54. Joe
“Oh! Mr. Carrington. We haven’t seen you in quite some time. We were just about to close but we’ll stay open for you.” Henry was a short man with a shiny head and beady eyes that never quite met mine.
“I’m not here to eat.”
Collin stepped inside after me and looked around. “Did Ada Walton work here?”
The man’s face reddened. “Yes, sir. But I fired her after that horrible business with the hair.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
He leaned in and whispered. “The hair on your plate, sir. The last time you came in?”
I remembered being disgusted but that was it. Henry seemed to sense my confusion because he rushed on.
“Ada waitressed for you all that day and she left a hair on your plate. You voiced your displeasure and I took care of it. I’m sorry, sir, but do you mind if I ask what this is about? Ada hasn’t worked here since the last time you came in. If she’s done something since then. I’ve had nothing to do with it.”
“Thanks. That’s all.” I looked at Collin as we walked out. “She got fired and blamed us and then what? Decided to get back at us?”
“If she wanted to hurt us, she did it. Stock prices are plummeting.” He scrolled to another tab on his phone and swore. “Carlos is already being hit by this. There are already ten articles about his lack of core family values. Sonofabitch.”
I sank into the limo and rested my head against the back of the seat. “She fucked us.”
“For what?!” Collin’s voice was so loud it was nearly painful in the back of the car. “Because her boss fired her from her shitty job?”
“What are the chances she’s working for Mayhew?” I rubbed my hands down my face as reality settled in around me like a ton of boulders. “The timing of this coming out is too much for it to be a coincidence.”
Collin tapped at his phone for a minute and then slammed it down on the seat next to him. “I saw Ada walking the trail around the lake with another woman a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t recognize Mayhew’s wife but it was her. I just came across a photo of the two of them together and it was fucking her. Ada’s coffee date buddy is Julie Mayhew.”
“I guess we found the source.” I yanked my bowtie off and ripped off the top buttons of my shirt as I tried to get it open. I couldn’t breathe with it tightening around my throat. I let out a primal shout and slammed my fist into the mini bar fridge. “She’s been reporting everything to Julie Mayhew while pretending to be sweet and kind and loving to the kids. To us. The nerve of her to call me a bad fucking dad when she’s a lying piece of shit. She has to go. Now.”
Collin nodded. “I don’t want her anywhere near our kids.”
I dialed the number of the security company we used for our businesses. “Garvis. I want a team at our house with the police as soon as you can get them there. I want patrols of our property and scans for photographers all day long for the foreseeable future. We need Ada Walton removed from our home. She’s no longer allowed on the property. Ever again.”
“Yes, sir. Will she go willingly?”
“I don’t fucking care how she goes as long as she’s fucking gone.”
“Understood, sir.”
Collin stared at me after I dropped my phone and nodded. “It’s what needs to be done.”
By the time we arrived back at the house, Garvis was waiting. He stood with a team of men dressed in his company’s uniform. “The cops are on their way, sir. ETA five minutes.”
I nodded. “Come in when they arrive. Second floor.”
“Sir, maybe you should wait out-”
“Not a fucking chance.” I let myself in and took the stairs to the second floor two at a time. I could hear Collin behind me and knew that we needed to calm down but there wasn’t a chance of it happening so I figured we might as well face Ada already.
Jud was just coming out of her room when he spotted us. He looked us, saw the look on our faces, and froze. “What happened?”
“She’s a fucking liar and she’s leaving. Now.” I tried to move past him but he stepped in front of me. “Move, Jud.”
“Wait a minute. What the hell are you talking about? She’s sick and she just finally fell asleep. Come downstairs and tell me what’s got you pissy.” He tried to turn me away from my target, but I wasn’t having it.
“I don’t care if she’s dying right now, Jud. She’s getting the fuck out of our house. She’s working for Mayhew. She just took down Carlos’ entire run for Senate and our stocks are currently nosediving, so maybe she took down the fucking family, too.” I shoved him out of the way and burst into Ada’s room. For a second, I lost everything. My fire, my anger, my desire to make her pay for what she’d done. Seeing her pale in the middle of her bed stopped me in my tracks. I cared for her. I cared for her family. I tried to change for her. And she’d fucked me. “Get up, Ada!”
Jud moved around me and pushed at my chest. “Stop it. What are you talking about, Joe? Leave her alone and let her sleep.”
“Fuck that.” I slapped the foot of the bed. “Wake up, Ada! It’s time for you to leave.”
She startled awake and the full extent of how sick she was hit me. She blinked and slowly sat up, only fully getting upright with Jud’s help. “What’s wrong?”
“You fucked us, Ada. That’s what’s wrong.” Collin stood beside me and tossed his phone onto the bed next to Jud. “Look at what your teenage love did to us, Jud.”
“The police will be here in just a few minutes to escort you off the property, Ada. I suggest you grab whatever you want to take with you tonight. The rest can be picked up by someone who isn’t you later.” I looked around her room, doing anything to avoid looking at her. “You put on a good show for someone who’s a dirty fucking liar. I almost thought you cared about this family.”
“What? I- I do. I don’t know-”
“What the fuck is this?” Jud tossed the phone to the end of the bed. “It’s bullshit. And even if it isn’t, you need to stop and talk to Ada once she’s fucking functioning. She can barely sit up.”
“Jud, she’s leaving. Now. You’re more than welcome to help her pack. She’s not a nanny. She lied to get here. Worse than that, she worked with Mayhew and his wife to ruin us.” I forced myself to look at her. “She’s a liar and a traitor and she’s no longer welcome in our home.”
Ada stammered and tried to pull herself to the edge of the bed but Jud stopped her. “I’m sorry. Please… Please, let me explain.”
Jud growled. “No. You’re sick, Ada. You can barely talk. You’re not going to use your energy to explain yourself to these assholes right now. Whatever it is, it can wait.”
“Lake Dun Police.” A large man with a badge on a chain around his neck walked in with Garvis. “We’re here to facilitate the removal of a tresspasser.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jud stood up and walked up to me. “Call them off. Shut this shit down right now.”
“No.”
“Ma’am. I need you to stand up.” Garvis tried to get closer to Ada but Jud shifted his weight and blocked him.
“Touch her and I’ll break your fucking arm, asshole.” Jud was practically seething as he stared Garvis down. “Do you understand me?”
“Jud, come on. Be real and level-headed for once in your life. She’s not who you think she is. She’s a fake. She’s only here to play us. What don’t you get?”
“Jud… It’s okay.” Ada pulled herself to her feet and swayed. “I’ll go.”
“If you leave, I’m coming with you.” Jud leveled a hard stare at me. “She leaves and I’m going with her. Is that what you want?”
“No. But she’s leaving. I won’t have a liar sleeping under the same roof as my family.” I crossed my arms over my chest and took a deep breath. “Get her out of here.”
Garvis moved towards Ada and Jud blocked him again. “Sir-”
“Get out. I’ll take care of this. I need to get Milo and a bag for him and you’re not touching her while I do.” Jud looked over at me. “Do you think you can wait for five fucking minutes, you heartless asshole?”
“Jud, I don’t want you to leave. You and Milo belong here.” I held up my hand to hold off Garvis.
“We belong with Ada.” His tone and the look on his face said his word was final. He was leaving.
Collin swore. “You’ve got five minutes.”
“No, Jud. Milo is still sick. Stay here with him.” Ada pushed her hair out of her face and looked around her room. She met my gaze and quickly looked away. “Um. I just need my purse and my keys.”
I nodded at Garvis and he grabbed the things he saw and shoved them in a bag he found in her closet. “She’s right, Jud. Milo needs to stay here.”
He spun on me and shoved me with both hands firmly planted on my chest. “Milo needs to be around good people. He needs to be around love. That’s not going to happen here. You made your mind up, Joe. Stay out of my way.”
“Jud, please. I’m- I’m okay.” Ada tugged the hem of her t-shirt lower and I realized she didn’t have pants or shorts on. She put her hand to her head and licked her chapped lips. “I’m going. Stay. I’m okay. I’m f-fine.”
Jud exploded, shoving security guards and cops both out of Ada’s room. “Get the fuck out! Now! Give her some privacy, goddamit!”
“Jud!” Collin tried to grab Jud’s arm but Jud threw a punch that landed squarely in Collin’s face.
“No!” Ada grabbed Jud’s arm and clung to him. “Stop. Please stop. I just want to go. Okay? I just want to go and stop this.”
“You fucking started this!” I shouted while pulling at my hair. “You don’t get to act like a wounded little bird now!”
“You’re right. Okay?” She turned to face me and held my gaze. Her eyes were red and her face was pale and she looked like she was on the verge of passing out. “I lied. I’m not a nanny. I lied and you have every right to hate me. I’m sorry.”
“You worked with Julie Mayhew to sell a story about us fucking you, Ada! You just ruined a political campaign we’ve been working on for two years!” I glared down at her. “You fucked this family over.”
“Julie Mayhew?” She frowned and shook her head, going even paler as she did. “I… I don’t know Julie Mayhew. I know her nanny. I don’t know what you’re talking about, Joe.”
“Give it up, Ada. You’ve already been exposed.” Collin sighed and held his nose. “I’m going to get ice for my face. Thanks, Jud.”
“Okay. Okay, I’m leaving. I don’t know what you’re talking about but it’s clear that you’re done with me.” She squeezed her eyes shut and when she opened them, they were filled with tears. “Can I say goodbye to the kids? I don’t want to-”
“No.” I walked towards the door and stopped in front of Jud. “Get her out of here. You’ve got five minutes before I send the cops in.”
“Fine.”