally hiss at him for being so blunt about things. Then I withdraw my mental judgement, it's probably a requirement of the job to be so cold. I wonder how many people he deals with in a week, there's probably no time for emotions.

"It's just me at the moment." I say, dismissing my curiosity of Marshall's whereabouts.

"That's perfectly fine." He nods, handing over a packet of paper. "Just fill out your address and phone number and the other lines and sign the bottom."

I sign in the appropriate places and hand the whole thing back to him. We're allowed a brief moment of silence before he begins speaking again, jumping right to the next point. It never occurred to me that I'd be sitting here doing this. Let alone for my friends.

"Now, I'd like to go over the arrangements Mr. and Mrs. Cox made in case of their...early departure." He says, and pulls out a semi thick book with leather binding.

"Thatcher, I want to call Marshall." I whisper to him so only he can hear. "I don't want to do this without him."

"Rachel, if he wanted to be here he would be. You've called him four times since we got here." He answers, dispelling any need I felt to call him. "We can't put this off any longer."

It's true I have been calling Marshall multiple times a day since the day he drove off. I've left three messages, just asking for him to give me some type of idea where he is. My heart begins to ache with feeling, I miss him. I refuse to acknowledge the inevitable idea playing at the back of my mind. There's no way he just packed up and left.

"They have purchased burial plots next to each other." He adds to a list of things I haven't been listening to. "And their joint will strictly prohibits a funeral."

"What?" Thatcher snaps. "Read it to me."

"Mr. Cox said, and I quote, 'I Rule Keaton Cox do not wish or permit any form of memorial or funeral upon my accidental or premature death.'" He reads.

"If he was still alive I'd kill him myself." Thatcher scoffs, pissed that Rule got this all legalized.

"I'm afraid this is just the beginning." The lawyer raises his eye brows and pulls out a red leather binded book, opening it. "I'm sure you know Mr. Cox was a very wealthy man, and left quite a bit of money behind when he died."

The two of us nod, and I grab Thatcher's hand just so I can hold on to something.

"It's stated here that five million of said fortune is to be spread amongst four charities to get young kids off the streets." He notifies us, his expression letting on that we should brace ourselves for the next part. "Allow me to read his words, 'in the event of my death, 25.6 million dollars from the Cox Aircraft Enterprise will be divided equally between my children. The eldest will inherit my home as well as my other property in Los Angeles California.'"