Chapter 14 #2
“Not great. Feels pretty rough too.” I hover my hand over the bandaged spot on my abdomen. I don’t dare touch it because it still hurts like hell. It's gonna be weeks before it really starts to heal.
“More or less painful than the one on your chest?” She sneaks in the question.
The mention of it causes a raw flash of memories.
I’m used to seeing it in my reflection in the mirror when I get ready.
A reminder of my past. But I've grown used to it, and the mention of the day I got it brings an old wound to the surface.
I clear my throat and take another bite of food instead of answering immediately.
I don't want to talk about that. Not yet. Maybe never.
“Don’t change the subject. You could have killed me drugging me like that, you know,” I admonish her, but she merely shrugs one shoulder in response.
“You could have killed me too. Besides, we might be even soon. Given you’ve put both our lives in danger now.” Her tone flattens.
“I’ve got extra security on alert. If he tries to get on this ranch, we’ll know about it,” I reassure her.
“It’ll be too late if he’s already here.” She sounds sad, like another memory is passing through her mind.
“You’re very certain of his capabilities.”
“Yes, well… I’ve seen what he’s capable of.”
“How so?”
“Before him, I had an almost normal life. Friends. A boyfriend. I went to college for a while.”
“I know.”
“Of course you do, stalker.” A smile comes and goes as fast as it appears.
“And then what? He took you away from all of that?” I ignore the attempted dig. It’s true, after all.
“He and my father decided it was bad for me. That those people were bad for me. I’d be better off spending more time with Corey.
He would look out for me and my interests.
He could help me manage my money, and didn’t I realize how much he cared for me?
No man would ever care about me as much as he did or work as hard as he would to protect me.
I needed protection, according to my father.
Our family had so many enemies that it wasn’t safe for me to be on the street or attending classes.
Any of those people could try to steal from us, lie about my father, hurt me.
Corey was the only one my father claimed I could trust, and so he put us together more and more. ”
“Because he wanted you to marry him.”
She nods, a melancholy look overtaking her countenance and making me wish I could see what she was seeing in her memories. Whatever they wanted from her, I’m doubtful she deserved the life they forced on her.
“Was he really in love with you, or was it a business arrangement?”
“Both. Or so Corey claimed.”
“But in reality?” I counter.
“In reality, my grandfather left me a large sum of money in his will. I was the only grandchild, and he did well in life. He was an antiques dealer with some one-of-a-kind auction finds. He worked all the way up until the day he died. Hence all the travel in Europe and beyond.”
“He left it to you instead of your dad?”
“He was my mom’s dad.”
“Why not leave it to your mom then? Or your siblings?”
She frowns and then looks down at her plate, pushing a bit of scrambled egg around and then glancing up at me. Her lashes lower as she tilts her head.
“Oh. Not quite enough stalking then.”
“How do you mean?” The accusation that I hadn’t been thorough chafes at my ego.
“I’m not the First Lady of Colorado’s daughter. I’m the mistress’s.”
I’m surprised, but I try not to let it show on my face.
It would explain a lot. Why her father wasn’t treating her like a princess, the way I’d expect a man like him to treat a daughter.
Why she’d been virtually banished and sold off like cattle the second she was old enough to be a commodity to him.
I’m angry with myself for not having figured it out earlier.
“I see. So he didn’t want your father to have the money?”
“No. He was explicit that under no circumstances would my father have access to it. That I was only to have the money when I had moved out of his house and married.”
“So why not give it to your mom for safekeeping?”
“She died when I was ten, and I didn’t know her well.
My father separated us as soon as he was able, claiming she was unfit.
Moved me into his house, and my stepmother raised me.
She hated me. She never said that, of course, but she always treated her real sons differently, and my father did too.
I never understood what I did wrong, or why, if they hated me so much, they didn’t just let me stay with my mother. ”
“Was your mother actually unfit like he claimed? She didn’t fight for you?” I know I’m asking painful questions, but I worry there’s more to this story than what’s on the surface.
Zephyrine’s nose wrinkles. “I don’t know, honestly.
I suspect not. I have a feeling it was a convenient fiction that allowed him to have full custody and let him sweep her under the rug.
She was admitted to a facility when I was very young, and she never walked out the front doors again.
My grandfather came to visit me a couple of times, and I heard my father argue with him the last time I saw him. ”
“And then your father corralled you into a marriage that I assume gave him access to some of your grandfather’s money?”
“All of the money. Well, they split it up. I’m not sure how, but I didn’t see any of it. I assume my father took the lion’s share.”
“So he trapped you in a bad marriage so he could funnel money to his political ambitions?”
“And his projects. He has a few going. It’s tough work to look wealthy too. All the glad-handing and golf outings and fancy suits. He liked to spend money.”
“Yes, I’m familiar with at least one of his ventures. Do you know anything about his projects? Have you ever worked with him?”
She stops mid-bite and looks up at me, her brow furrowing slightly.
“I feel like I’ve given you enough free information so far. I think it’s your turn to talk.” She slips a bite of eggs past her lips and then looks at me expectantly.
“What do you want to know?” I ask. As much as I want to build a foundation here, I’m not keen on offering any unnecessary details. I’m not one to talk about myself, and I don’t think there’s much she’ll like about my past anyway. She barely likes my present.
She shrugs and takes another bite, waiting for me to talk. When I let the silence stretch out, she gives me a mildly irritated look and puts her fork down.
“What should I want to know? How am I a pawn in this game? What do you want from my father that you think I can help you get?” She skips over the niceties.
“Relics.”
“Relics? My father doesn’t know the first thing about anything religious.”
“He does, at least in this one case.”
“Then you know something about him I don’t.” She shakes her head and waits for my explanation.
“He’s been collecting relics, illegally speaking. Black market finds. Stolen goods.”
“My father doesn’t exactly strike me as a cat burglar. Not that he has morals, but he doesn’t like getting his hands dirty if he can find someone else to do it.”
“He’s been using intermediaries, but it’s his money funding it. Your grandfather’s maybe. We figured out he was behind it a few months ago. That discovery is what led us to you. When I found you at a convent famous for its reliquaries, I assumed you must be on assignment for him.”
“Ah. That explains a lot. Well, the truth must have been a disappointment then.”
“It complicated things.”
“So he’s stealing relics, and somehow you think I might be able to do what exactly to help you?”
“I think you might be able to help us get them back.”
“How?”
“That part I’m still working out.”
“You kidnapped me without a plan?” She’s indignant at the idea.
“There was a plan. It wasn’t fully formed quite yet.”
“That sounds ill-conceived.”
“Says the woman who started tying me up and torturing me without one.”
“Touché. But I don’t see any way I could help you get the relics back.
Wherever he has them, I don’t know. And if you think I’ll make a good trade, I can promise you his projects always interested him more than I did.
He won’t care what happens to me if the alternative means giving up something important to him like that. ”
“No. But your husband might.”
“Doubtful.”
“Isn’t that his thing? He’s known for making deals, right?”
“Deals that benefit him. And he won’t cross my father. As awful as he is, Corey’s terrified of him. I think it’s likely the only reason he ceded ground and let me go stay at the convent,” she explains.
That just raises more questions. Corey and the governor must have some other agreements going on behind the scenes.
Zephyrine was traded for something. Her father might not care about her as a person, but he knew she was a bargaining chip.
She’s smart and gorgeous. He wouldn’t have given her up easily.
Corey must have given him something he wanted in return.
“Your father cares about appearances though, right? He’ll want to make sure it at least appears like he’s a good father when he finds out his daughter is missing.
I doubt he’ll want it getting out that she’s being held for ransom.
Least of all when the people holding her are people looking for revenge because he’s a thief and a murderer. ”
“Murderer?”
I nod. “And still actively trying. Just this past summer, he tried to have my entire family killed. Right alongside our friends and innocent bystanders. At a wedding, no less.”
Her face pales, and her eyes hit the plate in front of her as she drops her fork. “Ah. Now I see why you told me your friends might want me dead.”
“You’re beginning to see, yeah.” I lean back in my chair, wrapping my arm around the backrest. “But I won’t let them do anything to hurt you.
I just want to make sure he never hurts my family again.
I’m not above using his daughter to do that, obviously.
But given your situation, I figure maybe there’s a way we both get something out of this we want. ”
“Like?”
“Like we get you your annulment and maybe your money back for starters.”
“For starters? I don’t know how you’d manage either of those. I tried. It was impossible.” She gives me a doubtful look, and it’s obvious I’m not winning her over easily.
“I’m good at the impossible.” I press my hand to my chest and tilt my head. “I faked being a priest well enough that the abbess had me holding English confession. I hadn’t been in a church since I was seven.”
I earn a small smile for that one. “Well, that is impressive.”
“So let me worry about the details of how we pull off the impossible. You just tell me what you want.”
“I’d be happy with the annulment. The money back would be a bonus. But I won’t sell my soul for them. They’ll be worthless to me if I do.”
“I don’t want your soul, sweetheart. Your body will do just fine.”
Her eyes dart up to mine, a tinge of curiosity in them until she sees the smirk on my face.
“Crude.” She purses her lips in disappointment at my teasing.
“If you think that’s crude, you should hear the things nuns admit to when they’re on their knees in the confessional.
” I press my luck, and that earns me the toss of a scrambled egg directly at my head.
“Hey now! I grew up with three siblings and a whole mess of ranch hands’ kids. You won’t win a food fight with me.”
“I won’t win anything when you don’t fight fair.” She motions to her captive state.
“Well… we got a deal yet? The annulment and the money for information and anything that’ll help me put pressure on your father?”
“Your side of the deal is pretty vague, so I’m not sure what I’m agreeing to.”
“I told you, I’m short on specifics right now. I’m meeting with my business partners today to discuss what the future holds. Once I know where everyone’s heads are at, and I can reassure them you’re willing to cooperate, then I’ll know what my options are.”
“But in the end, you deliver me back to the convent in one piece? And everyone there will be safe?”
“As long as I’m breathing. I’ll take you back myself. Apologize to the abbess for the mess we left and explain everything so that you can go right back to where you left off.”
“And if you’re not breathing? Then I’m on my own.” She looks at me thoughtfully. “As cavalier as you are with your life, I’m not sure that’s a promise I can rely on.”
“As long as you hold up your end of the bargain, one of my siblings will make sure my wishes are carried out even if something happens to me. When a Stockton gives their word on something, it’s as good as done.”
Her eyes drift away from me, out to the window and the view beyond it. I can tell she’s mulling over her options and wondering what will happen if she doesn’t agree. She doesn’t have many choices. I can reason with Grant and Hudson to a point, but I can’t give them nothing.
“If you say no…” I pause, and her eyes dart back to mine. “Then my guess is they’ll want to ransom you. Hell, they might not trust you as well as I do and might want to do that anyway. But we’ve got a chance if I can convince them.”
“It’s we now, huh?” She gives me a once-over, like she’s sizing up how valuable that is to her.
“I want us both to get what we want. I hate your family and everything they stand for. But I respect you. The choices you’ve made and the way you’ve tried to make the best of a bad situation.
You’re brave. That’s all we really can do in this world—try to brave our way through the worst of it and hope that when the time comes, we can seize the opportunity that makes it all worth it.
The sacrifices you’ve made should count for something, and I want to help make them count for you.
” I give her the best speech I’ve got in me, one Father Levi could have given more convincingly. It might not be enough.
“I think I feel the same about you. Minus the family hate. For all I know, they might be perfectly pleasant.”
“Well, you’re about to find out because you’re coming with me today.”