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[color=dcdcdc][indent][indent]She couldn’t remember much.

Cutting through Lyon Park was not an unusual thing on her evening jog. Most people would feel unsafe doing so but not Bev; she had protection. ReyRey had promised her and her family safe passage through the Southside in exchange for a small slice of their house flipping business. Seemed reasonable in Edenridge terms. It boggled the mind then as to why she remembered so clearly being pulled into the tree line and beaten, so savagely. She would try to fight back but whoever had accosted her was three sizes bigger.

After being knocked out, Beverly had awoken to this empty room. It looked old, dirty and the floor, God the floor was coated in what she could only assume to be old, dried blood. The terror she felt in that moment was something spectacular. This room was so eerily quiet, deathly silent save for Beverly’s own heartbeat, which currently felt like it was about to explode from her chest. She couldn’t move. Her hands and feet were bound to the chair, the only thing besides herself in the room and a small table that stood before her was another seat on the opposing side.

Wait.

There was something! A slight sound, a faint whisper, footsteps! She tried to open her mouth to scream but nothing came out, the gag in there was muting her. Beverly’s tear stained eyes widened as the old, rusted door edged open and in walked two silhouetted figures. The larger of the two walked behind her, his face shrouded in darkness. The other stepped into the light. That face! A fresh face. A fresh start. It was the fucking Mayor.

[color=666666]“Good evening Beverly, thank you for having the good sense to be frightened.”[/color]

His voice was like butter, it was designed that way. His appearance was youthful and immaculate. Presentation is everything. From the fine pressed suit, to the short boy band style hair and five o’clock shadow from sleepless nights trying to help his beloved community; Theodore Grimm was a vision of a man. Most of Eden’s population loved him; he was everything one could want in a public official. Then there was the rest, the people who knew the real Teddy Grimm. A boy who grew up on the Southside before vanishing. A boy who, when looked at closely, embodied everything that was truly wrong with the cursed place. 

He took the seat opposite of Beverly, crossing his legs and interlocking his fingers across his lap. He watched the bound woman for a moment, his brown/hazel eyes taking her in. It was as if he was reading her like one reads a book, soaking in all the possible information that he could before speaking. Finally, he reached into his jacket, not breaking eye contact once as he pulled a gun from it and placed it down onto the table. 

[color=666666]“I am hoping that this…transaction of ours can come to a most satisfactory of endings; otherwise I have no problem, no problem at all, with going to your little girl's school…what is her name?”[/color] His tone was playful, almost sing songy. [color=666666]“…Of course Neveah. Yes, Neveah, and ripping her eyes out and feeding them to your elderly mother in the guise of her favourite, meatball sub from the Godmothers. So I suggest you do not, push me, Mrs O’Driscoll. Remember, you cannot lose if you do not play.”[/color]

The way he spoke. It was enthralling. He did not carry the same New England twang as did so many in the area. He sounded like Kelsey Grammar or like Cary Grant from the old movies that Beverly used to watch with her mother. Everything was so smooth, his cadence almost melodic. It was hypnotising but also, absolutely terrifying.

[color=666666]“How well, do you know your Edenridge history, Beverly? I must confess I was not the most..attentive student but I did really enjoy my history class, especially when the topic was local lore. Have you heard, dearest, of the Southside Reaper? His tales are rarely told outside of the snake pit but please, if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to weave you a yarn.”[/color]

Teddy folded his arms like a father, which he was, about to tell a bedtime story to a child. Yet the look in those eyes, this was not going to be Snow White and the Seven dwarves.

[color=666666]“Once upon a time, there were four brothers. Rusty, Rocky, Rooster and, of course, Reaper. Each of them had a unique set of skills. Rusty, he was the heater. He would take a bullet for his brothers, a shield around them from a world that was out to get them. Rocky, he was their collective heart. He saw what the others didn’t and felt everything. Rooster he was, he had a knack for fixing wounds, let's say. And then Reaper, we'll say he was efficient.”[/color]

The second man in the room, Beverly didn’t see much of him beyond a waif of blonde hair. He stood behind her, each of his hands on both of her shoulders. They were adorned in rings, his wrists in trinkets. She recognised them. This was the man that stood silent behind the Mayor during every appearance; his security. Laslow, was it?

[color=666666]“One day, the brothers came across a horrendous scene. An Irishman lay bloody but unbowed down at the train tracks, cowering from the bullets of unknown assailants. Of course, Rocky and Rooster took to caring for the man. Like the good big brother he was, Rusty drew their fire whilst the Reaper became a wraith and systematically took out everyone with cold precision. If I am not mistaken, which I rarely am, that man was your father, Mrs. O’Driscoll and if you haven’t figured it out by now, I am the Reaper and I have come to collect on a debt.”[/color]

The Reaper.

Those words made her heart sink even further into her chest. Of the many horror stories of the last, his was one told to every child on the Southside, a bogeyman used to scare kids away from the oh so easy life of crime that calls to them when living beyond Carlisle. Before she was frightened, now she was terrified.

[color=666666]“My colleague here is about to put a contract in front of you, predated to a few months ago naturally, which will sign over the land that you currently own on Charter Hill to the city. Then, once you’ve done that, you are going to take this nine millimetre, your husbands, you know the one. You are going to take it, put it in your mouth and blow your brains out. Now don’t worry about the mess, I pay people a lot of money to maintain standards around here. We will take you home, where your darling husband will find you. My brother, will then arrest him for your murder and darling, sweet little Neveah will become a ward of the state but please, do not be alarmed, I will make sure she is taken care of. The sins of the father shall only be held against his own child, not the rest of his family.”[/color]

Teddy motioned with his eyes as Sebastian began to remove Beverly’s gag from her mouth.

She knew there was no use in screaming. No use in calling for help. Maybe she could sweet talk him? She’d play ball, give him what he wanted and then she and Neveah could leave town and never look back. Beverly had often thought about it. She never wanted to get mixed up with these sort of people, she inherited her fathers bad luck. [color=c4f0ff]“I’ll sign anything please, don’t hurt my baby. You don’t have to kill me,”[/color] Her voice was breathless, she tried to take in the musty, copper tasting air as best she could but it was making her gag.

[color=666666]“Sweetheart, sign the papers and you have my word no harm will come to your child…”[/color] Teddy got up to his feet and placed his hands into his pockets. He towered over the woman and his face had not changed since he walked in the room, utterly calm and composed, like this was a normal conversation between friends. [color=666666]“Yet you, you made me ask twice and I so do hate repeating myself.”[/color][/indent][/indent]
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[sub][color=gray]Collab with [@LovelyComplex] as [color=a95963]Kylee Rose Grimm[/color][/color][/sub] 

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[indent][indent]Seizing the hour with her father not having arrived home yet, he told [i]that woman[/i] he was running late, Kylee picked his office lock with a bobby pin. Little tricks she’s taught herself over the years, getting into trouble with Roddy, her Shaggy. She would rather go through her father’s things than talk to him directly. He would just know she was getting involved in something she shouldn’t and make her feel guilty for it. All she had right now was her small Scooby Doo crew. They were the people she spent the most time with. Her boyfriend and her friend. She couldn’t let them down by going to the next meeting empty. When the door opened, Kylee did a quiet victory pose before slipping into her father’s domain, gingerly closing the door behind her. First phase complete. Infiltrated the Boss’ lair. 

Now there was no time to waste. Straight to his desk to find anything to help clear his name but also see if he had any information that could push them forward. Her dad was the mayor! He had to have an idea who the perpetrator was. She looked at his computer and debated trying to unlock it. Unfortunately she wasn’t a hacker. If the information was anywhere it was there but she couldn’t think of the password for the life of her. There were no hints that she was aware of anywhere. Instead she rummaged through his papers, ledgers, his calendar to see if there was anything of note. Her father was an organized man. He wrote down all his expenses. They were likely coded to sound a certain way, but it was only a matter of time Kylee would decode that too. That was neither here nor there. She had to focus. What could she find, if anything, that helped her not be suspicious of her father?

[color=666666]“Kylee Rose?”[/color]

Teddy stood in the doorway of his office, hands behind his back in a strong stance akin to a military man. His voice was as calm as it always was, his face neutral if not slightly warm towards his youngest child. He took a single step forward into his throne room and closed the door behind him. By the frazzled look on his daughter's face he could tell she was looking for something but what could she be looking for in his office?  [color=666666]“Precious, what are you doing in here? You know no one is to be in here when I am not in the house.”[/color] The Mayor of Eden took another deeper step forward and tilted his head ever so slightly. 

[color=666666]“And do not lie to me, I will know.”[/color]

Immediately perking up but like a scared puppy that got caught eating human food, Kylee put her hands behind her back and covered her misdeeds with a smile, [color=a95963]“Daddy!”[/color] Why was he home already?! She thought she had thirty more minutes. That bitch lied to her or didn’t know how to track time. [color=a95963]“You see… tonight’s a big night for you and I wanted to find a tie! You remember when I got to pick your ties all the time when Mama Prue was alive? I thought I could do that again, seeing how the town’s on fire. A little good luck charm from me.”[/color] While Kylee was fantastic at lying, her father was the only person who had the best read on her. He did raise her after all. As he watched her with stern yet loving eyes, Kylee sidestepped away from his desk.

Of course. Teddy had been too busy orchestrating a large new venture that he had neglected his little girl. Kylee was probably sad and nostalgic because that friend of hers, what was his name? Robert? Ricky? Rodney? The Callahan boy. He had left town. The two of them had been inseparable; Ted didn’t much care for him. It must’ve gotten her thinking about Prue, they were ever so close.  [color=666666]“I’m sorry I’ve been busy, child,”[/color] He manoeuvred himself around the desk to face her and placed his hands around her shoulders.  [color=666666]“Of course you can pick a tie.”[/color] In his peripheral, the Mayor noted a small red stain on his short sleeve right by his cuff link.  [color=666666]“I could also do with a fresh shirt, it’s hot out there today. Why don’t you grab one from my closet and we can talk a little.”[/color] He released her from his grip and motioned to a nearby door.

As obedient as ever, Kylee strolled to his closet to pick a nice shirt and a tie out. She glanced back at her father, contemplating and debating what colours would be nice. He looked best in black. Sure, he had pointed out it was hot today but black still looked phenomenal on him. It was his color. If the event wasn’t formal she would do away with the tie. It was summer and black shirts could easily be semi-dressy while still being casual. Unfortunately, it was formal. So tie it is!

Teddy took off his jacket and tie and began to unbutton his shirt to reveal his strongly built body, littered with scars of the days past that he darent talk about. Image was everything. He kept in shape with a meticulous Patrick Bateman like routine; there was a reason that housewives and young female voters always liked him and it wasn’t his stance on education.  [color=666666]“I hear you may have found yourself a boyfriend?”[/color]

When she chose her set and he asked the question she dreaded to hear, Kylee kept her face toward the closet, away from his. She had to put her game face on. She couldn’t lie to him, she wasn’t necessarily subtle with Wes. He was bound to find out eventually. [color=a95963]“Mhm! You’ve been so busy so I didn’t know when to tell you.”[/color] Turning on her heel with shirt and tie in hand, Kylee pranced back to her father, her arms stretching out to offer him his new wear for the night. [color=a95963]“I really like this one, daddy.”[/color] Her statement was directed to Wes but could also stand for the clothes she picked out for him. 

The Mayor took the clothing from his baby girl and began to re-dress himself. He reached into the desk drawer and took out a pair of music note cufflinks that he hooked into his sleeve. [color=666666]“You are a woman now, Kylee and I trust your decisions wholeheartedly but…”[/color] He popped his collar and wrapped the tie around his neck. [color=666666]“…be weary, be smart. You are the Mayor’s little girl, MY little girl and this boy, from my understanding, is a reporter from Pinehurst? Seems a bit too coincidental.”[/color] 

While not having her emotions written on her face, Kylee was shocked to hear that Wesley was from Pinehurst. That was something that could’ve been easily brought up in a conversation at night, and yet he didn’t tell her. She wasn’t like the other Edenridgers with a blood feud with that town. She wasn’t even born in Edenridge! The hurt started setting in. She was blind sighted out of hope and love. She and Wes had so many similar attributes and yet, he didn’t want to tell her much of anything. He would drop little things here and there like his nerd background but nothing of emotional value that keeps a couple together.

When he was finished with his tie, Teddy pulled on his jacket before taking a seat at his desk. He took a hold of Kylee’s hand and pulled her gently ever so closer to him. [color=666666]“Don’t promise me, guarantee me that you will be careful. Give me your word, Kylee Rose.”[/color]

[color=a95963]“I will, daddy,[/color]” Kylee was sad, really fucking sad, but if she displayed any of those emotions her father would go out of his way to make this his problem. [color=a95963]“You look rather dashing, Mr. Grimm,”[/color] Kylee brightly smiled as her father released her hand. When he did so, she adjusted his tie, [color=a95963]“People are suspicious. They think you might have something to do with the letters. I know you don’t though. I will do my best to protect your name. Do you have any idea who could be causing so much chaos?”[/color]

She was fishing. Kylee was a journalist herself or at least she liked to think she was. Teddy did enjoy listening to her show first thing in the morning, hearing her on the radio did leave a little spark in his heart but then it was usually blown out by whatever fire he had to deal with on the day. [color=666666]“I’ve been on the police force every day since the first letter,”[/color] He didn’t mind Kylee choosing his looks for him, she had an eye for this. Hailey not so much and the boys, well they were the boys. He had no qualms calling Ky his favourite child. [color=666666]“Unfortunately, they’re small town cops with no money, they’re not interested. There are a handful who try but they’re set up to fail.”[/color] The Mayor glanced up at his baby and smiled; she was so much like her mother. [color=666666]“No, Precious, I have no idea who is behind it. I have theories like everyone else but that’s all I have. Not for lack of trying mind you.”[/color]

Teddy stood up to his feet and made his way over to the window; from his office at the Grimm estate, he could see the entirety of Edenridge. He could see from Scott Street, to Carlisle, Eastbrook and West; a map of his empire. [color=666666]“Why don’t you bring this boy to my announcement tonight? I’d like to meet him.”[/color]

Trailing behind him, Kylee glanced up at her father in adoration. Her eyes went from his stern yet chiselled face to the gorgeous view. Edenridge kept growing. A town this small with so much potential, so much life. She hoped the curse would break so that people could live in peace. Her father could be at peace.Peace in Eden was a beautiful dream. That, however, might be too much to ask for. [color=a95963]“I will,”[/color] she answered. The hurt still sitting inside her. Was she a fool to trust this outsider? Did he even care about her? Did he even need her? Time and time again, Kylee felt disposable and maybe that’s exactly what she was. Natalia would agree. She was utter trash. [color=a95963]“I think that will be good. You’re the most important person to me so it only makes sense for you to meet him.”[/color]

Teddy turned to his daughter and placed his hands on either side of her face. [color=666666]“Kylee, you are my youngest. You are the best of me. You are, along with your sister and your brothers the most important thing in the world to me. Family above all. I want all of you by my side as I right what is wrong with this place.”[/color] He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead like only a father could. Returning his gaze to the town he controlled, the Mayor put one hand on the window and kept the other at Kylee’s cheek. [color=666666]“I know you meant well but do not step foot in this office again when I am not in the house. Do you understand?”[/color]

Absolutely devastated and defeated at her own insecurities with her relationship with Wes, Kylee nodded with a frown, [color=a95963]“I understand, daddy. I’m sorry.”[/color] She was in over her head in finding the culprit of the letters and being the girl of Wes’ dream. She would never be deserving of love and that fucking hurt.[/indent][/indent][/color]