Chapter 28 #2
It’s getting close to eight at night, so a few minutes later, I kiss her goodbye and make a show of unlocking my window so she can sneak in later—the way I do every night she leaves my house. I lie in bed with plans of watching TV for the next few hours until she sneaks back over.
I jolt awake at the sound of my dresser drawer slamming shut.
I glance at the clock on my bedside table.
It’s after ten at night. I must have fallen asleep watching TV.
I jump when the folder containing Ohio State admission and scholarship paperwork lands on my chest. I sit up quickly and squint into the darkness, trying to make out who is in my room with me.
A hand wraps around my throat, forcing my head against the headboard of my bed. I’m still waking up, not nearly strong enough to fight back. The scent of my father’s cologne wafts into my nose, and I quickly realize that this is it.
I’m going to die.
My vision starts to fade from the lack of air, my head feels dizzy. I grab hold of the wrist strangling me, trying to pull it free from my neck, but it doesn’t budge. My eyes feel as if they are bulging out of their sockets, tears dripping down my face as I continue my fight for oxygen.
I see Ellie. I see our future together. I see what was in my grasp quickly slip further and further away. My mind becomes foggy, and I feel like I am floating on a cloud. I want to let go, to bask in this feeling forever. I’m going to do it, leap onto this cloud of wonderful, blissful, nothingness.
No.
NO.
Ellie.
I lift my legs with the little strength I have left and knee my father in the gut.
The surprise attack has him weakening his hold around my neck.
I bring my head forward and slam it against his.
A feeling I am far too used to, but the kind of pain that Nathaniel has never felt before.
He grabs his head in agony, and I jump off my bed while gasping for air.
I reach into the drawer of my bedside table and take out my Benchmade pocketknife. I flip it open and hold it out in Nathaniel’s direction.
“Well, look who finally found his balls,” he sneers, still rubbing his head. The pain I caused him makes me almost giddy with satisfaction.
“Fucking touch me again and I’ll run it through you,” I growl, gripping the knife so hard my knuckles turn white.
“I’d think long and hard about that, Nathan. The conversation we are about to have will go one of two ways. I suspect you’ll want to avoid one direction.”
There’s the Nathaniel I know. A picture of poise, once again. Like he didn’t just try to choke the life out of me, as if we are just over here discussing business.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your future, son. You’re going to withdraw from Ohio State,” he spits the name out as if it tasted like shit on his tongue, “and you’re going to accept admission to Columbia.”
“Why the fuck would I do that? Five weeks left of school, Nathaniel. Then I’m gone. I don’t need you or your money. I have a full scholarship out of this shithole.”
“Ellison.” His smile is slow and twisted as he says her name.
“Keep her name out of your goddamn mouth. I will fucking gut you like a pig.”
“A lot of threats from a kid with no resources.” He smirks, like he’s getting a kick out of this conversation. “Regardless, what happens to Ellie will happen whether you take that knife to my throat or not. But I can make this all go away. Your call, Nathan.”
“What…what are you talking about?”
“I’m the district attorney, Nathan. The most high-profile cases land on my desk. But sometimes…sometimes we have to go digging for the dirt we need.”
I look at him confused. He’s talking in circles, enjoying the panic rising in my chest.
“I went digging, Nathan. It turns out, Ellison’s family has come into a bit of money recently. Fancy cars. Fancy dinners. Fancy private schools. Diane even made sure Chris returned her family’s college funds for the girls. Money he previously stole to pay the bills they were behind on.”
“What’s your point?” I ask, not liking where this is going.
“Well, it’s interesting. Christopher Hansel didn’t get a promotion. A new job. A second job. So, I took a little look into where this money was coming from.”
“Ellie’s mother has a rich family,” I say, hoping this will be the end of the conversation.
“Ah, yes. The Welshes. They haven’t had contact with their daughter in over nineteen years.
No, no, that’s not it. See, all that money?
It’s currently sitting in an offshore bank account.
Two thousand dollars here. Five thousand dollars there.
All relatively small sums to embezzle from a large corporation.
Not even noticeable really. Not when it’s taken in small quantities.
But Chris has been stealing from his organization for the last four years.
” His eyes darken as he shares the illegal activity Ellie’s father has been involved in.
“So, arrest him.” I laugh, not giving a shit what happens to Chris Hansel. Hell, if he went to jail, they’d all be better for it.
“Well, that’s the thing, son. I wouldn’t be prosecuting him.
I’d be prosecuting Diane. Chris is a lot smarter than most give him credit for.
All those bank slips? The offshore account?
The transfer paperwork from his company?
All in Diane’s name. All with Diane’s signature.
A signature he likely tricked her into, but I digress.
No way to really prove that…unfortunately for Diane. ”
My stomach drops. I’ll be away at school. Ellie would be here alone with Chris.
“Even though your lovely little girlfriend does not belong to Chris Hansel…he has custody of her on paper. She’d remain in his care while Diane rots in a prison. Because I don’t lose, Nathan, and she will end up in prison.”
My head is spinning. I can’t let this happen.
“I’m curious, son. Do you know why Chris Hansel was separated from the military?”
I shake my head, terrified of the answer.
“Foul play. They couldn’t prove he pushed Michael Nolan into the line of fire, but it was highly suspected.
They didn’t have enough proof to Court Martial him, so he took a plea deal.
He was separated honorably before he could be tried for the additional complaints against him.
Sexual assault of a minor, his Sergeant’s seventeen-year-old daughter.
A complaint that was also going to be hard to prove. ”
I’m going to be sick.
“Why would he push Michael into the line of fire?” I whisper, hardly able to believe what I’m hearing.
“Causing an accident, posing as her late husband’s war buddy?
It would have been a brilliant plan to marry into a rich, powerful family.
It’s too bad they disowned her. Now? He’s stuck in a marriage he doesn’t want, with kids that aren’t his, and he doesn’t have a legitimate penny to his name.
That makes him a very dangerous man, Nathan.
A dangerous man with an appetite for young girls. ”
“What do you want?” I growl, knowing I’m going to hate what comes next.
“You’re going to leave that trashy girl before she leaves a permanent mark on the Westin name. You’re going to go to Columbia. And then, you’re going to finish law school and come back to my firm.”
“If I don’t?” I sneer, hating him more than I’ve ever hated him before.
“If you don’t? Diane will go to prison. Ellie will be left with Chris. They will lose everything they own. And should any charges come up against Chris? Any accusations from Ellie? I will be sure to defend him, and once again, I will win.”
We stare at each other for several minutes. I feel cold inside. Frozen. The only thing I know is that I will do anything to protect Ellie. Even if that means hurting her. Even if that means…leaving her.
“Well? What’s it going to be, son?”
“I…I’m going to Columbia.” My voice no longer sounds like me. It’s empty, hollow.
“Put down the knife, Nathan.”
I do.
I don’t even brace myself for the first punch to my gut. I knew it was coming, but I can’t seem to care. I don’t brace for the next hit either. Instead, I embrace it all. I accept the hits as a well-deserved punishment for the pain I’m about to put my sweet Ellie through.
The ache is welcome, but I can’t feel it.
I can’t feel a single blow. He’s wearing his rings, his watch, but I still don’t feel anything.
I fall to the ground. Nathaniel kicks my face, my ribs, my head.
I can sense the blood as it trickles down my face, my arms, my nose.
I can feel my stomach start to churn, the nausea taking effect even though my body isn’t responding to the physical pain.
Nathaniel spits on my face. I don’t even bother to wipe it.
“Get rid of her by the end of the year.” He walks out of my room, slamming the door shut behind him. I roll to my side, still frozen, still a shell of my former self.
I pull myself up, walk over to my window…
And lock it.