Tangle of Lies, page 17
“Oh, hey yeah, Em, do you have the card,” Rainer recalled.
Emily pulled a card out of her purse and handed it to Jeff. “We wanted to get you something,” she explained.
Jeff grimaced. “Does this have what I think it has in it?” he asked Rainer.
Rainer shrugged. “Why not wait until you’re at the Ritz tonight to open it?”
“You didn’t have to do this,” Jeff choked uncomfortably. With that, Fionna, Mrs. Haydenshire, and Ms. Harrickson all produced cards from their purses. Visible shock rocked through Jeff and Becca.
“Ms. Harrickson, no,” Becca demanded.
“Oh honey, I wanted to get you something. He’s my little boy even if he is all grown up. I wish I could do more.”
“Takes a good bit to set up a household, sweetheart,” Mrs. Haydenshire guided. “None of us did anything more than what we wanted to do. Let people help you, and then when you’re in a position to help someone, repay the kindness.”
“If you’d had the full Senate affair wedding, we would have gotten you a gift,” Governor Haydenshire reminded them. Becca nodded though tears loomed on the horizon yet again.
“I have to work the breakfast shift Saturday morning, but I’ll be right over to help after that,” Ms. Harrickson explained.
“Thanks, Mom.” Jeff wrapped his mother up in his arms.
“Patrick will be back Friday. I’ll have him draw up the rental agreement and you two can sign it Saturday morning.” Governor Haydenshire seemed to decide business might help Jeff over the emotional moment.
“Yes, sir. Thank you.”
“Why don’t we go put baby girl in her pink flower seat and help Jeff load Becca’s things into our car?” Fionna soothed. Aida lifted her head, her eyes barely at half-mast.
“Thank you for letting me come play with Keaton and Henry and baby Abigail. I had a very nice time,” she managed before her head fell back on Dan’s shoulder.
Dan offered Governor Haydenshire his hand. The governor grinned as he shook it. “Have any plans for lunch tomorrow, Mentor Vindico?”
“No sir, I’m free.”
“Mind coming into DC?”
“What time?” he asked.
“Around noon. A little farther off campus.”
Dan immediately understood what the topic of lunch would be. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The Sapmans had packed Becca’s hope chest. Mrs. Haydenshire had seen to that. They’d also haphazardly loaded a few suitcases with her clothes and shoes. Dan and Jeff loaded everything into the back of the Mercedes while Fionna covered Aida in a quilt she kept in the car for just such occasions.
“You can get the rest Saturday.” Mrs. Sapman sounded lost somewhere between fearful loss and cutting anger.
“Thanks.” Becca hugged her mother again.
Governor Sapman phoned a personal contact at the Ritz DC and booked a club-level suite for Jeff and Becca though he looked anguished to fulfill his promise.
“Thank you,” Becca offered again as she hugged her father.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” The governor kissed her cheek. She pulled away as Jeff extended his hand.
“Sir,” he urged.
The governor begrudgingly shook Jeff’s hand. “You better take care of her, son, or so help me.”
“George,”—Governor Haydenshire shook his head as Dan narrowed his eyes—“you are not going to bully him, at least not on my farm.”
“I will, sir. I promise.” Jeff didn’t seem as offended by the threat as Dan felt. Logan and Rainer joined in Dan’s glare.
“He’s a great guy, Governor Sapman,” Rainer vowed.
“She chose well.” Logan nodded his adamant agreement.
“We’ll see you Saturday,” Rainer and Logan both volunteered.
“Thanks for everything.” Jeff shook their hands.
With a quick agreement that Jeff and Becca would swing by the Vindicos’ to pick up their things for the next day, everyone departed.
Chapter 18
Complications
JEFF STRENTON
After closing Becca safely in the passenger side of her Volvo, Jeff moved into the driver’s seat. As he drove off Haydenshire Farm, he offered her a sweet smile.
“Are you okay, Mrs. Strenton?” His heart raced as he called his wife by her new name like it was giving some kind of standing ovation.
Becca’s energy rolled in placid waves of elation as she nodded. It made Jeff able to breathe and think clearer than he’d been able in the past several weeks.
“So, your dad really hates me.” He rolled his eyes. He was impressed with his own tone. Every time he’d spoken in the last two weeks, he’d sounded distant and frightened even to himself.
“No, he doesn’t,” Becca lied and then blushed just like she always did when she told a fib.
The effect had Jeff reeling as he tried to remember that he was driving and needed to keep the car on the road.
“Have you ever stayed at the Ritz?” she asked. He assumed she didn’t want to discuss her father.
While making a concerted effort not to laugh outright at his wife, Jeff shook his head. “I helped fix their air conditioning systems last summer, remember? But I’ve never stayed anywhere like that. I’ve never stayed in a hotel at all.”
Becca laced her fingers through his. “I’ve never stayed at the one here, but I’ve stayed at them in other places.” She grimaced. “But this will be new for both of us.”
Jeff knew that the other places were probably European vacation locales where her parents often took her.
If I work really, really hard and I climb the ranks at Iodex, I can afford to do stuff like that for her.
Fire ignited deep within his gut—the same flame that had him working tirelessly to be the top of his class and to have just a little money to take her out for burgers or pizza and to a movie after he helped his mom with rent and groceries.
When they’d first started dating exclusively, she would offer to pay. But she could tell that it hurt his feelings when she offered, so after the first few weeks she’d stopped.
“They’re really nice,” she offered humbly.
“Good, because you deserve really nice. You deserve the best.”
“I have the best.” She stared up at him with determination set in her eyes as well.
Certain that wasn’t true, Jeff lifted her hand and kissed it before taking the Arlington exit to the Vindicos’ home.
Discomfort filled Jeff’s energy as he helped Becca grab the things they’d need for their wedding night. It was distinctly odd to be packing from someone else’s home while everyone knew what they were going to be doing or at least what he fervently hoped they were going to be doing. Becca’s pregnant. She may be tired or not feeling well, and she has a test in the morning.
Jeff began listing all of the reasons why she might not be in the mood for him to join them together as one, for him to try desperately to wash away the wounds he’d inflicted as he made her his wife.
Mentor Vindico seemed uncomfortable as well. He’d carried Aida to bed and then stopped back by the guest room.
“Do you need anything before you head out?” he offered kindly though he seemed unsure of himself. It wasn’t something Jeff ever thought Dan Vindico felt. It was somehow reassuring that his hero wasn’t always as self-assured as he came off.
“No, sir, thank you.” Jeff smiled.
“Hey, don’t be late for class tomorrow,” he teased. His brow furrowed slightly from the oddity of the statement.
“Yeah,” Jeff lamented the fact that his honeymoon was going to consist of a few brief hours before school.
“Hey, I’m having lunch with Governor Haydenshire tomorrow. After that, I thought I’d see if Portwood might be amenable to letting me work out with a few of the Elite guys at the Iodex gym. You’re welcome to come with. Leave Becca the Volvo, and you can ride with me.”
Thrill lit through Jeff, but as he recalled just a few of the names Becca had been called at school after she’d been sick, he forced down the desire.
“I’ll be fine. You go.” Becca seemed to read his thoughts. There were no classes after one o’clock on Fridays. As Jeff had set up his schedule with the desperate prayer that he would be chosen for the Iodex internship, he would be finished well before noon the next day.
“Fi was actually hoping Becca might want to hang out with her and Chloe and Emily,” Mentor Vindico continued to bait.
“You mean like Chloe Sawyer?” Becca gasped.
“Yeah, I think they want to take you shopping. Truthfully, you never really know which Angels might make an appearance.” He gave Becca a wry grin as pure delight formed in her eyes. “Then Logan and Adeline are coming over, remember?”
“I remembered,” Becca assured him. “Jeff, really, I mean working out with Rainer and Logan and Mentor Vindico,” she whispered though Jeff was certain Dan had heard her.
“That’s like a dream come true. You should go.”
Jeff wished she’d been a little more discreet.
“You’re sure it’s okay?” he asked Mentor Vindico.
“Yeah, Portwood wants to meet you along with the rest of the team.”
“That’d be great.” Jeff prayed he didn’t sound like some kind of kid who’d just been given a new Xbox or something.
Mentor Vindico seemed to study Jeff intently. “Would you come here a minute?” he finally asked as he headed down the steps.
Jeff’s heart took off in a sprint as he tried to figure out what he’d done wrong. Maybe he’s upset we’re going to the Ritz. Jeff raced down the stairs as quietly as he was able. Mrs. Vindico was curled up on the couch sipping tea. She beamed at Jeff.
Mentor Vindico gestured to the table and drew a deep breath. Jeff’s stomach churned uncomfortably.
“Do you want a beer or something?” he asked.
Jeff was certain he wouldn’t have offered if he’d been thinking clearly. “I’m about to drive downtown, sir, and I know I’m old enough to drink in the Realm, but I’m not to the Non-Gifted cops. Plus, I would never drink even just a beer, and then drive Becca somewhere.” He explained his own personal set of rules.
“Right, sorry.” Mentor Vindico looked deeply impressed. “I forget how old you are, I guess.” Jeff was secretly delighted. “Here,” he handed him a Dr Pepper that he chilled with his hands. He lowered the temperature until ice crystals just began forming in the drink.
“Thank you.” Jeff was still nervous over what Mentor Vindico wanted to discuss with him.
“Sit down for just a second.” They took seats at the bar. He considered as Jeff took a sip of his drink. “Listen, I know you’ve had kind of a hell of a week or two. I don’t know why I’m being so formal,” he seemed to chastise himself.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” Mentor Vindico vowed instantly.
With a deep breath, Jeff was able to concentrate again.
“I just wanted to say to try to loosen up and have a little fun tonight. You’ve got quite a year ahead of you, and Governor Sapman gave you hell. But,” he hemmed, seeming uncomfortable again, “your wedding night’s a big deal.”
“I know, sir.”
“You don’t know yet,” Mentor Vindico huffed cryptically under his breath. “I just wanted to say to try and relax. Enjoy this because what you’re about to do, none of it’s going to be easy. Iodex wants you, but you have to keep your grades up and perform well when you’re at work. You and Becca have never lived together and that’s going to take some adjustment.
“I moved in with my first fiancée when I was your age,” he explained in a choked whisper. Jeff knew the story of Amelia but didn’t think he should interrupt.
“She wasn’t pregnant, but it was tough. We fought a lot,” he admitted in a regret-filled whisper. “It gets tense, and you have even more to deal with than we did.”
“I know it’ll be hard, sir. I’m going to make this work, you’ll see.”
He nodded. “Just promise me if you need my help, you’ll ask,” he commanded.
Wondering how anyone ever told the man no, Jeff nodded again. “If you want, for the next few months until my little one makes her arrival, I’ll meet you at the academy early and train with you. You need to make Elite in June, and I think I can make that happen if you’re willing to put in the extra time.”
“Really?!” Jeff gasped. Making the Elite Iodex Squadron would not only be his dream come true, but it would be substantially more money each year. And to be trained by Dan Vindico was more than he could ever have hoped for.
When the story had broken after the takedown at the gentlemen’s club by the airport, that Vindico had killed Dominic Wretchkinsides and that his girlfriend, Fionna Styler, had been shot and subsequently lost his baby, no one in the Realm could have been more stunned than Jeff.
But the next day, when the papers began reporting that Dan Vindico, youngest and most esteemed Chief of Iodex, had resigned, Jeff had been crushed. He refused to allow himself to believe the reports that Vindico had summoned black to kill Wretchkinsides. He’d wanted to be trained by the best, and Dan Vindico was the best.
“That sound like something you’d be interested in?”
“Are you kidding me? That would be great,” Jeff gushed.
“Then we’ll start tomorrow afternoon. But tonight, just try to let it all go. The baby, Iodex, the house, everything.” Pain etched Vindico’s features though he tried to hide it. “Try to just take tonight, because you may need to hold on to it when times get tougher.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Give yourself a break. This isn’t all your fault, and I believe in you and that you can make this work, if you and Becca do it together.”
The fact that Dan Vindico believed in him did more for Jeff’s psyche than anything ever had.
“Just have a little fun. Don’t take it all so seriously all the time.”
This had Jeff chuckling as he nodded. He recalled a press conference Vindico had given right after Christmas that Jeff had watched intently. He’d just taken down Adderand, a top-level brutal hit man for the Interfeci. Jeff recalled wondering if Dan Vindico ever smiled, and here he was seated in the man’s kitchen being told not to take it all so seriously. “You didn’t go to Vegas because you knew Adderand was going to be there,” he gasped as he recalled the circumstances of the arrest. “You went with her.” He pointed back into the living room.
Mentor Vindico laughed heartily as he nodded. “Not sure where that came from, but yeah, I did.”
Mrs. Vindico appeared. She didn’t look like she felt well.
All traces of laughter instantly left her husband’s face. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” He gave her his hands so she could draw from him.
“I’m okay.” Jeff wondered if he should leave, but they were blocking the entry to the kitchen. “I’m just having those Braxton-Hicks contraction things again,” she explained, but Jeff knew if he saw the fear in her eyes then her husband certainly did.
“Maybe we should call Adeline,” Mentor Vindico ordered.
“If you want Bec and me to stay with Aida, we can. We don’t have to go tonight if you need to take her to the hospital.” Jeff joined in his mentor’s obvious panic.
Mrs. Vindico smiled but shook her head. “No, I’m okay. I was just wondering if you’d…” She gestured her head to the living room. She wanted to be casted, Jeff realized instantly.
“We’ll get out of your hair,” he stammered, still trying to locate an escape.
“It just kind of scares me to think about how badly the real ones must hurt if these are just practice.”
Jeff had no idea what she was talking about, but he tried to blend in to the kitchen counter.
“Fi,” Mentor Vindico pled.
“I promise I’m fine.”
“Yeah.” Mentor Vindico seemed to decide that she was okay for the moment. Jeff wondered if he’d locked on to her energy long enough to read the baby’s. “Go lie down.”
“You and Becca have fun tonight.” She moved back to the couch.
“Yes, ma’am. We will. Thank you.” Jeff watched her tense and then try to ease herself onto the couch. “You sure you don’t want us…?” Jeff began pointing up the stairs toward Aida’s room.
“No, you go on. If she needs to go to the hospital, I’ll take care of everything.”
“If you change your mind, we can come right back.” Jeff climbed slowly up the stairs.
“Thank you.” He situated himself on the couch and wrapped his arms around his wife.
“You ready, Bec?” Jeff thought that they needed to get out of the Vindicos’ home so that Mentor Vindico could take care of his wife. If she wanted to be casted beyond holding his hands or him shielding her, then clothes would be coming off. He knew they were waiting on them to leave.
“Oh yeah.” Becca leapt up nervously like she’d been doing something wrong. She threw a book and binder in her backpack and grabbed her makeup bag. Wondering what she was up to, Jeff studied her.
He relieved her of the backpack and grabbed the duffle bag they’d thrown clothes in for the next day. Escorting her down the stairs quickly, Jeff offered a hesitant smile to the Vindicos.
“Thanks again for everything. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Mrs. Vindico was lying in her husband’s lap under a large quilt. Mentor Vindico’s hands weren’t visible. Jeff assumed they were on her stomach as her eyes were closed, and she was clearly drawing from him deeply.
“No problem.” He sounded just as uncomfortable as Jeff felt.
“Have fun.” Mrs. Vindico sounded very relaxed.
“We will.” Becca followed Jeff out the front door frantically.
They climbed in the Volvo.
“What’s wrong with Fionna?” Becca asked.
Jeff’s brow furrowed. “She said something about practice contractions or something. I can’t remember what she said they were called.”
“Oh.” Becca looked relieved.
“Is that normal?”
Becca nodded though fear tensed her rhythms. “Yeah, I learned about them in my Gifted fetal development class. It’s sort of like your body gets ready to give birth. They can be painful, but not like the real kind, I guess.”
