19. Fiona
Chapter 19
Fiona
By the end of dinner, my stomach is full and I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much. Xander delighted in making the group laugh, and the way he watched his wife light up with joy, had me thinking crazy thoughts. What would it be like if Clay looked at me like that? It’s a welcome distraction, but as the night looms, my reality sets in.
Clay wants to protect me, but he doesn’t know my father or Raf. My father always gets what he wants. I’ll have to confront him at some point. And as much as I want to trust Clay, he could walk away, just like everyone else did. I heave a sigh and watch the twinkling stars over the ocean, trying to ignore the voice that screams, ‘Clay is different.’
“There you are,” Clay says, joining me on the deck of the infinity pool. He shoves his hands in the pocket of his gray sweats I try not to drool over. He’s wearing a tight white t-shirt that highlights every inch of his sculpted torso and squeezes the muscles in his arms. It’s not fair how attractive he is.
“Thank you for bringing me here tonight. I know you’re just doing your job, but I…haven’t had too many dinners like that.”
“It’s not my job. My job is to expose Edgar and protect Emilia.”
I don’t know how to respond, so I remain silent.
“But you’re welcome,” he says.
“Thank you for the flowers, too. I’m sorry I ruined whatever apology speech you had planned.”
“You should be sorry. It was epic.”
“Why don’t you give it now?”
“Nope. Snooze you lose.”
I snort a laugh, and he smiles.
“How long can I stay here?”
He shrugs. “As long as it takes.”
“My father always gets what he wants. It’s best if I go to him and save everyone the trouble.”
“Don’t get any ideas about being a hero. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
“I don’t want to be a hero. I only want to live my life in peace.”
He meets my gaze, and like always, it’s like I’m falling into him.
“I want that too,” he whispers. A deep, dark well of pain opens in his expression before he looks over the ocean. What secrets does he hide from the world, and why do I want to discover them?
“I’m still mad you lied, but I understand why you did. It’s hard to trust anyone, especially if they’re involved with Infinitum.”
He drops his gaze to the pool deck. “You have no idea.”
“Why don’t you tell me what happened and maybe I will?”
He glances at me. “We’re not ready for that.”
“Trust goes both ways. Give a little, get a little.”
He pushes the air out of his lungs before he faces me. He eyes me for a moment before he speaks. “Infinitum killed my parents.”
My eyes widen and I reach for him before I realize what I’m doing, but he lets me hold his hand. “How?”
He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “I’ll tell you. One day. Just not today.” He drops my hand. “It’s safe out here, so stay as long as you want. I’m hitting the hay. We’re going to work from here for the next few days. Come to the kitchen when you’re ready for breakfast.”
I watch him until he disappears into the house, and return my gaze over the ocean. Maybe Clay keeps his secrets close to his chest because they’re too horrific to be out in the open, but it doesn’t deter me. There’s a reason we’re so drawn to each other, and I’m going to find out why.
The next morning, Emilia has breakfast with us before she and Xander head to the office downtown. Clay and I hack into my father’s security system and find out Raf was telling the truth.
“Jesus, they’ve already sent out the wedding invitations,” Paul says as he looks over Clay’s shoulder.
Clay has gone silent as he stares at the evidence.
“Good luck having a wedding without a bride,” I say, but he remains still.
Paul eyes him before he faces me. “Don’t worry, we won’t let this happen.”
Clay stands. “I need a minute,” he says and stalks from the room Emilia uses as a home office.
“He’ll be okay,” Paul says when I move to follow him. I sigh and return to sifting through my father’s correspondences.
I come across a strange email and read it twice before I figure out what it means. “Uh.. guys, I think I’ve got something here.”
Dylan reads over my shoulder. “This is exactly what we need.”
“What is it?” Clay asks as he enters the room, his eyes moving over me like he’s checking to make sure I haven’t injured myself in the past ten minutes.
“Fiona found out who is working for Edgar in Reilly Tech.”
“You mean it’s not Fiona?” Clay says, grinning at me and I roll my eyes.
“It’s her boss. Arthur. He wired ten grand to Lawrence last week.”
“And he’s been doing it every other week for almost six years,” I say, flipping the screen towards him.
“That only implicates Arthur. Not Edgar.”
“It’s a step closer. Now we know who to watch.”
“What if it’s not just Arthur?”
“Hopefully, others will reveal themselves as we keep digging. Fiona, pull up Arthur’s profile and let’s get started,” Dylan says.
Clay sits next to me. “Good work, Flowers,” he whispers. I grin at him, and we share a long look where I fight the butterflies in my stomach. How I went from wishing for his death to trying to prevent it is beyond me.
Raf’s ominous forty-eight hour deadline arrives and Clay watches me like he’s contemplating tying me to the couch.
“Are we concerned they haven’t tried to communicate with Fiona? I don’t like it,” Paul says.
“I don’t either,” I admit. My father is a persistent man. He has something planned.
Their phones trill an alert. “Paul and I will check it out,” Dylan says to Clay, and the two men leave the room.
Clay paces by the window, looking everywhere at once.
“Clay.”
No answer. More pacing.
“Clay,” I say, a little louder, but he ignores me.
“Damn it, Clay! Stop pacing. You’re making me nervous.”
He sighs and sits on the couch next to me, but his leg bounces like he’s full of explosive energy. The hair on my arms stands up and I frown. Why does that keep happening? I should start using fabric softener.
I reach for him, and a gigantic bolt of static electricity zaps my fingers. “Ouch!” I shake my hand and he startles.
“Shit. I’m sorry.”
The pain recedes, and I laugh. “It’s not your fault. The air is dry today.”
“Right.” He looks out towards the windows and jumps to his feet with a curse. He hesitates as we share a long look. “Stay here.”
Before I can react, he’s gone. I sigh and sink onto the couch, sipping on my bottle of water. My phone rings and I frown at the unlisted number. I let it go to voicemail, but it rings again. My stomach drops, and I glance around the empty room. It rings out again, but starts a moment later.
What if it’s Clay? I saved his number, but what if something happened to his phone?
I connect the call and bring it to my ear.
“If you want your friends to live, you’ll meet me at the gate. Make sure nobody sees you or they’re dead,” Raf says and hangs up.
My heart pounds as a text message pops up. Terror grips me as I find a photo of Paul, Dylan and Clay on their knees, bound and gagged, with two men holding guns on them.
The house is too quiet. The air is too thick.
My heartbeat pounds in my ears as I climb to my feet. Clay told me not to be a hero, but I don’t have it in me to let them die. Especially not when I can save them. I’ve lived through the torture before. I can do it again. For Clay. For my friends. I have to.
I peel off the tracker sticker Clay put on my phone earlier and pull my sock down to press it to my heel. Hopefully, it will give Clay enough time to find me before Raf discovers it.
I step into my sneakers and head through the back door. I stick to the shadows on the side of the massive house. There’s not a soul in sight.
I squeeze through the gate, and Raf appears out of nowhere, grabbing me from behind. “Don’t say a fucking word,” he growls, and I nod.
An SUV races around the corner and he shoves me into the backseat. He pulls out his phone and puts it on speaker as he looks out the back window. “We’re clear. Kill them.”
I scream, but gunshots pop through the phone before the call ends.
Tears stream down my face as Raf yanks me into my parent’s house. He’s left me alone while I sobbed for Clay. It’s my fault the only man who ever truly cared about me is gone.
“Why are you crying? It’s your wedding day, my pet. You should be happy.”
“You didn’t have to kill them. I did what you wanted.”
He scoffs. “You’ve gone soft during your year alone.”
“The first chance I get, I’m putting that knife through your fucking eyeball.”
He chuckles. “I love this new side of you. I’ll be exploring it more this evening after I make you my wife.”
“Go to hell.”
“Buttercup? What happened?” my father says, entering the foyer from his study.
He wraps me in a hug, but I remain stiff. “He killed my friends.”
Lawrence Edgwater isn’t a sentimental man, but he looks at me with watery eyes and unrestrained joy. “They aren’t important. You’re home now. That’s all that matters.”
He smiles at me, and I’m reminded of a kinder, gentler man who would kiss my booboos all better. “You look so much like your mother,” he says.
“She’d be horrified with what you’re forcing me to do,” I say.
He smacks me across the face so fast it takes a minute for the pain to register. It’s a harsh reminder that my father is not the same man from my childhood. In his place is someone who abandoned his own daughter for his church. A man who will force her to marry someone against her will. A man who would harm his only child to prove a point. If it’s because I remind him so much of his great love, I hope my return drives him mad.
They killed Clay. No. No, keep it together. Clay would want you to survive.
“There’s a dress waiting for you in Marissa’s old room. Someone will be up soon to take care of your hair and makeup,” my father says.
I stare at him, struggling to keep my rage in check, and he tips my chin up. “You will do as you’re told, or you will face consequences. Do you need a reminder of your role?”
I yank my chin from his grasp. “Go ahead. Flay me open. I’m sure a bloody wedding dress will be great for the promo shots.”
He presses his lips together. “This is my fault. I never should have accepted Edgar’s offer to let Deanna drug you.”
My world screeches to a halt. “You knew?” I whisper.
“Of course. Edgar needed a legitimate match for Deanna after her disastrous divorce, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have him indebted to me. Your excommunication wasn’t supposed to last so long, but there were complications. That’s all behind us now.”
“You knew?” I say again. He didn’t abandon me for the church, he abandoned me for his own personal gain. My stomach sinks. How could he knowingly put me through that? Do I mean so little to him?
“Don’t get hysterical. You’re home now.” He kisses my cheek. “Now go get cleaned up. Today is a big day, and Raf has earned this.”
Raf takes my elbow as my father retreats into his study, and I follow him up the stairs on numb legs. We enter the room and I stare at the hideous dress on the mannequin by the window. The sky outside darkens, casting deep shadows across the room. I don’t remember rain in the forecast, but maybe the universe is mourning with me.
My father appears with a team of soldiers in the courtyard outside, and they jump into several waiting SUVs and tear down the drive in a hurry. Raf shuts the door and the click of the lock sends fear skittering down my spine.
He shoves me on the dais and gets in my face. A knife appears in his hand and he holds it to my throat. It’s not the first time he’s done this, and to my horror, it won’t be the last. He’d never kill me, though. You can’t marry a dead bride. But there are some things that are worse than death, and he knows it.
“You will not ruin this day for me. Do you understand?”
Tears stream down my face in a continuous river as I stare at him.
“You will smile. You will be gracious. You will comply.” He grabs my chin with his free hand. “Show me that pretty smile.”
I show him my teeth and his lips press together. He removes the knife and spins me around, shoving my face into the seat. He uses the knife to cut open my shirt. The blade digs into my back and I cry out as a deafening thunderclap rattles the earth.
Brilliant white light fills the room. Lightning bolts shatter the window and dart everywhere at once. Raf disappears, and the light brightens, forcing me to close my eyes. His muffled, horrified screams cut off as more thunder booms over the house. I sit up, shielding my eyes from the light. The stench of burning flesh engulfs me, and I gag.
The room dims and I blink away the tears until my eyes adjust. My gaze lands on Raf’s body first. He stares sightlessly to the side, scorch marks dotting his neck and burned through his shirt. Blood trickles from his mouth. I don’t remember moving, but I’m standing over him, staring at his dead body. I swing my foot back and I kick him, over and over, falling to my knees as I slam my fists on his chest.
A roar ricochets around the room. It’s not until I choke on my spit that I realize it’s coming from me. I grab the knife from where it fell nearby and slam it into his eye socket. Blood oozes from the wound and I spit on his corpse.
“I told you, motherfucker!” I scream, my voice cracking through my raw throat.
Familiar, gentle hands wrap around my shoulders. I gasp, looking up into Clay’s concerned gaze. I sob as my world falls apart again. Clay gathers me in his arms, holding me together.
None of it makes sense. None of it seems real, but his soothing touch calms a deep, wounded place inside of me, providing a soft bubble for me to exist in.
The fog around my brain settles, but as it does, I piece things together. I meet his gaze, still not leaving the safe embrace of his arms, and I press my lips to his. He doesn’t hesitate, cradling the back of my neck as our kiss deepens. More light bounces around the room, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters but Clay. The silent scream deep in my soul grows quiet. Soothing thunder rumbles overhead as I experience true safety for the first time in my life.
He pulls away first and stares at me as we both try to catch our breath. I take in our surroundings. It’s just me and Clay. Me and… oh my god.
My eyes widen, and Clay’s concern deepens. “Don’t be afraid,” he says.
“You’re one of them,” I whisper.
Barbara Davenport claimed that The Chosen exist and they’re experimented on against their will. Of course, there was never any evidence. Eli is their general, yet he’s never proven that he is anything more than a highly trained athletic man. I assumed it was a ploy to feed into people’s fear and gain control.
Clearly that’s all bullshit, because Clay’s gaze whips behind me and his eyes become nothing more than pools of glowing light as lightning dances and undulates from his body, somehow missing me. This shouldn’t be real. He shouldn’t exist. He stares into my soul with inhuman eyes, yet it’s still the same Clay. It’s the same man who infuriates me to no end, but would never hurt me. And he just saved me from a life of torment.
“Do you trust me?” he asks, as the sound of multiple boots march towards us from the hallway.
I should be screaming in terror and running the other way, but I nod.
A split second later, we fall through a flickering tunnel. Clay’s firm grip around my back is the only thing tethering me to reality. I bury my face in his neck, gripping my arms around his powerful body so hard it has to hurt, but he doesn’t react. His muscles flex and move under my hands, even though it seems like we’re standing still as everything moves around us. Just as fast as it arrived, the flashing tunnel disappears, and the world spins. I have enough time to register a small lake surrounded by tall pine trees before Clay helps me to my hands and knees and holds my hair back as I hurl my entire life’s worth of food onto soft grass.
The cool air is amazing on my heated skin, but just when I think I’m going to throw up my actual stomach, the sensation ebbs.
“Deep breaths, Flowers. You’re going to be okay.”
I spit and cough as I close my eyes and try to find my center of gravity.
He doesn’t leave my side, rubbing soothing circles on my back, and I lift my head. He’s looking across the lake. Soft rays from the setting sun peek through trees, making the still water appear like glass. It’s rugged, untouched by humans, and absolutely stunning.
“Are we safe?” I whisper, sinking to my ass and scooting a few feet away from my mess.
He brushes my hair behind my ear. The tender touch soothes me in an instant.
“For now. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
He takes my hand and guides me several yards away to the mouth of a wide cave with a low ceiling. I let out a soft gasp when Clay puts his hand up in mid-air, and a second later, the entrance to the cave shimmers and morphs into a thick metal door. Clay’s palm glows blue against it and it opens into a concrete corridor.
He strides through, disappearing as he takes the winding staircase down a dimly lit hole in the ground. I glance at the lake, the birds fluttering in the trees, the tranquil panorama of our damp surroundings, and goosebumps form. I’m alone with a man who can wield lightning like the God of Thunder himself.
The power of choice isn’t something I’m used to, but my instincts tell me this choice may be the most important one I’ve ever made. I press my lips together and follow Clay to wherever this crazy path leads.