| |
Calculated Hard Truths
Emelia
––––––––
THE AIR AROUND ME WAS biting cold, but the blood was being pumped around my body so fast that only my extremities noticed. Approaching the scene where the man who’d tried to move heaven and Earth to save me was forced on his knees by another with an enormous gun, I paused, keeping Laurel close by as we hid in the shadows. Wilson was standing on the opposite side of the picnic area, his smug attention drilled into Nathanial.
My breath hitched as I surveyed what was happening, my focus refusing to dwell on the gun being forced against Nathanial’s head. In my mind, I heard the affirmations we’d made in the car.
We will be okay. Everything will be all right.
I didn’t know how. I only knew it had to be.
I’d spent the minutes since Nathanial had walked into the darkness alone talking to my daughter to see if she was on board with my crazy plan. Logically, I knew we were taking a huge risk by leaving the car, but then, I also accepted the situation was hazardous in any event. Staying in the car wouldn’t help Nathanial, but it equally didn’t guarantee safety for Laurel and me. Armed men could easily haul us from the vehicle, by which point Nathanial could already be dead.
Don’t. I closed my eyes briefly. Don’t think about that. Don’t even conceive it.
So, we’d agreed to act. We’d left the car, creeping out into the open and staying away from the glare of the blinding flashlights that had lit up the area. As with so many other times in my life, I was amazed by Laurel’s bravery, her pace not wavering as we waited in the gloom. Despite her obvious unease about recent developments, she’d insisted we do anything we could to help Nathanial rather than try to flee without him.
“We did that once before,” she reminded me. “And I think we both regretted it. Whatever we do now, we stay together.”
Gripping her cold hand, I was so proud of her. My teenage daughter was more courageous, experienced, and intelligent than most people four times her age.
“Check the car!” The pompous moron who’d attacked me and somehow managed to take over the country shouted the order. “I want Emelia Reynolds on her knees as well.”
Apprehension twisted in my stomach as my name echoed around the dark space, and without a second thought, I walked toward the light.
“No need to shout, Prime Minister.”
All four men turned to look at me, Nathanial’s eyes widening as he registered my presence.
“I’m right here.” I glanced at Laurel. “And it’s not only me, Ryan.” Oddly, I smiled as I pulled her in my direction. “Your daughter’s here as well.”
This was our plan—an attempt to unnerve Wilson by outing his potential parentage of my child. In truth, the strategy was flimsy at best, but I hoped that, deep down, the detestable man did care, either about Laurel or about what his subordinates would think. All we wanted was a moment of hesitation from our foe, a chance for Nathanial to fight back and take on the gun-wielding bastards. Even from the car it had been clear he wouldn’t stand a chance on his own. The best he could hope for was a lifetime of shitty incarceration, while the worst didn’t even bear thinking about.
“She’s not my daughter.”
Wilson’s response might have been considered callous had I not personally been so happy to hear his denial. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t, but if he ever tried to pursue custody, I now had two witnesses who could vouch for his utter rejection of her.
“That’s not what you told me the last time I saw you.” Feigning upset, I edged closer with Laurel in tow. “You told me how you wanted to be a father to her. You threatened to take her away from me if I didn’t sign the document you produced.”
“Get her out of the way!” Brows knitting, Wilson gestured for one of the armed men to respond.
“Is this the woman you’re looking for, sir?” The nearest goon glanced at me and then back to his boss, time protracting in the bitter cold as we waited for Wilson’s answer.
“Yes, she’s the woman!” Wilson snapped. “Get hold of her!”
“You’re not going to shoot me dead in front of your daughter, are you?” Laurel clung to me as the monster in black marched closer. “What kind of message does that send?”
“Forget her!” Wilson barked. “Take the child to the chopper.”
“Don’t do this, Dad!” Laurel came to life brilliantly, acting out the part we’d briefly discussed. “You said you loved me! You said that you, me, and Mum could be together!”
The approaching guard hesitated at Laurel’s performance, lowering his weapon as he turned to check with his boss.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Wilson scoffed. “I never said any such things.”
“I can’t believe this!” Laurel burst into tears at Wilson’s apparent rejection. She’d told me the emotion she’d been storing up from the last few days would be easy to tap into for the display and she wasn’t joking. Even I’d have struggled to realize she was only acting. “Why don’t you love me, Daddy?”
“I said, get her in the chopper!” Wilson’s face was reddening with exasperation. “What am I paying you for?”
“But she’s only a child, sir.” The guard faltered, seemingly unsure. “And she’s upset.”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Wilson stalked toward us, shaking his head. “I’ll do it. You get this one on her knees.” He gestured to me as he passed by.
“Daddy!” Laurel leaped at Wilson’s advance, running into his arms and ‘accidentally’ knocking the wavering guard to one side. “I knew you loved me.”
“Get off me!” Wilson grimaced, trying to hold Laurel at arm’s length. “Get this child off me!”
Dropping the gun, the goon raced to aid his master, wrestling Laurel from his embrace. For a fraction of a second, neither of the men embroiled with my daughter noticed as I left my place and grasped for the gun. The only people that appeared to be watching me at all were Nathanial and the bastard who had him on his knees.
“Hey!” the gun-wielding idiot shouted as I dragged the weapon closer with my fingernails and clutched it to my chest. I loathed having to hold the ugly thing, memories of the shots that had been fired at the rental house temporarily overwhelming me, but it was necessary. I needed to control the narrative, and the gun would help with that. “Hey, she has your—"
Nathanial sprang to his feet in a heartbeat, elbowing the screaming man in the ribs and punching him to the ground when his enemy fell to his knees. It all happened in one rapid moment, but by the time I rose and pointed the gun at Wilson, Nathanial was already poised to shoot the guy who’d been intimidating him.
“Let my daughter go.” My voice hardened as I motioned for the man grappling to contain Laurel to release her.
Realizing he was suddenly out of options, he obliged, waving his hands in a conciliatory gesture as Laurel rushed to my side. She reached into her pocket for her phone as Nathanial’s voice resounded. He hadn’t been there when we’d hatched our impromptu plan, but he seemed to be picking up the breadcrumbs we’d dropped with Laurel’s theatrics.
“This can’t go on, Wilson.” Nathanial took a step toward his brother, his attention skimming between Wilson and the guard who’d threatened him. “You need to let us go.”
“Let you go?” Wilson’s tone was mocking. “No fucking way! I tried that once with her,” he pointed to me, “and look where that got me.”
“I’m your brother, aren’t I?” Nathanial’s gaze burned with emotion. No doubt all those years of rejection and playing second fiddle to his older, richer, and more popular sibling had provided the fuel he needed. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“And I’m your daughter!” Laurel spoke up from beside me. “I can’t believe you’d do anything to hurt me or my mum.”
“There’s no evidence you’re mine.” Disdain reverberated in Wilson’s tone, his concentration darting between the gun I was holding and my daughter. “You’re the product of one drunken, drug-filled night. That’s all.”
“The night you attacked me?” I clarified, knowing full well Laurel’s audio recorder would be picking up every word. “Is that what you mean?”
“We spoke about that.” Wilson chuckled. “And we both know there’s no way you can prove you were sedated when we took turns with you. How was I supposed to know you’d get knocked up as a result?”
“You disgust me!” Edging closer, my finger skimmed the trigger, and for one moment, I considered abandoning our plan and just putting a bullet in Wilson, but I didn’t.
There were too many witnesses, and I’d have had to kill them all and hide their bodies to even conceive an escape. Even then, we’d be back on the run, barely scraping an existence. That wasn’t what I wanted. Laurel deserved better. We all did.
“The feeling’s mutual.” His gaze narrowed. “I can’t believe I even stuck my cock in you.”
“You raped me.” My heart pounded faster with the admission.
“And you were the worst I ever had,” Wilson confirmed, smirking as he unwittingly inferred his part in my attack. “Get control of this situation, Carter. We need to go.”
As though Nathanial understood what we were trying to achieve, he whirled into life on the other side of the clearing.
“I’ve heard enough.” Bringing the gun down hard on the guard’s head, he pistol-whipped the guy to the ground before storming the guard nearest to Laurel and me.
The brute roared as he attempted to shove Nathanial to the ground, but the gun Nathanial speared him with reminded the goon who was in charge.
“You can’t do that!” Wilson insisted, as though someone had taken away his favorite toy. “Those are my men. I’m in charge!”
“Shut up,” I commanded as I waved the gun at Wilson. Staring at him, it was difficult to believe anyone had voted for him. I’d done some research since stepping out of Sam’s shadow, and it seemed the lies and rhetoric he spewed had struck a chord with many of the population.
“On your knees,” Nathanial snarled, pushing the guard to the ground and lining up the shot as the guy stumbled to obey.
I watched, heart in my mouth, as my savior kept watch over Wilson’s only remaining conscious protector.
“You’re going to go back to London and resign your commission as Prime Minister.” I kept my voice steady as the lines I’d been practicing in my head rolled from my lips.
“Resign?” Wilson spat. “No fucking chance.”
“Yes, fucking chance,” Laurel answered, smiling as my eyes widened at her language. “Otherwise, I’ll be posting this audio of you admitting to raping my mum on social media. Oh, I can also send it to Sky and the other media outlets. I’m pretty sure people will be interested to hear your cavalier confession.”
“What?” The blood drained from Wilson’s face. “Wh-what confession? I’ve confessed to nothing.”
Laurel waved her phone in her hand. “This says different, Dad!”
“You little bitch!” Wilson lurched at Laurel, his face contorted with rage as he tried to grab the device from her hands.
He never saw me move, or if he did, he was already committed to attacking my daughter and couldn’t respond. Either way, he didn’t flinch as I lifted the gun and cracked it down over the side of his head. A low, guttural groan escaped his throat as he stumbled, his knees buckling before he collapsed to the ground.