Reckoning (Wolfes of Manhattan 5)

“Remember,” I said. “Derek Wolfe is dead. He no longer matters. The Wolfe name is about us now. The eight of us.”

A month later, we all gathered in the now-cleared top floor penthouse. Rock and Lacey’s belongings were still in boxes, but we had a makeshift meeting with good old New York-style pizza and cheap chianti from the liquor store on the corner—Rock’s request.

“To Wolfe Island.” I held up my glass of wine.

“We’ll have to make getting there easier,” Riley said.

“We will,” I agreed. “I’ve got transportation engineers working on those details. Architects and design engineers working on the plans. My plan is to get it opened in a year’s time.”

All eyebrows except Rock’s shot up.

“That’s impossible,” Roy said.

“It’s definitely possible for the art colony and retreat.” I cleared my throat. “The resort will take a little more effort and we’ll be greasing some palms, but I will get it done. We’re taking back everything Dad stole from us and all of his victims. We’re going to make this work.” I grabbed Zee’s hand and caressed her palm with my thumbs. “We can’t change what he did to you, my love. Or to Riley. Or to the rest of us. What we can change is how we deal with it. We’re going to turn his legacy into a legacy of love.”

“And profit!” Rock laughed.

I laughed and nodded. “Profit creates jobs. Profit means we can help those who need it.”

“And it works pretty well for the rest of us,” Roy said jovially.

I looked around.

Roy, no longer a recluse. Happily married and moving to a beautiful island to run an art colony. He and Charlie could paint to their hearts’ content and mentor other artists.

Riley, still a supermodel, now styled as Riley Rossi. She’d continue to grace the runways wearing the newest fashion, and she’d also help Matt run the retreat from offices on Wolfe Island. She’d decided only to travel for the best shoots. Otherwise, she’d be doing the work of her heart from the island.

Rock, my big brother, would stay in New York with Lacey to run Wolfe Enterprises. Our attorneys had advised us that the newfound information regarding our father’s exploits was grounds to petition the probate court to nullify the portion of Dad’s will requiring Rock to stay, but he and I agreed we both needed to be in Manhattan.

We worked well together, and our personalities and business senses seemed to complement each other. Lacey would take over the Wolfe legal team once Lester retired in a couple months.

Our long lost brother, Jordan. On the run as a fugitive. No one had put up any roadblocks, though. In the end, once we were all exonerated and the bad cops were behind bars, no one seemed to care so much that Derek Wolfe was gone. Our half-brother had put us through this, but in the end, he’d saved us.

In my way, I wished him well.

I stared at the beauty next to me. My Zee. Where would she end up?

She hadn’t made any decisions yet.

Perhaps she’d decide to work for the company. Perhaps she’d go back to dancing. Perhaps she’d go to college and then medical school and finally realize her dream of being a doctor. Or perhaps she’d stay home once the little bundle percolating inside her arrived. Turned out she didn’t have her pills on the island.

Not a bad thing.

I smiled and squeezed her hand.

We’d all been through our personal hell.

There was nowhere to go but up.

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