Chapter twenty four: Parting ways
The small village of St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda thrived with residents who shopped around the markets and with the beeping of cars, but mainly mopeds, Margo almost fooled herself into believing she was on a holiday, but when they all entered the accountancy firm to meet a lawyer, guilt tore away and wore heavily on her mind. With all this money came great power and unfortunately, Redfly wasn't here to grant them guidance.
"Minus our expenses and our administrative fee, that leaves five million, three hundred and thirty four thousand, one hundred and twenty dollars." The accountant woman informed from the head of the table. "Cut six ways which gives you eight hundred and eighty nine thousand and twenty dollars."
"Holy Christ." Margo couldn't refrain from using the lord's name in vein. The amount of cash they illegally owned was astounding.
The woman barely looked in her direction. "Oh, and I need all of your signatures on the fifth contract here. It'll deposit the deceased's share into the Redfly Family Trust." She then handed the sheets of paper to William with a smile. "Here you are."
William flicked through the paper and examined the information, emotionless. Then, turning the page on its side, he tore the sheets in half before leaning over to the accountant. "I'd like you to include my share into the family trust." After glancing to his brother, he passed the forms over to him, patted him on the back and exited the office.
Margo knew that these men were good people and not one of them would be greedy and keep the money for themselves. After all, Tom's family deserved the cash even though they wanted the things money couldn't buy because no matter how hard they wished upon a star, they'd never be able to bring their father home.
She took a deep breath and locked eyes with Ben. She didn't nod nor shake her head, instead, she looked down to the paper and wondered what the hell she was going to do next. She needed this money. Her rent was due tomorrow and she knew Matthew didn't have the finances to hold the landlord up until her arrival. Not only that, after everything they've been through to get the cash, she couldn't go empty handed, and when a thought occurred, she immediately lightened up.
It may not have been the morally right thing to do, but she had to put herself and her brother before a dead man and his family who were already getting a lump sum of money to cover all the costs associated with his departure. And so with the extra two million she stored in her jacket's coat pocket, she realised that although the men had emptied all their rucksacks onto the table, they weren't aware of the fortune in her clothes.
With the last minute decision of a conflicting theory, she decided that the money in this room would go towards Tom's trust, along with the other men's money but the money she had in her jacket would proceed to her own lifestyle which she could just about afford. With a rotten apartment and a shitty life in a shitty town, she and Matthew needed to break free and they needed to do it soon.
"Me too." Ben scribbled his name down on the paper before handing it over to Frankie, knowing that Margo wasn't ready for such a huge loss of cash, or so he thought. "Thank you."
With this money, Frankie had a lot to lose. Having another kid meant that he needed to put money away in order to provide them with a sturdy future and he sighed, knowing ultimately, he was going to remain a good person and so when he looked over to Margo and Pope, he crumbled up the paper in his hands. When he signed his name, he patted Margo on the back, winked at Pope and exited the room to meet the others.
When Pope passed the papers over to Margo, she shook her head. "You do the honours, chief. I insist."
"We fought so hard for this money." Pope's eternal war took a toll on him. "We went all that way for nothing and all we got in return was the death of Fly. In what world is that fair?"
Margo shrugged her shoulders and when a numb sensation fell upon her, she looked down to Pope. "The silver lining is that you're going to make his kids rich. It's the least they deserve."
"You're right." Pope didn't think twice about putting his name to legalise the transaction. When he took the pen away from the sheet, he handed it to Margo before leaving.
The lawyer spoke to Margo as she was the last one standing and he watched the younger woman scribble down her signature. "So, I will schedule all the payments to the family fund."
"Of course." Margo handed the paper over to her and with a heavy heart, she decided to fess up. "Listen, I have extra cash. I need it for personal reasons but I cannot tell the guys about it. I know how riled up they'll get but they have no idea what-"
The woman raised her hand up to stop Margo from blabbering on, and with a smile, she responded. "I won't tell them if you won't, but I will need to legalise the cash into your account. If you hadn't have told me, they would've found the cash in your bag and you would have been prosecuted."
"Thank you."
The accountant signed a few extra forms in regards to Margo's jackpot. "I understand what poverty feels like. Not being able to sleep, eat or continue with day to day life due to anxiety with debts are horrendus and I wouldn't wish it upon anybody." When the woman stood up, Margo followed suit and walked closer to the door. "Enjoy your millions while they last, Miss Hargrove."
Margo walked back out through the office doors and she couldn't believe the whole process, but maybe it was for the best. If she got excited about it now, the men would be alarmed and the jig would be up. But how will they not find out when she moves elsewhere for a better life? When she has everything she wants, people will definitely raise a brow. She couldn't blow her cover, and so maybe, she'd have to resort in another getaway, but did she have the heart to leave them again after the knots had been tied tighter?
She walked back out onto the street and when William caught a glimpse of her long, tanned legs that were revealed from her mid thigh summer dress, he smiled. She looked completely different from the bad ass she'd transformed into over the space of a week. Nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing, he thought.
"God, why are you all standing in the middle of a busy fucking street?" A smirk formed on her lips when she pushed her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose to rest the accessory on her head. "Don't you lads have any sense at all?"
Frankie growled and pulled the younger woman into his side and slung his arm over her shoulder. "What would we do without your constant nagging and words of wisdom, Vix?"
"It's not nagging or wisdom. I'm just baffled as to why we're spending our last day in the middle of the fucking street."
As the men laughed, William's face fell stern and sobered the others back to reality. "So, what are you guys gonna do now?"
"I gotta get home." Frankie breathed a laugh as though he had anything else to do.
Pope pulled out five passports. "Not without these."
"That'll help." Ben laughed.
A brief silence engulfed the survivors and Margo immediately felt sad. With Frankie's cue to leave, he spoke to Pope in Spanish and tapped his forehead with the passport he'd given to him and when he turned to Margo, he tutted upon seeing tears that had formed in her eyes.
"I'll see ya soon, kid. Don't get so upset or you'll get me upset and there'll just be a whole big bitch fest."
Smiling, Margo hugged Frankie tightly. "We will see each other soon because when I get home, I'm going to put my particular set of skills to good use and I'm going to find out all of your numbers and text you all. It's just not supposed to end like this. Not now."
"I'll take your word for it." With a grin, Frankie turned on his heels and left.
"It is pretty wicked though, isn't it?" Ben wore a sad smile. "All of us walking off into the distance."
Pope nodded before looking between Margo and Ben. "So, what are you guys gonna do? Is this real or was it just a week long romance?"
Ben looked down to Margo who'd held his hand. "We're engaged."
Suddenly, the colour drained from both Margo and William's faces. She completely forgot all about the drunken sacrifice she'd made to Ben but she didn't expect for him to remember either, nor to throw their relationship under the bus like that. She thought it was just mere wishful thinking but maybe she came off too strong.
On the other hand, William's heart undeniably broke in two. With the tears that only he could see, they wavered in his sight and threatened to spill with such news. Although he was shocked, he expected his brother to jump into something head first with impulse, seeing as how he'd never felt an emotion quite like Margo had made him experience. What Ben wanted, Ben got but on this occasion, he wasn't ready to let him have her. Not after last night.
Without bidding a farewell to Margo, he patted Pope on the shoulder and Santiago immediately understood why Will took himself off in a hurry. He could only sigh and watch the younger man walk away, leaving the blonde haired beauty in a mental havoc that she brought on upon herself. Nobody deserved her hellish love effect.
"Shit." Ben cursed. "I completely forgot-"
"No you didn't." Tears welled in her eyes. "You said it to hurt him because you know that he still loves me. I don't want this to be the last memory that we share together but I want you to go and make amends with William. Phone me when you get home."
Sighing, Ben pulled Pope into a hug and patted him on the back.
"I love you, buddy." Margo heard Pope mumble.
"Love ya too, man."
Ben then moved away from Pope and stood in front of Margo. He knew she was mad at him and rightly so. The way he jeopardised everything for the sake of an engagement announcement was idiotic but he couldn't resist pulling his fiance into his arms. In the split moment the encounter happened, she froze and wanted nothing more than to be alone but she couldn't help herself. With her squeeze tightening, Ben pulled back.
"Your fight is the first. You need to go, baby."
"Are you going to find Will?"
"He's probably back at the hotel. He'll be fine. I'll talk to him."
Pulling back, Margo gazed off into the distance with a far away expression. She had a plane to catch but all she could think about was how William was and how he was taking the news.
"Hey, look at me."
When Margo looked back to Ben, he pressed his lips against hers and briefly, she done the same but her mind wondered all the way back to Will. Everything always seemed to lead back to him and she was tired of being conflicted between the pair. In all honesty, she'd rather cut the pair off and live happily ever after alone with two million dollars to spend but she supposed she didn't want to be lonely forever and with a ring soon to be put on her finger, she had to make the Millers her best friends.
"I love you."
"I love you too, Benny." Margo then moved to Pope and hugged him. "What's your next plan of action, Pope?"
"Well, there's this girl I know in Australia so I'll probably pay her a visit."
Smiling cheekily, Margo nodded. "Good idea. I hear she'd come into some money. Invite me to the wedding, yeah?"
"Only if you invite me to yours." Then, with the lowest voice his chords could produce, he muttered into her ear. "Ironhead handed me co-ordinates of the money we left behind in the ravine. I hope that when the time comes, you're up for another trip to hell."
It was hard for her to leave, but everyone had to do it eventually. Only this time, she left because she had to. She knew they'd all find each other at some point in time but if she was being truthful, she regretted ever leaving them willingly in the first place because the one week she got familiar with them again, she was hooked on their undying bonds and loyalties that never faltered when means were tested. It was sad for her to walk away from the ones she loved the most but tonight, she'd raise a toast alone to how far they've came and propose to herself a life of love, health, luxury and keeping partnerships with good friends.
Author's note // so that's the end of the actual movie but I do have a few extra chapters in mind to write about so I hope you all stay for those. ♡