Sixteen

Robert called for a ride, which was a novel experience. By the time the driver picked him up, Robert had himself under control. He’d done the right thing. Jeannie might be upset now but he was confident that a woman as worldly and intelligent as she was would see how this was for the best by the light of day.

She still had his jacket, but his vest smelled faintly of oranges.

God, he was tired. Tired of dealing with Landon, worrying about his mother, tired of holding himself back, tired of being Robert Wyatt.

Just be with me, Jeannie had said. Of all the things she’d given him, that might’ve been her greatest gift.

But it didn’t matter how tired he was—his night was just beginning.

Kelly texted just as the car hit Lake Shore Drive.

Robert focused on breathing. Slow. Steady. Orange-scented. Everything was going according to plan. Landon had discovered that his wife, son and a random woman who might or might not have been nobility had all disappeared from his grand kickoff campaign gala. As Robert had hoped, Landon had not taken the news well.

Robert was counting on the next part. He didn’t have long to wait.

Because that was the fail-safe of his plan. He could fund civil lawsuits and give federal investigators access to financial reports but Landon was a slippery bastard and money talked.

Breaking and entering, however, was harder to disprove. Especially when there were security tapes, off-duty officers as witnesses and a son who refused to drop charges.

The driver turned onto Robert’s street. “Here is fine,” Robert said, fishing a hundred out of his wallet. He didn’t know what the tipping protocol was but rare was the person who’d turn down cash.

“Hey—anytime, man! You’re going to get a great rating out of this!”

Robert had no idea what the man was talking about but he didn’t care. As he got out of the car, he could hear his alarm screaming into the night and, underneath that, sirens in the distance.

“Get your hands off me! Do you know who I am?” Landon Wyatt’s screech of rage cut through the noise.

“What’s going on here?” Robert said, aiming for concerned innocence. “Father? What are you doing here?”

“Where is she?” Landon screamed, lurching at Robert.

“Easy, buddy,” the officer said, hauling Landon back. Robert recognized Officer Hernandez; he’d covered the Hernandezes’ outstanding balance for a recent procedure.

Landon’s arms were handcuffed behind his back. The sight made Robert almost smile because it was something he could definitely get used to seeing. “Where is who?”

“You know damned well, you useless bastard. Where is she?”

Robert made a big show of looking up at his dark house. “No one’s home. I just got here.” Kelly sidled up the sidewalk and Robert spotted the reporters, cameras flashing and video recording. “My date got sick and I took her home. I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other anymore,” he explained for the audience.

Landon snarled and lunged again. This time the other officer had to use so much force to hold him back that Landon wound up on his knees in the middle of the sidewalk.

“You’ll pay for this,” he said, his eyes bugging out. “By the time I get done with you, you all will wish you’d never been born!”

The officers made as if to haul him up but Robert waved them off. Instead, he crouched down in front of Landon, who was struggling to get to his feet. Robert put a hand on the older man’s shoulder and forced him back down because that was what a Wyatt would do. Dominate. Control.

Robert demanded respect, but right now, from this man, he’d settle for fear.

The older man’s eyes widened with surprise as his muscles tensed under Robert’s hands. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Robert leaned close. He didn’t want anyone to hear this. “You’ll never see her again.”

“I’ll find her,” Landon barked with a truly maniacal laugh. No wonder everyone at the gallery had been asking if he was high. Robert’s plan was working perfectly. “You can’t keep her safe. You never could. She’s mine! And after I find her, I’ll find that duchess of yours, whoever she was. And I’ll make her pay.” He licked his lips and tried to surge to his feet again. “I can’t wait. Will she scream your name in the end, do you think?”

Robert didn’t allow any emotion to cross his face. But he tightened his grip on the old man’s shoulder, feeling the muscles clench and grind under his hand and he made damn sure Landon stayed down on his knees.

“Do you have any idea how easy it would be to get you out onto a boat and drop you in the middle of the lake?” It was a struggle to keep his voice level, but given the way Landon went rigid with what Robert hoped was fear, he thought he’d done a good job. “But I’m not going to do that because you deserve so much more than a quick, easy death.” He tightened his grip on the old man’s shoulder and by God, he bowed under the pressure. “No matter how hard you look, you’ll never find either of them.”

Robert had lived his entire life in fear of this man but in the end, it wasn’t that hard to take control. He was a Wyatt and that was what they did.

“Try me,” Landon said but the menace had bled out of his voice and instead, he sounded like a man who was starting to realize he’d made a grave tactical error.

Because he had.

“You’re going to be divorced, sued, arrested and tried and, if I have anything to say about it, found guilty on charges of sexual assault, embezzlement, campaign finance fraud, breaking and entering, and God only knows what else my people are uncovering as we speak.” Robert forced himself to stare into Landon’s eyes because Robert was in charge now. It was Landon’s turn to cower because he’d come up against a force he couldn’t dominate. “And we haven’t even rolled Alexander yet. But we will.”

“Sir?” Kelly cleared his throat. Robert was running out of time to say his piece. “Sorry to interrupt but I’ve just received word that Alexander Trudeau has been picked up on charges of money laundering.”

It was hard to tell under the yellow light from the streetlamps, but Robert thought Landon had suddenly gone pale. “See?” he said with a smile. Because now he could smile in front of Landon, just to watch the old man squirm. “Not that hard to roll, after all.”

“You son of a bitch,” Landon said, starting to struggle again. “I’ll get you for this.”

“Oh, you’ll try, but you’ll be busy with the lawsuits and trials. And I do think this marks the end of your career in politics, doesn’t it? Everything you ever had or wanted, gone.” Robert snapped his fingers. “Just like that. And do you know why, Dad?”

Landon glared at him but Robert didn’t feel the usual panic churning up his stomach.

He smiled again, this time for real. “Because this is what you raised me to do.” He let go of the old man’s shoulder and, as he broke that singular point of contact, a sense of finality washed over him. “I hope you’re happy with what you created.”

This wasn’t over, not by a long shot. But they were done.

Freed of Robert’s grip, Landon surged up. “I’ll kill you!” he screamed, flecks of spittle flying off his lips. “I’ll kill that bitch and that whore in front of you and then I’ll end you!”

Robert got ready to throw a punch but then Officer Hernandez and his partner were there. One drew his gun but Robert said, “No need for that, Officer.” Landon straightened and smiled in victory, but then Robert added, “If you have to subdue him, use the Taser.”

Landon screamed in rage but Robert just smiled. God, it felt good to smile.

It felt good to win.

The cops led a struggling, furious Landon to the police car. As they closed the door on what had, just a few hours ago, been the most powerful man in Chicago, Robert straightened his cuffs and stood tall.

Landon Wyatt’s era was over and there would be no redemption tour.

There was a lot of talking after that—Robert gave a statement to the cops and confirmed that, yes, he would like to press charges and yes, his father had a temper but no, he’d never made death threats before and yes, perhaps a restraining order would be a good thing.

He obtained security footage and talked with lawyers and judges and began circulating rumors that Cybil Wyatt had been on the verge of leaving Landon but had been convinced to stay for the campaign but after this...

And even when dawn broke over Lake Michigan and the last star blinked out of sight, Robert didn’t stop because there was so much to do. He had to contact members of the board of Wyatt Medical and make sure that his mother had landed safely in LA and taken off again and he had to do rounds at the hospital.

He couldn’t stop.

Because if he did, he’d think of Jeannie. And if he thought of her, he might not be able to stay away and it wasn’t safe yet. Not yet, damn it all.

Sailboat.