Sweet Retribution, page 23
The indifferent mask drops away, and anger blazes in his eyes. “Don’t fucking lie,” he roars, sitting up straighter, and wincing. “You don’t fucking love me! Not in the way I love you.”
“I can’t force myself to feel things that don’t exist.” I shoot him an earnest look because I’m being completely up front with him. “If you’d taken the time to properly talk to me, instead of siding with my father, then all of this could’ve been avoided.” I get up and sit down beside him. “I still love you as a friend, Charlie. You have been in my life for as long as I can remember, and I know this isn’t you. I know my father manipulated you. Using your feelings for me to screw with your mind and—”
“Don’t be naïve, Abby,” he sneers, and his alternating mood swings are giving me emotional whiplash. “This is bigger than your father, and we both know it.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter now, because I’ve failed.” His features soften temporarily. “I failed you last night, and I’m so sorry.” The mask is gone, and pain is etched across his face. “I thought I had it handled, but I was outplayed.” He barks out a bitter laugh, but I see the vulnerability behind his reaction. “Everyone is fucking playing me, and I’m so far out of my depth it isn’t funny.” A muscle ticks in his jaw, and his chest heaves up and down as he glances at the ceiling. I give him a couple minutes to gather his thoughts. When he bends his head, looking directly into my eyes, I see a lost little boy who has finally realized he epically fucked up.
I see the Charlie I know and remember, and my heart hurts.
He cups my face, pinning me with those beautiful green eyes. “All I’ve ever wanted is to keep you safe, but I can’t protect you from them. Last night proved that.” I place my hand over his hand on my face. “Not alone.”
“So, come back to us. Be on our side.” I thread my fingers through his. “On my side.”
“Abby, no!” Kai whispers in my ear. “He can’t be trusted.”
“And watch you all over Anderson?” Charlie asks, shaking his head as a harsh quality replaces the previous tenderness of his expression. “I can’t do it.” A cold veneer shrouds his face, and he yanks his fingers from mine. “I gave up everything for you, Abby,” he deadpans in a voice devoid of feeling. “I fucking sacrificed my own father for you. He told me you’d never love me, and I repaid him by keeping quiet when they told me he was a pawn.” A look of disgust appears on his handsome face. “I didn’t know your father was going to murder him in front of us, but I might as well have put the trigger in his hand.”
A strangled cry bounces off the wall, and we both whip our heads around. Elizabeth is slumped against the doorway, her eyes wide with shock as big fat tears roll down her face.
I never wanted her to discover the truth, and now, she’s found out in the worst possible way.
Poor Elizabeth. And poor Charlie.
“Fuck!” Charlie shouts, pushing awkwardly to his feet as concern splays across his face. He sways unsteadily, and I jump up to help him, but he swats my hand away. “I don’t want or need your help,” he snaps. “All you have done is destroy my life.” His cold, dead eyes bore a hole in the side of my skull as he glares at me. Whatever vulnerability he allowed me to see is securely locked away now.
Elizabeth’s sobs grow louder, and I walk toward her, but Charlie grabs hold of my elbow. “Get your shit and get the hell out of my house and out of my life.”
“Your mom is upset and—”
“And she’s no longer your responsibility,” he confirms, cutting across me.
“We are still married,” I lie. “And we’ll have to keep up appearances in public. It’s too risky for all of us if we don’t.”
“That is the least of my concerns right now.” His mask drops again for a split second, and I spot real fear on his face. “Just go, Abby. Go to him and stay the hell away from me because I am fucking done wasting any more time on you.”
I grab the essentials from my bedroom, including the album of sketches Kai gave me, and hotfoot it out of the Barrons’ house with the sound of shouting echoing behind me. Charlie and his mom are really going at it, and I hate leaving them both when they are in pain, but he made his intentions very clear, and if I try to intervene, it might only make things worse.
Kai gets out of the car, coming toward me. “Is that everything?” he inquires, taking the large bag from me.
“No, but it’s enough. I’ll get Drew to grab the rest of my stuff during the week.”
Kai shepherds me to the car, dropping my bag in the trunk while I climb into the passenger seat.
“That went better than expected,” Jackson says as I pull the door shut behind me.
“He hates my guts now,” I say, “which could be a good or a bad thing.” A tight knot forms in my chest.
Kai climbs behind the wheel. “His mom overhearing is a good thing because it means he’ll be preoccupied trying to fix things with her. He’s already busy with the business, so that means less time to plot against you or us. I think that was the best result we could have hoped for.”
I slouch in my seat, propping my feet up on the dash. “I don’t like leaving him alone to face that,” I truthfully admit.
“It’s exactly what he deserves,” Kai retorts, kick-starting the engine and flooring it out of there. “Don’t forget what he did to you. To us.”
“I know, but he’s not all bad.”
“Charlie Barron is fucked in the head, Abby,” Sawyer says. “And you shouldn’t feel guilty. He brought all this on himself.”
“He doesn’t have anyone,” I murmur.
“Because he’s isolated himself from everyone,” Kai says, looking at me with a puzzled expression. “And it’s his own fault for trying to take something that was never his.”
Kai will never agree, but I can’t help feeling sympathy for Charlie, because he’s all alone now. His mom might not ever forgive him for the part he played in getting the love of her life killed. Although, she should really vent all her frustration in my father’s direction, because he’s the one who committed murder. I’m guessing she’ll want to shield Lillian from the truth, but Charlie’s sister is smart, and she’s bound to pick up on the tension between them. If it comes down to a choice, I think she’ll choose her mom’s side.
He’s no longer on speaking terms with Trent or Drew, and he’s just thrown me out on my ass.
Meaning he literally has no one.
He hurt me, and he hurt Kai.
And he helped set everything in motion.
I have every reason to hate him, but I just feel sorry for him.
Charlie is a product of his environment and his upbringing, and I wonder if there is ever any way back for him.
I’m sad for my friend.
For the guy who has always had my back even if his motives weren’t always pure.
“Babe.” Kai lands his hand on my thigh as we emerge from the driveway out onto the open road. “I love how passionately you care, but Charlie Barron dug that hole he’s in, and he has no one to blame but himself. As long as he leaves you alone, I consider this a win.”
I gulp over the messy ball of emotion in my throat as I place my hand over Kai’s. “I know it’s a win, and I’m happy I’m back with you, but I can’t help how I feel.”
“You have a big heart, Abby,” Jackson says. “Don’t ever change.”
“Shit,” Sawyer says, sighing, and three sets of eyes turn in his direction. “Drew just texted. Your father has shown up at our place. He’s demanding a meeting.”
“Crap. He’s probably mad Drew is there.” I’m always worried about Drew ending up bearing the brunt of all this. He’s still not off the hook with the bastard.
“I informed your father in the message that you were living with me,” Kai says, and my eyes pop wide. Kai really threw caution to the wind, and I seriously hope he doesn’t end up regretting his ballsy move. “Drew can say he was checking up on you.” He takes his eyes off the road for a second to glance at me. “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine.”
“He’s got some balls showing up there,” Kai adds. “But I’m glad he appears to be taking our warning seriously.” He sends me a triumphant smile I don’t share. “Now, it’s our turn to lay down some ground rules.”
When we return to the house, Drew and Rick are with the bastard in the formal living room. I’m guessing Xavier is keeping out of sight, because he doesn’t want Father discovering his identity. I’m hoping he had time to set up surveillance so this conversation is being recorded. Kai keeps a tight hold of my hand as we step into the room. He shoots daggers at my father, not hiding how much he hates him.
“Abigail.” He stands. “I came to see how you were.”
I snort. “Cut the bullshit, Father. We all know why you are here. You want to negotiate, so just spit it out.”
He takes a step toward me. “Abigail, I—”
Kai moves in front of me, keeping his hand threaded through mine. “Don’t come any closer, or I’ll blow your fucking brains out. You don’t get to speak to her or touch her. You have something to say, you say it to me.”
“I’ve got to hand it to you two,” he purrs. “You almost had me fooled, but you let your emotions get in the way. You should never show your hand so blatantly, Kaiden. It’s a rookie move.”
“I don’t give a damn what you think, you perverted fuck,” Kai says. “All I want is you to stay away from Abby and to ensure those fucking assholes you call friends get the memo too.”
“You are so much like your father,” he calmly replies. “And look where loving a woman got him.”
I grab fistfuls of Kai’s shirt, sending a silent warning to keep his cool. Because the bastard wants to wind him up. “I am nothing like my father,” Kai says in a lethal tone. “Because he’s always been a selfish prick who was too arrogant to see what was right in front of him. Trust me, I won’t make the same mistakes.” He pulls me around to his front, bundling me into his chest and wrapping his arms around me. “I love your daughter, and I will go the ends of the earth to protect her. If you think my threat is empty, then you’re the fool. If you even breathe funny on her, I’ll send that video to every major news outlet worldwide. Not even the elite could save you from the fallout.”
“Once I am elected president,” he says, “I will permit Abigail to seek an annulment of her marriage to Charlie, and I’ll give you both my blessing and my word that you are free to do as you please provided the shares in Manning Motors are transferred back to me and all copies of the recording are also in my possession.”
“And in the intervening period, you will keep away from her and keep those other bastards away from her,” Kai adds.
“You have my word,” he says, and I smother a snort. He’s so full of shit. No one is buying this, and it’s the most ridiculous charade, but at least it buys us some time to implement our plan.
“Fine. We have a deal,” Kai confirms, and I know he’s deliberately letting Father think he’s weak by not arguing the point further.
“Abigail will have to act as Charlie’s wife in public until then. I don’t care what you do behind closed doors, but there can be no indication the marriage isn’t real.”
“I’m not the one you must convince,” I say, turning around in Kai’s arms. I can barely tolerate looking at him, but I fake it, schooling my lips into a neutral line. “Charlie doesn’t want anything to do with me now.”
“You leave Charlie to me.” An evil grin spreads across his mouth, and my stomach twists painfully.
“You won’t hurt him, Elizabeth, or Lillian,” I say. “They get the same protection as me.”
He shakes his head slowly. “To think I was actually proud of you last night over how well you defended yourself,” he says, tut-tutting. “And then you have to go and let emotions get in the way.”
“It’s called compassion, not that I expect you to understand because I doubt you’ve experienced any normal human emotion ever in your life.”
He looks through me, not even dignifying that with an answer.
“And I have one other condition,” I say.
“That’s not how negotiations work.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck how your usual negotiations work,” I hiss. “This is how this one is going down unless you want us to out you as the cold-blooded murdering, sadistic bastard you are.”
Drew shoots me a warning look, and I force myself to calm down. “Alessandra publicly embarrassed Drew last night. You will arrange it so Trent and Alessandra are engaged, and Shandra will become Drew’s new fiancée.”
Shock splays across Drew’s face. I knew he’d never ask for himself, and while we have the bastard by the balls, we might as well squeeze as much out of him as we can.
“It’s not that simple,” he replies.
“Oh, please. Of course, it is. The elite have no regard for women. We’re interchangeable, so this should be a cakewalk.” He purses his lips, and I enjoy watching him squirm. “I don’t care what you have to do or say to make it happen, just make it happen. That bitch is poison, and I want her a million miles away from my brother.”
His wry smile rubs me up the wrong way, and I’ve had enough of his toxic energy polluting our airspace. “And this conversation is officially over, so get the fuck out of our house.”
Oh, he doesn’t like being spoken to like that. Not one little bit. My inner minx is throwing a party.
He’s fuming, but he’s doing a good job of hiding it. “Drew,” he tosses over his shoulder. “I’ll wait for you in the car. Don’t be long.”
He gives Kai and me the evil eye as he walks out of the room, followed by Rick, who is quick to chaperone him to the door.
“Thanks for that,” Drew says, standing and smiling. “At least Shandra is pleasant to be around.”
“And she’s very easy on the eye,” Jackson adds, grinning.
“I wouldn’t know,” Drew says, completely serious. “I only have eyes for one woman, and it’s not her.”
My heart aches for Drew, and thoughts of Jane enter my mind again. When all this is over, I’m going to track her down, because I hate seeing my brother so miserable.
“What’s going on?” Kai asks, directing his question to my twin.
“We’ve been summoned to Parkhurst to explain how Denton Mathers got shot,” he replies.
What a fucking joke. He gets to almost rape me without consequence, but they’re making a big deal out of the fact he got shot? Typical elite bullshit.
“Will this be a black mark against Father’s campaign?” I inquire.
Drew shakes his head. “He’ll wriggle his way out of it. He’ll blackmail Denton into withdrawing his complaint, and it’ll get buried.”
“How long will you be gone for?” Kai asks.
“Two nights, max,” Drew replies.
“Is that enough time?” I ask Sawyer, being vague on purpose because I want to be careful with that bastard in the vicinity.
“I believe so.”
“This is the perfect opportunity,” Drew whispers. “Because Christian, Trent, Charlie, and Denton have all been requested too. You have the list of elite targets, and there’s enough time to work out a plan. Go for it, so we can get ready to really nail the bastard to the wall.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“That was easy,” Xavier says, when I return from the dungeon to my old bedroom the following night, having given the new guard on duty down there a glass of iced tea laced with the sleeping potion I’ve used to drug Charlie.
“It helps that we have eyeballs on him to ensure he drinks it,” I add, watching the new guy sipping from the drink via the live feed on Xavier’s tablet.
Thanks to the intel I acquired from Father’s computer, the guys broke through the firewall into the security system. We don’t even need to call the safecracker dude in, because the infrared security is all digitally monitored and controlled, and Xavier now knows how to deactivate it. The only thing we aren’t sure about is whether it will emit any alarm once it’s disabled, so knocking the bodyguard out was important for more than one reason.
“And you’re sure the camera system in the house is separate to the system in the dungeon,” Kai asks, folding his arms across his chest.
“Yes,” Sawyer replies. “They are completely separate systems. Xavier has already uploaded a fake feed to the system in the house, so they won’t see us sneaking down there. It’s why no one discovered Abby wandering around the house. All we have to worry about is bumping into any guards patrolling inside.”
“It’s the middle of the night,” I say. “And whoever is on house duty is most likely dozing in front of the TV or already passed out. I didn’t bump into anyone.” Although, I had a story concocted about needing something from my old bedroom if I’d been discovered. “Everyone is away, and the staff is sleeping, so they won’t be expecting any trouble. Especially when we snuck in through the tunnel, so they have no idea we are here.”
“And if we are discovered,” Rick says. “We’re ready to deal with them.” He pats the gun strapped to his hip. We are all carrying because we’re taking no chances. It’s been mutually agreed that anyone who finds us must be taken out. I don’t like thinking about it too deeply, because these men are only doing their job, but there is too much at stake to leave witnesses.
Let’s just hope we don’t run into anyone.
We spend another twenty minutes anxiously watching the guard on the feed until the drugs take effect and he slumps unconscious to the floor.
“Showtime,” Jackson says with a muscle popping in his jaw. He’s been unusually quiet tonight, and strain literally oozes from his pores. I know this must be hard for him, but I love him for wanting to come tonight even though no one would blame him if he wanted to sit it out.
Xavier stays behind to monitor our progress through the house and to disable the security system at the last second. Rick is staying with him, to keep watch on the corridor outside my bedroom, just in case anyone appears. Xavier’s role in this is crucial, plus we need access to my bedroom to exit via the tunnel. Sawyer, Jackson, Kai, and I will break into the vault and locate the files we need. We’re using the earpieces again to stay in constant communication.
“I can’t force myself to feel things that don’t exist.” I shoot him an earnest look because I’m being completely up front with him. “If you’d taken the time to properly talk to me, instead of siding with my father, then all of this could’ve been avoided.” I get up and sit down beside him. “I still love you as a friend, Charlie. You have been in my life for as long as I can remember, and I know this isn’t you. I know my father manipulated you. Using your feelings for me to screw with your mind and—”
“Don’t be naïve, Abby,” he sneers, and his alternating mood swings are giving me emotional whiplash. “This is bigger than your father, and we both know it.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter now, because I’ve failed.” His features soften temporarily. “I failed you last night, and I’m so sorry.” The mask is gone, and pain is etched across his face. “I thought I had it handled, but I was outplayed.” He barks out a bitter laugh, but I see the vulnerability behind his reaction. “Everyone is fucking playing me, and I’m so far out of my depth it isn’t funny.” A muscle ticks in his jaw, and his chest heaves up and down as he glances at the ceiling. I give him a couple minutes to gather his thoughts. When he bends his head, looking directly into my eyes, I see a lost little boy who has finally realized he epically fucked up.
I see the Charlie I know and remember, and my heart hurts.
He cups my face, pinning me with those beautiful green eyes. “All I’ve ever wanted is to keep you safe, but I can’t protect you from them. Last night proved that.” I place my hand over his hand on my face. “Not alone.”
“So, come back to us. Be on our side.” I thread my fingers through his. “On my side.”
“Abby, no!” Kai whispers in my ear. “He can’t be trusted.”
“And watch you all over Anderson?” Charlie asks, shaking his head as a harsh quality replaces the previous tenderness of his expression. “I can’t do it.” A cold veneer shrouds his face, and he yanks his fingers from mine. “I gave up everything for you, Abby,” he deadpans in a voice devoid of feeling. “I fucking sacrificed my own father for you. He told me you’d never love me, and I repaid him by keeping quiet when they told me he was a pawn.” A look of disgust appears on his handsome face. “I didn’t know your father was going to murder him in front of us, but I might as well have put the trigger in his hand.”
A strangled cry bounces off the wall, and we both whip our heads around. Elizabeth is slumped against the doorway, her eyes wide with shock as big fat tears roll down her face.
I never wanted her to discover the truth, and now, she’s found out in the worst possible way.
Poor Elizabeth. And poor Charlie.
“Fuck!” Charlie shouts, pushing awkwardly to his feet as concern splays across his face. He sways unsteadily, and I jump up to help him, but he swats my hand away. “I don’t want or need your help,” he snaps. “All you have done is destroy my life.” His cold, dead eyes bore a hole in the side of my skull as he glares at me. Whatever vulnerability he allowed me to see is securely locked away now.
Elizabeth’s sobs grow louder, and I walk toward her, but Charlie grabs hold of my elbow. “Get your shit and get the hell out of my house and out of my life.”
“Your mom is upset and—”
“And she’s no longer your responsibility,” he confirms, cutting across me.
“We are still married,” I lie. “And we’ll have to keep up appearances in public. It’s too risky for all of us if we don’t.”
“That is the least of my concerns right now.” His mask drops again for a split second, and I spot real fear on his face. “Just go, Abby. Go to him and stay the hell away from me because I am fucking done wasting any more time on you.”
I grab the essentials from my bedroom, including the album of sketches Kai gave me, and hotfoot it out of the Barrons’ house with the sound of shouting echoing behind me. Charlie and his mom are really going at it, and I hate leaving them both when they are in pain, but he made his intentions very clear, and if I try to intervene, it might only make things worse.
Kai gets out of the car, coming toward me. “Is that everything?” he inquires, taking the large bag from me.
“No, but it’s enough. I’ll get Drew to grab the rest of my stuff during the week.”
Kai shepherds me to the car, dropping my bag in the trunk while I climb into the passenger seat.
“That went better than expected,” Jackson says as I pull the door shut behind me.
“He hates my guts now,” I say, “which could be a good or a bad thing.” A tight knot forms in my chest.
Kai climbs behind the wheel. “His mom overhearing is a good thing because it means he’ll be preoccupied trying to fix things with her. He’s already busy with the business, so that means less time to plot against you or us. I think that was the best result we could have hoped for.”
I slouch in my seat, propping my feet up on the dash. “I don’t like leaving him alone to face that,” I truthfully admit.
“It’s exactly what he deserves,” Kai retorts, kick-starting the engine and flooring it out of there. “Don’t forget what he did to you. To us.”
“I know, but he’s not all bad.”
“Charlie Barron is fucked in the head, Abby,” Sawyer says. “And you shouldn’t feel guilty. He brought all this on himself.”
“He doesn’t have anyone,” I murmur.
“Because he’s isolated himself from everyone,” Kai says, looking at me with a puzzled expression. “And it’s his own fault for trying to take something that was never his.”
Kai will never agree, but I can’t help feeling sympathy for Charlie, because he’s all alone now. His mom might not ever forgive him for the part he played in getting the love of her life killed. Although, she should really vent all her frustration in my father’s direction, because he’s the one who committed murder. I’m guessing she’ll want to shield Lillian from the truth, but Charlie’s sister is smart, and she’s bound to pick up on the tension between them. If it comes down to a choice, I think she’ll choose her mom’s side.
He’s no longer on speaking terms with Trent or Drew, and he’s just thrown me out on my ass.
Meaning he literally has no one.
He hurt me, and he hurt Kai.
And he helped set everything in motion.
I have every reason to hate him, but I just feel sorry for him.
Charlie is a product of his environment and his upbringing, and I wonder if there is ever any way back for him.
I’m sad for my friend.
For the guy who has always had my back even if his motives weren’t always pure.
“Babe.” Kai lands his hand on my thigh as we emerge from the driveway out onto the open road. “I love how passionately you care, but Charlie Barron dug that hole he’s in, and he has no one to blame but himself. As long as he leaves you alone, I consider this a win.”
I gulp over the messy ball of emotion in my throat as I place my hand over Kai’s. “I know it’s a win, and I’m happy I’m back with you, but I can’t help how I feel.”
“You have a big heart, Abby,” Jackson says. “Don’t ever change.”
“Shit,” Sawyer says, sighing, and three sets of eyes turn in his direction. “Drew just texted. Your father has shown up at our place. He’s demanding a meeting.”
“Crap. He’s probably mad Drew is there.” I’m always worried about Drew ending up bearing the brunt of all this. He’s still not off the hook with the bastard.
“I informed your father in the message that you were living with me,” Kai says, and my eyes pop wide. Kai really threw caution to the wind, and I seriously hope he doesn’t end up regretting his ballsy move. “Drew can say he was checking up on you.” He takes his eyes off the road for a second to glance at me. “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine.”
“He’s got some balls showing up there,” Kai adds. “But I’m glad he appears to be taking our warning seriously.” He sends me a triumphant smile I don’t share. “Now, it’s our turn to lay down some ground rules.”
When we return to the house, Drew and Rick are with the bastard in the formal living room. I’m guessing Xavier is keeping out of sight, because he doesn’t want Father discovering his identity. I’m hoping he had time to set up surveillance so this conversation is being recorded. Kai keeps a tight hold of my hand as we step into the room. He shoots daggers at my father, not hiding how much he hates him.
“Abigail.” He stands. “I came to see how you were.”
I snort. “Cut the bullshit, Father. We all know why you are here. You want to negotiate, so just spit it out.”
He takes a step toward me. “Abigail, I—”
Kai moves in front of me, keeping his hand threaded through mine. “Don’t come any closer, or I’ll blow your fucking brains out. You don’t get to speak to her or touch her. You have something to say, you say it to me.”
“I’ve got to hand it to you two,” he purrs. “You almost had me fooled, but you let your emotions get in the way. You should never show your hand so blatantly, Kaiden. It’s a rookie move.”
“I don’t give a damn what you think, you perverted fuck,” Kai says. “All I want is you to stay away from Abby and to ensure those fucking assholes you call friends get the memo too.”
“You are so much like your father,” he calmly replies. “And look where loving a woman got him.”
I grab fistfuls of Kai’s shirt, sending a silent warning to keep his cool. Because the bastard wants to wind him up. “I am nothing like my father,” Kai says in a lethal tone. “Because he’s always been a selfish prick who was too arrogant to see what was right in front of him. Trust me, I won’t make the same mistakes.” He pulls me around to his front, bundling me into his chest and wrapping his arms around me. “I love your daughter, and I will go the ends of the earth to protect her. If you think my threat is empty, then you’re the fool. If you even breathe funny on her, I’ll send that video to every major news outlet worldwide. Not even the elite could save you from the fallout.”
“Once I am elected president,” he says, “I will permit Abigail to seek an annulment of her marriage to Charlie, and I’ll give you both my blessing and my word that you are free to do as you please provided the shares in Manning Motors are transferred back to me and all copies of the recording are also in my possession.”
“And in the intervening period, you will keep away from her and keep those other bastards away from her,” Kai adds.
“You have my word,” he says, and I smother a snort. He’s so full of shit. No one is buying this, and it’s the most ridiculous charade, but at least it buys us some time to implement our plan.
“Fine. We have a deal,” Kai confirms, and I know he’s deliberately letting Father think he’s weak by not arguing the point further.
“Abigail will have to act as Charlie’s wife in public until then. I don’t care what you do behind closed doors, but there can be no indication the marriage isn’t real.”
“I’m not the one you must convince,” I say, turning around in Kai’s arms. I can barely tolerate looking at him, but I fake it, schooling my lips into a neutral line. “Charlie doesn’t want anything to do with me now.”
“You leave Charlie to me.” An evil grin spreads across his mouth, and my stomach twists painfully.
“You won’t hurt him, Elizabeth, or Lillian,” I say. “They get the same protection as me.”
He shakes his head slowly. “To think I was actually proud of you last night over how well you defended yourself,” he says, tut-tutting. “And then you have to go and let emotions get in the way.”
“It’s called compassion, not that I expect you to understand because I doubt you’ve experienced any normal human emotion ever in your life.”
He looks through me, not even dignifying that with an answer.
“And I have one other condition,” I say.
“That’s not how negotiations work.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck how your usual negotiations work,” I hiss. “This is how this one is going down unless you want us to out you as the cold-blooded murdering, sadistic bastard you are.”
Drew shoots me a warning look, and I force myself to calm down. “Alessandra publicly embarrassed Drew last night. You will arrange it so Trent and Alessandra are engaged, and Shandra will become Drew’s new fiancée.”
Shock splays across Drew’s face. I knew he’d never ask for himself, and while we have the bastard by the balls, we might as well squeeze as much out of him as we can.
“It’s not that simple,” he replies.
“Oh, please. Of course, it is. The elite have no regard for women. We’re interchangeable, so this should be a cakewalk.” He purses his lips, and I enjoy watching him squirm. “I don’t care what you have to do or say to make it happen, just make it happen. That bitch is poison, and I want her a million miles away from my brother.”
His wry smile rubs me up the wrong way, and I’ve had enough of his toxic energy polluting our airspace. “And this conversation is officially over, so get the fuck out of our house.”
Oh, he doesn’t like being spoken to like that. Not one little bit. My inner minx is throwing a party.
He’s fuming, but he’s doing a good job of hiding it. “Drew,” he tosses over his shoulder. “I’ll wait for you in the car. Don’t be long.”
He gives Kai and me the evil eye as he walks out of the room, followed by Rick, who is quick to chaperone him to the door.
“Thanks for that,” Drew says, standing and smiling. “At least Shandra is pleasant to be around.”
“And she’s very easy on the eye,” Jackson adds, grinning.
“I wouldn’t know,” Drew says, completely serious. “I only have eyes for one woman, and it’s not her.”
My heart aches for Drew, and thoughts of Jane enter my mind again. When all this is over, I’m going to track her down, because I hate seeing my brother so miserable.
“What’s going on?” Kai asks, directing his question to my twin.
“We’ve been summoned to Parkhurst to explain how Denton Mathers got shot,” he replies.
What a fucking joke. He gets to almost rape me without consequence, but they’re making a big deal out of the fact he got shot? Typical elite bullshit.
“Will this be a black mark against Father’s campaign?” I inquire.
Drew shakes his head. “He’ll wriggle his way out of it. He’ll blackmail Denton into withdrawing his complaint, and it’ll get buried.”
“How long will you be gone for?” Kai asks.
“Two nights, max,” Drew replies.
“Is that enough time?” I ask Sawyer, being vague on purpose because I want to be careful with that bastard in the vicinity.
“I believe so.”
“This is the perfect opportunity,” Drew whispers. “Because Christian, Trent, Charlie, and Denton have all been requested too. You have the list of elite targets, and there’s enough time to work out a plan. Go for it, so we can get ready to really nail the bastard to the wall.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“That was easy,” Xavier says, when I return from the dungeon to my old bedroom the following night, having given the new guard on duty down there a glass of iced tea laced with the sleeping potion I’ve used to drug Charlie.
“It helps that we have eyeballs on him to ensure he drinks it,” I add, watching the new guy sipping from the drink via the live feed on Xavier’s tablet.
Thanks to the intel I acquired from Father’s computer, the guys broke through the firewall into the security system. We don’t even need to call the safecracker dude in, because the infrared security is all digitally monitored and controlled, and Xavier now knows how to deactivate it. The only thing we aren’t sure about is whether it will emit any alarm once it’s disabled, so knocking the bodyguard out was important for more than one reason.
“And you’re sure the camera system in the house is separate to the system in the dungeon,” Kai asks, folding his arms across his chest.
“Yes,” Sawyer replies. “They are completely separate systems. Xavier has already uploaded a fake feed to the system in the house, so they won’t see us sneaking down there. It’s why no one discovered Abby wandering around the house. All we have to worry about is bumping into any guards patrolling inside.”
“It’s the middle of the night,” I say. “And whoever is on house duty is most likely dozing in front of the TV or already passed out. I didn’t bump into anyone.” Although, I had a story concocted about needing something from my old bedroom if I’d been discovered. “Everyone is away, and the staff is sleeping, so they won’t be expecting any trouble. Especially when we snuck in through the tunnel, so they have no idea we are here.”
“And if we are discovered,” Rick says. “We’re ready to deal with them.” He pats the gun strapped to his hip. We are all carrying because we’re taking no chances. It’s been mutually agreed that anyone who finds us must be taken out. I don’t like thinking about it too deeply, because these men are only doing their job, but there is too much at stake to leave witnesses.
Let’s just hope we don’t run into anyone.
We spend another twenty minutes anxiously watching the guard on the feed until the drugs take effect and he slumps unconscious to the floor.
“Showtime,” Jackson says with a muscle popping in his jaw. He’s been unusually quiet tonight, and strain literally oozes from his pores. I know this must be hard for him, but I love him for wanting to come tonight even though no one would blame him if he wanted to sit it out.
Xavier stays behind to monitor our progress through the house and to disable the security system at the last second. Rick is staying with him, to keep watch on the corridor outside my bedroom, just in case anyone appears. Xavier’s role in this is crucial, plus we need access to my bedroom to exit via the tunnel. Sawyer, Jackson, Kai, and I will break into the vault and locate the files we need. We’re using the earpieces again to stay in constant communication.
