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They started the walk back to the hotel shortly after Fray’s arrival near the cliffs. It was a quiet walk with only the sounds of nature and mixed chatter among Exodus tourists keeping them company.
Despite the dark turn of the conversation, the silence was not a tense one, but a pensive one. Fray knew a return to the cliffs would bring back the raw anger he’d spent much of his adult life working to triumph over. He was right. It had.
But there was more and he suspected it was because of Ellia. Ironic, since the anger, hate and loathing he carried for his father had thrived because of her. Yet he’d stood there, looking down on the spot where his father had lain dead 16 years ago and felt none of the despair and hopelessness he would’ve expected.
He stood there next to the woman he loved. There remained an emotional distance between them, but she stood there with him just the same. The madness they had endured at the hands of his father had not shredded all hope of them ever returning to one another’s lives. In that return existed the smallest sprout of hope that they might move beyond the madness they’d endured, toward the future that should have been theirs.
Ellia’s thoughts weren’t fixed on the future so much as they were on the past and its hold on the present. How long had there been friction between Fray and his father? Had it gone back as far as that night or...farther? Though they had practically grown up together, El would be first to admit she knew pitifully little about Fray’s relationship with Bronson Guthrie. Their play time as children was spent among her family or Bin.
Ellia’s smile took on a secretive slant as Binta Guthrie crossed her mind. Stories of Fray’s life in his father’s home was the one subject she had steered clear of over the years. Now, Fray was there and El could get her answers from the horse’s mouth.
Would it matter? Would it matter to know that the last day they’d spent together hadn’t been a ploy to weaken her defenses? That he hadn’t been working under his father’s instructions to strike when she was at her most vulnerable-would that matter in the grand scheme of things? She’d still want him-love him-God!
She clenched her fists inside the soft cotton blanket she’d used for her pallet near the cliffs. Whatever his motives, he had played her well. He’d made her love him, made her want to make love with him. Made her trust him.
Being with him now was like a tug of war where she was the rope and being pulled into a multitude of directions instead of only two. Not surprising, the direction where she most wanted to throw her weight was the one that would ease the ache that, until his return, had only served as a mental torment. Now, it was a low-grade throb that intensified the longer she spent in his presence.
They took the front entrance of the hotel. As they climbed the long, stone steps leading the way to the wide, stately porch, El wondered if Fray’s thoughts had drifted the way hers had?
The walk from the cliffs back to The Taylor had indeed passed in a slow blur. Inside the bustling lobby, Fray took Ellia’s arm, pulling her to one side. The contact had a missed familiarity and, for moments, they both studied his hand. His thumb brushed her sweater’s filmy blue sleeve.
Gaze fixed on his hand, Fray began to speak. “I actually stopped by for more than just a pitiful memorial service at the cliffs for my dad.” As though snapping from a daydream, he released her. “I brought the papers for you to sign over the proxy.”
El felt herself snapping to as well. Talk of business doused the sensual throb that had ramped all the way up to vibrating.
“Right,” she nodded and began checking inside the menu portfolio for the pen she didn’t seem to have.
“I left the papers back with Teddy,” he said.
“You know it takes my assistant a full ten to regain her focus when you call her that,” El’s manner was playfully dry as they fell in step for the walk back to her office.
“Really?” Fray chuckled.
“Please don’t act like you didn’t know that.”
“Well I didn’t,” Fray put on the face of unadulterated innocence. “I certainly don’t want to cause her any problems.”
“Right,” El’s laughter curled around the word. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a problem where she’s concerned.”
They crossed the stylish, lofty lobby and were about to take the corridor to the Admin wing, when Fray stopped Ellia again. That time, a simple brush of his fingers across her sleeve, did the trick and the dull pleasurable throb back built inside her.
“Do you think it would help if I told her I’m taken?”
“You are?” His question prompted her heart into a quick somersault to her throat, but she managed speech despite the damage the somersault had done to her larynx. “Since when?” She asked.
“Since sixteen years ago.” With that, he headed on down the corridor.
They arrived together at Ted’s small outer office. The assistant issued polite, professional greetings to her boss and Fray but put a little something extra in her smile when she addressed him.
“Thanks for letting me leave the papers here, Ted.” Fray looked over at El, who seemed to be doing everything possible to avoid his gaze.
Ted didn’t seem to mind Fray using the more common shortening of her name and only beamed brighter. “No problem, Mr. Guthrie,” she gushed.
“Would you hold my calls, Ted? I’ll let you know when we’re done.”
“Sure thing, Ellia.”
Within minutes, El and Fray were secured behind the closed doors of her office.
“I appreciate this, El,” he handed her the paperwork.
Ellia eyed the folder warily. “Do I need to read all of this?”
“Depends.”
Curious, she only stared.
“On whether you trust me or not.” He immediately regretted making the clarification when he saw the fear flicker in her light eyes.
El made no comment, but took the document from its cardstock envelope and set it to her desk. She reached for a pen, but let it hover over the page.
“What’s going on, Fray?” She kept her eyes on the sheet. “Why’s this suddenly so urgent?”
Going to the rear office door. Fray studied the view of the boardwalk. “I don’t know why it’s so urgent, only that it is. Someone else is pulling the strings and they aren’t being too generous with the details. They’ve given us until the end of the year to get this done. What?” He’d looked over in time to see her strange smile.
El shook her head, shrugged. “Just hard to believe you’d take the word of some...phantom source as gospel regarding something like this.”
Fray shrugged that time and turned back to study the view. “Guess we’re just that desperate now.”
“Desperate.”
“We’ve been trying to get them out for a long time, Elli. We-me, Zy and War- we’re sick of trying. If having them voted out means we get to leave the aggravation at someone else’s doorstep, so be it.”
“And just like that you’d give the responsibility to someone else?” She went about signing the papers.
“If it means I can spend my time on something I actually give a damn about, then yeah...just like that.”
El felt his eyes on her before she met them with her own. There was no need for clarification, she understood all too well. She finished with the documents, stood and returned the pages to the wide, legal-sized envelope they’d arrived in.
“Guess that’ll do it for our meetings,” she smoothed her fingertips over the envelope’s silver clasp.
“For ours, yes. Elli?” He waited until she met his gaze again. “We’re gonna have to talk with Moira and Seela.” His tone was softer then, more cautious as the distrust still flared in her eyes. Fray decided he preferred it to the fear.
“It um...it’s understandable that Zy and War would want to be in on those conversations,” he forged on courageously.
“Fray,” El set the envelope back to her desk. “I carry a knife in the hope I’ll never have to use it. If Moy carried one, it’d be with the hope that she would.”
He gave an accepting nod. “You think they won’t sign?”
“Oh they’ll sign because I did.” The natural arch of her brows lifted a bit. “That’s what you were hoping for, right?”
He nodded once more. “Yeah.” On the heels of the admission, a muscle flexed wickedly along the angle of his jaw. “But if you think I came here the way I did, apologizing for my part in that night, just so I could have that,” he motioned toward the envelope, “you can keep it. Shred it, burn it, it’s the only copy with your signature.”
She smiled. “We won’t go that far. But you may want to inform your cousins- Zyon especially- he’ll be taking his life into his hands meeting with Moira. She’ll fall in step with someone she hates to take down someone she hates even more.”
“And that’s exactly why he’ll see her, Elli. Because there’s someone she hates more than him.”
Nodding at his reasoning, El handed over the envelope. “So when are you leaving?” She asked.
“Well I guess it makes sense to hang around until Bin’s birthday par-”
Fray never had the chance to complete the response as his lips were suddenly fused against Ellia’s, her tongue occupying his mouth. She’d grabbed a fistful of his shirt and jerked him down to meet her kiss.
It was a vigorous kiss-hungry, full of emotion and arousing. Yet, it had come out of nowhere! He couldn’t move, only stand there and take her tongue thrusting, rubbing, tangling with his. When she released him, appearing as stunned and drained as he was, Fray had to lean against her desk. Blinking incessantly, he tested his breathing ability by attempting a deep inhale.
El had moved to take in her view from the rear doors and Fray took that as his cue to leave. No further discussion was needed. He didn’t think he could manage a conversation if his life depended on it. Taking the envelope that hung precariously close to the edge of the desk, he charted a steady path to the door and left her alone.
***
She still made those soft, whimpering sounds when she kissed. The thought hadn’t left his mind since he’d left The Taylor. He was en route to a meeting that would require every bit of his attention and all he could think of was that kiss of hers.
He was still sticking to the idea that it had come out of nowhere. During the drive from Exodus to the island’s residential sector, he began to reconsider the thought. Had she given off clues to a change of heart? A change to that extent? Had what he’d shared about his father’s death changed her perception of him- of the extent of his betrayal?
A muscle danced wildly along his cheek when he slammed a fist to the Suburban’s steering wheel. He actually came down there with a carefully laid out plan- set to win her back on an emotional level as opposed to a physical one. There had been too much of the physical between them already. Now...her actions had thrown that plan into a state of flux and to hell with the emotional level he’d planned to meet her on.
Fray muttered a curse then that was meant to motivate his thoughts out of his trousers and on to business.
He could only hope that the man he was on his way to speak with would do so. He had literally cringed when his uncles had shared the name, but this had to be done. There’d been no word that the meeting was cancelled, so he guessed that was cause for some celebration. He’d called to confirm on the way to the community and had been told the meet would take place along the shore.
Fray had to admire the irony. That morning, he’d taken a firm grip over dread while looking down on where his father’s dead body had languished. Now, he was meant to set foot where the man met his death. Given that morning’s adventure, he was far more confident of his ability to handle the afternoon.
Midmorning to early afternoon would find Teller Croix fishing below the cliffs that skirted the residential side of New Island. Somehow, the man drew hearty catches from the shallow spot he had claimed as his own. The community highly approved of Teller’s pastime as it benefitted from the generosity of his monthly fish-frys.
“Guthrie.”
Fray wasn’t surprised when the man called out to him in greeting before Fray had gotten within 20 feet of where Croix stood casting a line into the low waves. There was a lot to be said for 20/20 vision, Fray acknowledged when he saw the double-aught shotgun leaning against the old folding lawn chair that Croix had obviously brought along on his outing.
Fray took a second to pray his uncles had aptly prepared Teller Croix to see him and that he wouldn’t shoot first and continue fishing.
“You won’t need that,” Fray kept his tone cool while remarking on the gun.
Teller didn’t flinch while casting his next line. He made the effort with the ease and expertise that came with much practice. “Folks in my family meet with serious consequences when in the presence of folks in your family and that’s in a public setting. Meeting privately...” Teller smiled. “I’d be a fool not to come protected.”
Fray nodded as an image pushed into his mind of Ellia armed with her knife. Quickly, he cast aside the image knowing it’d render him a useless mass were it to remain camped dead center of his brain. “And yet you went to work for us?” he challenged the fisherman.
Teller remained cool. “Someone on my side had to be brave enough to step into the lion’s den and report back to let the rest know when they needed to bolt their doors.”
“That’s why I’m here Croix. I need to know what you reported. It won’t get back to my cousins.” Fray heard the other man laugh and he was sorely tempted to follow suit as the absurdity of the statement hit home.
“Gotta love that Guthrie arrogance! If there was ever a place where things ‘got back’ it’s this island. You saw my cousin for months on the sly and somehow it managed to ‘get back’ to your father, didn’t it?”
Like that, she was back at the front of his mind. Fray found himself squeezing his eyes shut in hopes of stifling El’s appearance.
“Have you seen her?” Teller was asking.
“I came to get her proxy. We’ve got a good chance of voting my cousins out for good.”
Teller turned to look at his guest then. “Have you seen Bin?” He dismissed the query with a shake of his head when Fray regarded him strangely.
“I need to know what you know, Croix.” Fray pushed on. “If you were really afraid of things getting back, I don’t think you’d have agreed to this meeting.”
Teller shrugged, studying the line he’d pulled from the water. “You could be down here trying to persuade me to share my secret to catching a million fish instead of asking what you’re asking.”
“That’s true,” Fray risked a step closer to the shore. “But no one knows that for sure except you and me. So what good does it do for you to hold back now? If my cousins come after you because you’ve breached some confidentiality agreement-”
Teller gave into an echoing ripple of laughter that seemed to stun even the birds into silence. “Confidentiality agreement? Man, a breach like this wouldn’t land me in court but in my grave.”
“Why?” The natural ferocity of Fray’s eyes shone through then. “What the hell are they into that they’d protect with death?”
Weariness seemed to meld with Teller Croix’s outrage. “I never scratched deep enough into what they really had going. I only uncovered enough to give me lots of strong suspicions, but I had no way to make them concrete.” He met Fray’s eyes then. “Catching them is like trying to catch mist. All you wind up with is the residue of its existence but its existence remains.”
“Hmph,” Fray rolled his eyes then. “Yeah, I know about that.” He rubbed his nape and quietly observed the shallow waters for a time. “But now it looks like someone has scratched deep enough and they’re ready to dump whatever they’ve uncovered over my cousins.”
“Who?” Curiosity pushed aside Teller’s outrage and weariness.
“No idea.” Again, Fray shook his head. “But they’re only giving us until the end of the year to get them out of the company or they step in-reveal what they know.”
Teller walked a ways along the quiet brook, clearly preoccupied by Fray’s response. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t believe that?” He questioned finally.
Fray couldn't resist grinning while he noted the Croix talent for smelling bullshit. He thought of Zyon then and prayed his cousin knew what he was doing with Moira Croix.
“I don’t believe it. Not totally and I haven’t even admitted that to my cousins.” Or El when she asked, he tacked on silently.
“I have a hard time trusting people, Croix.” Fray let the other man see the full extent of his agitation. “I have an even harder time trusting people I’ve never met especially when they come bearing gifts with no strings.”
Teller’s round gaze leveled. “You don’t think the gift exists.”
Fray started to pace. “I don’t know one way or another, but if it does, I question our anonymous source’s sincerity in using it.”
Understanding pooled Teller’s pale green eyes then. “You think your cousins set this up. Why?”
“Too many times me, Zy and War have come close to hanging them on any number of schemes. Most of it was small shit- stuff they could use Guthrie respect in the business world to keep hidden or overlooked. I’m starting to think we’re on to snagging them with something they won’t be able to wiggle out of. So they conjure this anonymous source who says all we have to do is vote them out of the company and they’ll do the rest. It’s a simple request on our part, but one we’ve been hesitant to attempt before given that the families have been co-existing without drama for-”
“Sixteen years?” Teller’s pale greens harbored blatant skepticism. “That’s not co-existing Fray, that’s families scared it’ll be their sons or daughters who’ll be next to meet the fire. You haven’t forgotten the fire, have you Fray?”
“I’ll never forget it.” Though his voice threatened to fail over the admission, Fray pressed on.
“If we get the votes and they walk off into the sunset-”
“None of this ever sees the light of day.” Teller finished.
“I haven’t said anything to Zy and War yet because I know all they really want is to see their brothers out. No one has any interest in following up after the fact.” He thought of what he’d confessed to El just that morning. She’d been right to question his ability to leave it all at someone else’s doorstep.
“If this...source is actually them, then whatever they’re involved in may continue for who knows how long. Much as I want to, I know I can’t take that chance especially if what they’re involved in is something that could do irreparable damage to my family’s name.”
Challenge lurked in Fray’s dark eyes then. “I know you think we’re all scum, Tel, but there are some of us who don’t desire a connection to the madness my great, great grandfather started and my dad continued. We don’t want a connection to that kind of perverseness in any form.”
Teller Croix sized up the taller, broader man and seemed convinced of his sincerity. As though his weariness had returned, he settled to his folding chair and began to rummage through the tackle box at his feet. “What do you want to know?”
“Why’d you quit? What did you learn?”
“I told you-nothing.”
“What’d you suspect then?” Fray stalked closer. “Look Croix, when that list mysteriously showed up, we were considering looking into claims made by Guthrie staffing organizations. Now they all claimed they were being squeezed out by some new organization that was courting my cousins. Listening to them, it sounded like my cousins were already working with this new company which would be a violation of our business code. Any outside business had to be thoroughly evaluated by my end before any partnerships develop...Croix?” Fray could see the effect his words were having on the man.
Leaning forward on the chair, Teller smoothed his palms across the sleek, light brown hair capping his head. “Partnerships had already developed,” he said. “No one aside from your cousins, knew the true draw, but whatever this new company proposed must’ve been like gold to them. A condition of the deal was that it was all handled outside New Corp parameters. No problem there. Dealing outside the lines would have appealed to those within the company who pledged their allegiance to your cousins’ ways of doing things.”
As though he’d grown agitated with sitting, Teller pushed out of the chair and left it to tremble slightly in the sand. “The deal was done old school- no emails or faxes. It was all handshakes and signed papers. Copies were circulated only among those directly involved. I was one of them- too blinded by the idea that I was getting my hands on dirt, to see that I was being tested.”
“Who was the company?”
“That was the test.” Teller smirked. “There were no names on the papers only numbers. I questioned that and the question got me kicked, not just out of the inner circle, but out of the company.”
“So you didn’t quit?”
“Technically I did, but it wasn’t a decision I’d have made were I not...encouraged. Aside from the inner circle, there was only one other person who knew this- an executive assistant. She handled all the copying and grunt work.” Teller’s expression changed again to reflect something haunted.
“You may recall signing off on the supplemental package that New Corp provides next of kin in the event of an employee death. Her name was Connie Lynch. Her brakes failed when she was driving home from work one night.”
“Jesus,” Fray returned to stare blankly over the quiet of the ocean.
“That was my...confidentiality agreement and I haven’t spoken on any of this until now.” Teller shrugged, proffered a wavery smile. “What’s to say? Nothing can be proven. They took everything from me. I can’t even sign over my shares to help you kick them out. They made me sign them over when they fired me. Bye bye dividends. Why else do you think I came back to this godforsaken place? I’m unemployable.”
“I’ll have your shares reinstated.”
“Don’t bother. I’m actually pretty content just now.” Teller’s face hardened, making him seem older than his 36 years. “Get them out, Fray. If it’s like you say and this is them trying to orchestrate a cover-up, then chances are they’re trying to slink away from or double-cross whoever they got into bed with. They wouldn’t have stayed on at the company without a reason. Take away that reason and let the chips fall.”
Fray only nodded. He spent another few moments taking in the view and experiencing a solace he didn’t expect. “This doesn’t seem like such a bad life,” he said finally.
Teller grinned. “No it isn’t. It isn’t at all.”
Fray offered his hand then, smiling when the gesture was accepted. “Thanks Tel,” he gave Teller Croix’s hand a squeeze, spared another look to the view and then took his leave.