Chapter Seventeen
Janea
It took some convincing, but Eros gave me the okay to call my father.
I didn’t know exactly what I would say to him, but I needed to say something.
I wanted him to know how much of a disgusting person he really was, and the man I called father would have never done anything like this.
I was running for my life because of his political ambitions.
I leaned against Eros’s chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart thumping against my back.
We were in his bedroom at the clubhouse.
I didn’t even remember how long I had been here, but I was ready to leave.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved spending time with Eros and hanging out with Ambrose, but I had a life outside of these four walls. I wanted to get back to it.
“Just keep it short.” He brushed a kiss against my temple. “While this is a secure line, we don’t want any surprises.”
“Thanks for letting me do this.”
I knew he didn’t want me to have any contact with my father, but he also knew I needed to find out why he would do something like this.
“You need to ask questions, I get it. But prepare yourself for the answers he might give, sweetheart. This isn’t the man you thought you knew.”
I nodded. He definitely was not. However, I needed to know what changed in him or had he always been this way and I just didn’t see it because I didn’t want to.
With each ring of the phone, a cold sweat slicked my palms. Buzzing sounded in my ears, mirroring the frantic thump of my heart. “You’re fine,” Eros whispered in my ear. “I’m right here.”
I blew out a breath and tried to calm my beating heart.
I didn’t know if I was nervous because the image of our perfect family might be shattered, or I was nervous because I might have had this all wrong.
Maybe I was overreacting because I was pissed off about his relationship with Shannon.
What if it wasn’t true, and he wasn’t trying to kill me?
“Thorne,” he said when he answered.
The sharp, grating tone of his voice caused tears to well up in my eyes.
“Who is this?” he asked when I didn’t say anything. After a moment, he sighed. “Janea?”
When he said my name, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. “Why?” I asked.
In this moment, it was all I could say. It was the only question I had for him. “Janea, honey. Where have you been? I’ve called everyone looking for you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Why would I tell you where I am? So, you can tell the assassin you hired, where to find me?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, honey. Have you been drinking?” he asked. “Or are you having a mental breakdown? I can send Albert to come get you right now. Where are you, honey?”
“No, I haven’t been drinking, and I’m not having a breakdown. I know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Well, let’s sit down and talk. Albert can bring you home.”
“I’m not coming home. And I’m somewhere you’ll never find me. I just want to know why the man who raised me as his own would try to kill me?”
“I know that you’re upset about my relationship with Shannon, but that’s no reason to make those kinds of accusations. I would never hurt you, Janea. I love you. You’re my daughter.”
“Lie after lie after lie. It’s all a lie.”
“Stop being childish Janea and come home so we can talk like damn adults.”
I chuckled, again. “Childish? I think I’ve been dealing with everything very well. My mother dying, you fucking my best friend, probably before your wife’s body was even cold in the grave. I’ve given you a lot of grace for what you’ve done, but this is unforgivable. You’re trying to kill me!”
“She wasn’t your fucking mother!” he screamed, and my heart broke at his words. “And what if I did fuck Shannon before she died? It’s none of your fucking business. Elizabeth couldn’t give me what I needed.”
“Now the truth comes out. You took in the poor little girl because your wife wanted a family, and you needed to appeal to the cameras. You’re fucking disgusting. I never knew you at all, did I?”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, Janea. I raised you. You’re my daughter, and you’re just going to turn on me?”
“It’s been long enough,” Eros whispered in my ear. “End the call.”
“I can’t wait until your house of cards comes tumbling down all around you. And when it does, just know I’m the one who pushed them over. I hate you.”
“Janea! Janea!” he screamed my name, but I ended the call.
“You did good, sweetheart.” Eros kissed my temple again. “He’s cornered. I think your next call needs to be to the governor.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think he’ll listen, Niko. And he’ll contact my father. I have to have solid proof.”
“The meeting is coming up,” Eros said. “We just have to stop it.”
“And how do we do that?” I asked.
“We meet with the governor, and you tell him what you heard.”
“We?” I asked. “You want to come with me? The president of Savage Order?”
He chuckled. “It’s good sometimes to bring a little muscle to a sit down. He might believe you more if he knows we’re involved.”
“And what if he doesn’t?”
“Then, the next action will be handling your father. There’s no way around it. It will never be safe for you.”
I didn’t want to even think about what he meant, even though deep down it was the truth.
My father wouldn’t stop until I was dead.
If nobody took my claim seriously, the governor would die, and he would take over.
With the knowledge I had, I was the only person standing in the way of that happening.
“I know.” I sighed. “And what about the assassin?”
“I’m handling that, you just get us that meeting with the governor.”
I nodded. “I’ll do what I can.”
“Call him now,” Eros said.
“Now?”
“Yes, baby. We need to get this ball moving. See if he accepts the meeting, if not, Knox and I will come up with a solution, but I hope he’ll listen.”
I blew out a breath and called the governor’s office. His secretary was also a good friend of my mother’s as well as the governor’s wife, hopefully that will help with this.
“Good Morning, Office of the Governor. My name is Janice. May I ask the nature of your call?”
“Hi, Janice. This is Janea. Janea Thorne. How are you doing?”
“Oh, my lord, Janea. Sweetheart, how are you? It’s been a long time.”
Janice was a few years older than my mother.
And of all of her friends, she was the one who had checked on me since my mother’s death.
She also didn’t like the relationship my father was in with my former friend.
She found it suspicious and embarrassing at how quickly he moved on after my mother’s death.
“I’ve been better.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” She sighed. “I know I haven’t been around, but things have been hectic at the office, but I want to touch base with you soon.”
“I’d love that. But I’m calling because I need to speak with the Governor.”
After a moment of silence, she asked, “Is this a personal matter?”
“It is, Janice. And it needs to be done as soon as possible. It’s a matter of life and death.”
“Matter of life and death?” The panic in her voice let me know that I was getting through to her, I just hope she can get the governor to see how important it was. “Does this have to do with your father?”
“It does, and he cannot find out that I’m asking for this meeting. All I need is five minutes. Can you work me into his schedule as soon as possible?”
“Let me put you on hold for a minute.”
The phone went silent, and I looked at Eros. “You think she’ll be able to get you in?” he asked.
“If anybody can, it would be Janice.”
“Janea? Are you still there, honey?” Janice asked.
“I am. Can you help me?”
“Can you get here in twenty minutes?”
I looked over to Eros, and he nodded.
“I sure can. Thank you so much, Janice. I appreciate it so much.”
“You be safe, Janea. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
She ended the call.
“You did good.” Eros squeezed me tighter. “Let’s finish this.”
I nodded because I was so ready for this to be over. As things started to move forward, I trusted the governor would understand the threat and would take steps to protect himself.