Thea paced back and forth in her private quarters. She had attempted to make herself some tea, but that had ended with the mug hitting the wall with a resounding thud. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gained a shred of release from the stress that riled her entire system.
“Fuck you, Hadler,” she muttered as she pivoted by the large view screens. She stopped and drew a deep breath. “Computer. Set all view screens to forward-facing outside hull cameras.” Within a second space hurtled by, and she hoped this view would help ground her. It often did, but not always. Not when it really mattered. She kept pacing, trying to get a rhythm going, a cadence of her heels against the deck. The diversion worked as long as she was outside of the carpeted area, but as soon as her steps were inaudible, the thoughts of her ex-husband’s latest stunt inundated her mind.
She glanced at her desk in the far right corner of the living area. Her computer tablet sat where she’d tossed it. The way she had flung it on the desk in utter disgust, it was a miracle that it still worked. Thea had browsed Hadler’s, or his ghostwriter’s, text, and knew instantly what he was after. Revenge, by stripping her soul bare of any privacy. He knew her well enough to realize this was what she valued most. She was in the public eye from when she got up in the morning until she went back to bed at night. Writing about personal details, twisting facts just enough to stay reasonably within the limits of truth, he might as well have pulled the skin off her back. She actually felt raw to the touch. Her only countermeasure would be painful, but she had little choice if she wanted to stop the launch of his memoirs.
The door chime rang, making her flinch. She walked over to the surveillance console. “Identify yourself.” She was not in the mood to be polite.
“Thea? It’s Korrian. I have Briar, Adina, Meija…and Caya here as well. Please let us in. Or at least some of us…”
No. She didn’t want to see anyone. Most of all, she didn’t want to explain to anyone what was going on, what in the book hurt the most, or how she had ever come to marry such an awful man. She really didn’t. Still, her hand moved of its own volition and pressed the sensor for the door.
Thea motioned for them to enter with a grandiose gesture of her right arm. “Why not? You seem hell-bent on sharing my misery.”
“Where’s your team?” Korrian gazed around Thea’s quarters as she stepped inside. “I would imagine you’d need them to perform damage control.”
“Oh, trust me. They are.” Thea watched Caya enter. Her guards stayed back in the corridor, nodding respectfully toward Thea before she closed the door. “They’re just not doing it here. I sent them back to the office. I would have ripped someone’s head off if they’d stayed.”
“Oh, my.” Meija picked up the dented tea mug. “That bad?”
“Worse.” Thea couldn’t relax. Her entire body was buzzing, and she didn’t know where to direct her fury and embarrassment. “I’ve only browsed through most of it, but it’s a pretentious piece meant to defame me. He refers to me as cold, frigid, and yes, naturally, a product of his fine mind that molded me into the successful politician I am today. How he’s been the brain behind all my decisions, how I’ve asked him for every miniscule detail in my speeches…well, it goes on and on. You can imagine. He has conveniently forgotten about the nondisclosure agreement he signed in the hospital as I filed for divorce. He was pretty high on medication at the time, but plenty of witnesses saw him sign everything voluntarily. That said, his lawyers, I’m sure, will debate this fact and find loopholes after the book is published and is a bestseller on everyone’s tablet!” Thea began pacing again. “The message stated he has sent it to several people already, and I’m sure they’ve read it. Eagerly.”
“He sent it to Meija and me.” Korrian stepped into Thea’s path and held up her hands in a placating gesture. “We read a couple of chapters before we realized what he was up to. Once your name came up, we stopped. We’re your friends, Thea. No matter what he’s trying to do, we’re not putting any stock in it. He’s a pitiful, sorry excuse for a man.”
“I know.” Thea’s stomach was in knots. “You’ve known me for many years, Korrian. You too, Meija. We worked on the Exodus project long before I was elected president. You know how meticulously I guard my privacy. Now Hadler has written in great detail about private matters that are nobody else’s business.” She flung her hands in the air. “Some of the things he writes about are half-truths, and he’s angling them, making them plausible. This is a nightmare, and I’m not kidding myself. If his memoirs become available to the public, my privacy is a thing of the past. People are inherently curious. The possibility to learn of a public figure from someone who was once close to them will be too tempting.”
“He won’t get it published. Once your team makes it clear, to whatever publisher that might be interested in his ramblings, how you regard the matter, they’re going to think twice about going against the president.” Meija joined Korrian. “Don’t underestimate the respect people have for you. If they catch on to the fact he’s lying or exaggerating to hurt you, or embarrass you, they’ll back off.”
“We can’t be sure of that,” Thea growled. “Briar and Caya can tell you how fast rumors spread around the ship. I would imagine the word is already out that there might be a tell-all book in the works about the president.” Pain erupted in Thea’s stomach, and she swayed where she stood.
“Creator of all things sacred, Thea.” Briar and Adina rushed forward and caught her before she lost her balance. “Have you eaten anything? You’re very pale.” Briar held Thea’s wrist, no doubt feeling for her pulse.
“I had tea and crackers this morning,” Thea answered automatically, not quite sure why she allowed them to touch her at all.
“That’s more than ten hours ago. At least.” Briar nodded at Meija. “Can you program the food dispenser, please? Something light.”
“Sure.” Meija nodded and walked over to the kitchenette.
“Here. Sit down, Thea,” Briar said, and together with Adina they guided Thea to an armchair. “We will figure this out.”
Thea slowly turned her head and found Caya standing next to her chair. “Please. Tell me about the session today.” She couldn’t take more comments and reassurances regarding Hadler at the moment. “Did it go well?”
“I think so. A good start at least. We’ll see when our client comes back for a new session—unless she cancels.” Caya spoke quietly and knelt next to the chair, leaning against the armrest. “Briar is brilliant when it comes to putting people at ease, and that made it possible for me to use my vision to actually find out the truth for her. It was hard. Infuriating, actually, but it might be the start of acceptance and for our client to forgive herself and her spouse.”
“Forgiveness.” Thea thought of the concept. Would she ever be able to forgive Hadler? The man had gone from a well-meaning father figure of a husband, to a demanding despot who never stopped complaining to her and about her. When his verbal abuse became physical, it hadn’t seemed like such a stretch, and Thea had always thought she could tough it out, deal with it. It took seeing him through the eyes of the Lindemay sisters for her to realize how wrong she was.
“I want to hold you right now, but I’m so angry at that bastard I’m not in full control. I might snap into a vision, and you’d hate for that to happen in front of everyone,” Caya murmured, instead patting the armrest as if the touch would transfer to Thea. She glanced toward the others, but they were busy over by the kitchenette and dining area getting some food ready.
Thea wasn’t sure how to interpret Caya’s words. Did the young woman pity her, or was there something else behind her words? I want to hold you right now. Thea felt so raw at the moment, she couldn’t think straight. It didn’t sit well with her that she actually would have loved for Caya to hold her. Despite her petite frame, Caya was strong and vivacious. The times they had been in close proximity, Thea had sensed how her entire system aligned several times and her world had righted itself. She had chalked that up to Caya’s gifts as a changer, but now she wondered if that was all it was.
“Thea?” Caya tilted her head.
“I’m all right. Or I will be once I know where I stand with this. Hadler wrote about things my father shared with him. I knew early on to keep my innermost thoughts to myself around Hadler, but my father saw him as his peer and good friend. He freely discussed everything, including private things about my childhood and adolescence.” Thea pressed both hands against her stomach. “No doubt Hadler kept extensive notes through the years.”
“The bastard.” Caya’s eyes darkened to a greyish green. “He never deserved you. Not for a sec.”
“I would agree if I didn’t sound completely conceited.” Thea leaned back against the chair and covered her eyes with her hand.
Caya carefully placed a hand over Thea’s other one. She closed her eyes briefly. “I know you’re going to stop him. You already have a plan. It’s bold. And you—”
“How do you—?” Thea yanked her hand away from her face and sat up straight in the armchair, gripping hard at Caya’s hand.
“Easy there, Madam President.” Caya put her free hand to her lips. “Shh. I’m not in deep-vision mode. This is just an educated guess based on what I know about you and what I can sense from a mere glimpse at the future. It’s all right. Don’t get upset,” she whispered and rubbed her thumb over the back of Thea’s hand. “The others might overhear and wonder. I have a suggestion that might help.”
The gentle touch from Caya was a new sensation. Caya actually asking to share an idea before going berserk all on her own accord was equally new. “I’m listening. Tell me.” Not thinking about if it was advisable, Thea took Caya’s hand between both of hers.
“I could go with you to meet with him.” Caya waved to forestall Thea’s protest. “I could hold on to him long enough to find something in his past to use against him.”
Thea slumped against the backrest again. The things Caya was prepared to do for her. “I appreciate it, but I don’t want you anywhere near him, darling.” It took Thea a few seconds to realize what she had just said. Caya’s lips parted and she looked wide-eyed at Thea. “Besides, he fears you and your sister so much, he wouldn’t go anywhere near you.” Trying to shrug her telltale word choice off, Thea wasn’t sure where to look. She focused on the top button in Caya’s tunic, but eventually she had to meet the other woman’s gaze again. She was struggling for something to say to get back on track when Meija called for them to join the others at the dinner table.
Thea ate without actually tasting much of the food. Meija was a brilliant cook. Korrian could get lyrically detailed when she described how Meija used to cook in the traditional way, using a stove and an oven. At such moments, Meija would just huff and say something about how anyone could easily follow a recipe if they took the time.
“What do you think? Thea?” Korrian nudged Thea gently. “We recall the book from all parties, as it is a threat to national security?”
“He will fight it in court, bringing even more attention to the damn thing,” Adina said.
“Adina’s right. I need to go another route. Actually, I discussed another approach with Caya earlier. She offered to assist, but this is something I need to do alone.”
Caya flinched. “Thea?”
“It’s the only thing that might work.” Thea clenched her jaws. “I need to hit him where it really hurts, and no, I don’t mean physically, albeit that has a certain appeal, all things considered.” She snorted unhappily. “I want you all to know that it’s because I have friends like you that I can even contemplate dealing with Hadler in this manner.”
Korrian looked concerned. “You should run whatever this idea is by your publicist and PR team.” She put down her utensils and placed a gentle hand on Thea’s shoulder.
“They will do their bit, but when it comes to my ex-husband, I’m the unfortunate expert. His many mistresses have no doubt seen only the side of him he showed me while we were engaged. A perfect, old-fashioned, charming gentleman. Once we married, he turned out to be a completely different person. Not even my father, his friend of many years, knew of Hadler’s temper or his…ways.” Thea swallowed. She wasn’t going to give them any of the sordid details.
“Can you at least share with us what you intend to do? I’m not actively trying to read you, but I can sense your, well, nervous energy, coming at me in waves,” Briar said from across the table.
“I’m going to remind him of a few of his less-than-stellar moments during our marriage. He doesn’t know it, but I’ve kept a few recordings. Some video, some audio only. I must have had a bit of a clairvoyant streak myself back then when I decided to put such measures in place.”
“Are you saying you have surveillance footage of Hadler Tylio’s abuse?” Caya pressed her lips together and gripped the edge of the dining table hard with both hands.
Wincing inwardly at the blunt words, Thea refused to let any of her discomfort show. “Yes. And the penalty for striking a member of the assembly, not to mention the cabinet and a president, is a significant number of years in prison.”
“Please let me go with you.” Caya curled her fingers in and pressed her fists together. “Or anyone else that truly is on your side. Take someone.”
“My guards will accompany me, and I’ll meet with him at his publisher’s office. That way I won’t have to submit to this charade more than once. I’ve made up my mind.” Thea looked at her half-empty plate. She just couldn’t stomach any more food. “I’m going to page my assistant to set up the meeting now. Do feel free to stay and finish your meal. Thank you for joining me here and showing me your support. It’s a good feeling to have such loyal friends.”
She stood and casually placed a hand on Caya’s shoulder as she passed her. Caya tipped her head back to look up at Thea, her transparent eyes large and filled with worry. “I’ll see you later.” Belatedly, Thea looked at the others. “All of you.” She automatically adjusted her beads and walked toward the door. Slapping her lapel communicator, she barked an order for her guards before snatching up the computer tablet from her desk and exiting her quarters. She knew Caya had sensed her feelings even if she wasn’t an empath.
Thea was out for blood.