Keeping Her Page 28

  "Why are we—"

  "Just shut up and listen." He looks at me across the table. "I took the photos. And I hired a freelancer to plant them at the church."

  I bolt up to standing. "Jack, why the—"

  "I said SIT down!"

  I want to kill him but I also want to hear his explanation, so I lower myself back down on the chair.

  "I heard a rumor," he says. "There was a rumor that she was going to be killed."

  I freeze, my body going rigid as every muscle tightens. Blood pumps hard in my chest, adrenaline flooding my system as I hear his words repeat in my head. She was going to be killed.

  "No one actually told me," Jack says. "I saw a piece of paper. An order from the ruling council saying Rachel would be killed in May."

  I take a deep breath. "Where did you see this piece of paper?"

  "It was in a room. I was attending a sentencing, and during a break, I was walking down the hall and noticed a door was slightly open. There was a bar in the back of the room and I was dying for a drink, so I snuck in there to get one and saw a piece of paper on the floor, like someone dropped it. And that's when I saw the order."

  "When did this happen?"

  "Right before your wedding."

  I slam my fist on the table. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me?"

  "Because you can't control your damn temper. When you're angry, you make rash decisions that end up making things worse. If I'd told you, you would've gone on a rampage, getting yourself killed, and her as well. The order turned out to be a fake, but if it had been real, my plan would've saved you both."

  "What plan? The photos?"

  "Yes. Planting those photos would've saved Rachel. She wouldn't have gone through with the wedding. As for your real marriage, she would've ended it. And if she divorced you, she would've been safe."

  "No." I shake my head. "You wouldn't do this, Jack. You wouldn't betray me like this."

  "Betray you?" He slams his hand down in front of me. "Did you not fucking hear what I just said? If this had been true, I would've saved your ungrateful ass! I would've saved Rachel! And risked my own ass in the process."

  "What do you mean if it had been true? How do you know it's not?"

  "It was a test. The higher level members set me up. Given that I'm your mentor, they wanted to test whether I would betray the organization in order to save you from the heartache you would suffer if they killed Rachel. They made that fake order and planted it in that room right by the bar, knowing I would go in there to get a drink. They knew I would read it, then waited to see if I would try to save her, thus betraying the organization. And I took the bait. I tried to save her, not knowing what was really going on. Luckily, nobody found out what I'd done. Rachel never found those photos so the wedding went on as planned. Your wedding was my test. That was my chance to get Rachel to call it off, and to divorce you, thus saving her. But as far as Dunamis knows, I didn't interfere. I let you two get married, knowing what would happen in May and knowing it would destroy you."

  "They were testing your loyalty. Making sure you were loyal to them and not me."

  "Yes. But I didn't know that until after the wedding. As I was standing outside the church, watching you two get in the limo to go to the reception, I got a phone call. It was on my Dunamis phone. The man on the other end of the phone told me the truth. That there were no plans to harm her and that it was simply a test, and that I'd passed it. Then he gave me a warning."

  "Which was what?"

  "The same warning they give all of us. That we are never to interfere with their plans. Because if you do, you'll be punished and possibly killed. Thank God they didn't find out about those photos."

  "I told my father about them," I say.

  Jack bursts up from chair. "You what?"

  "I didn't explain anything. I just made a comment about the photos to see how he'd react. He didn't know what I was talking about, so I didn't go into details."

  "Did you tell anyone else?"

  "Yes. Leland and Royce."

  "Fuck!"

  "They don't know it was you who took the photos. Well, Royce does, but he can't prove it and he has no reason to tell anyone."

  "He doesn't need a reason. Royce does shit just to cause trouble. The kid's fucked in the head." He shakes his head. "Doesn't matter. I have plenty of things to blackmail him with. If he wants to be president someday, he'll keep his mouth shut about this. I'll have a talk with him later. And Leland's too stupid to figure out it was me."

  "Why did you take those photos of me with Shelby?"

  "I took photos of everyone that night, in case I need them someday. It's blackmail. Sometimes you need to save yourself or make someone be quiet, and the only way to do that is with blackmail."

  "So you planned to blackmail me?"

  He shrugs. "Maybe. If I needed to. I think you're a decent guy, Pearce, but when backed into a corner, you'd do anything. All of us would. It's how we're trained. Nobody's loyal. Nobody's your friend. Trust no one."

  "How do you know Rachel won't be harmed? You can't trust what they say."

  "No, but I have inside information that—" He narrows his eyes at me. "Don't you dare tell anyone this."

  "I won't. Just continue."

  "I recently discovered the identify of one of the men on the ruling council. He heard that your punishment has not yet been decided, but that it will not involve her."

  "Leland said it had been decided. He told me that months ago."

  "He said it had been decided, but not approved. And if it's not approved, then they could change their minds."

  "They could still come after her."

  "Yes, but I don't think they will." He pauses. "I've been feeding them information."

  "So now you're spying on me? For THEM?"

  "It's called being a double agent, and once again, I'm risking my ass for you so maybe you could show me some goddamn appreciation."

  "I would if I trusted you, but you've made it clear that I shouldn't. So what did you tell them?"

  "That having Rachel in your life has made you more focused and more committed to your assignments."

  "That doesn't make sense."

  "It makes perfect sense. Your constant fear that they might harm her is a way for them to keep you in line. Before Rachel came along, they had no way to incentivize you. If you refused an assignment, they couldn't threaten to hurt someone you loved because you loved no one. They couldn't threaten to kill you, because sadly, before meeting Rachel, I think you might've found death a welcome relief. So their threats would've meant nothing."

  "That's great, Jack. Now they'll make me do even more horrific things, threatening to kill Rachel if I don't."

  "No. The assignments are randomly assigned. When your number comes up, you get whatever assignment is next in line to be done."

  "So going back to what you did. You're saying you tried to end my marriage to save Rachel."

  "And you. But I had to focus my efforts on Rachel, because if I'd told you what was going on, you would've gone after them and you'd both be dead right now."

  "Are you positive they aren't coming after her?"

  "You can't be sure of anything when it comes to them. They do what they want. You know that."

  I don't know if I should believe Jack's story, but that's an elaborate story to just make up. And faking a document? Testing someone's loyalty? It's exactly the type of the thing the organization would do.

  "Even though they said Rachel is safe, I still feel like she's not," I tell Jack. "And I don't know how to protect her."

  "Start with the basics. Get an alarm system. Put cameras around the house. Give her an alarm to keep on her keychain. You both need to get cell phones so she can always reach you. Tell her these things are necessary because of your money. People with money get robbed and attacked. That's a fact, so if you tell her that, she won't question it."

  "That doesn't seem like enough. What else can I do?"

  "Have a child with her."


  "Why? What would that do?"

  "It makes her more enmeshed with us. If she has your child, they're more likely to accept her. They wouldn't harm the mother of your child."

  "That's not a reason to have a child."

  "It's not the only reason but it's something to consider."

  "You wanted her to divorce me just a week ago and now you want me to have a child with her?"

  "I'm trying to save her, Pearce. I'm trying to save both of you. And sometimes you have to take drastic measures to do so. I didn't want to take her from you, but having her divorce you is better than having her dead, isn't it?"

  "Yes. Of course it is."

  "Now that we know that document wasn't real, you need to go on as if this never happened. Live your life with her. Have a child together."

  I don't respond.

  "Pearce." He pauses until I look at him. "I know you want children. At least one. Stop telling yourself you don't."

  "I already told Rachel we would try. I just…I can't stop worrying about the child's future."

  "Fuck the organization. You are NOT letting them deny you this. You already defeated them once by marrying Rachel, and you can do it again. You can get your child out of this. You have at least twenty years to figure out how."

  "Even if I could, I still fear having a child. What if I become HIM? What if I have a child and become my father?"

  He sits back. "You are not him. And don't ever assume that you will be."

  I nod, but the worry is still there. I would hate myself if I treated my child the way I was treated. But what if I couldn't stop myself?

  Jack motions to the door. "We need to get out of here. Our damn phones might ring and God forbid if we're not there to answer them." He rolls his eyes as he stands up.

  I stop him before he reaches the door. "Jack, if you come across information like this again, I want to be told."

  "You can't handle that kind of information." He continues to the door.

  "Jack." I stand in front of him. "I'm not sure I believe what you told me just now."

  "I don't expect you to," he says casually. "You should always question what people tell you. Always wonder if someone is telling the truth."

  "But the order was fake, correct? You wouldn't lie about that, would you?"

  "Of course not. I like Rachel. I don't want to see any harm come to her. You know how much I hate it when they hurt an innocent. Now let's get out of here."

  We go upstairs and return to work. As I sit at my desk, I keep thinking about that test. Why would they test Jack? Do they think he's getting too close to me? Treating me more like a son than a mentor? It's true that he treats me that way, but nobody knows that except me. And my father. My father hates that Jack and I have this kind of relationship. So did my father suggest the test? But it came from the higher level members and my father is a regular member, like me, so he's not allowed to talk to them.

  There was a reason for that test. They don't trust Jack. Or maybe it's me who shouldn't trust him. What if the order was real? Or what if that story Jack told me was just something he made up to explain why he left those photos for Rachel?

  I really can't trust anyone but myself. I can't believe what anyone says. But I do believe that if they really wanted to harm Rachel, they would've done it by now. Why would they wait? There's no reason to.

  That doesn't mean I won't take precautions when it comes to her safety. I pick up the phone and call a security company and tell them to install alarms and cameras at the house. Then I call Rachel and tell her it's being done, explaining that criminals often target people with money. As Jack predicted, she doesn't question it, and even seems relieved to have the extra security.

  As for the other security measure he suggested? A child? I still have concerns about it, but I've given it a lot of thought and I know it's something I want. It might not happen, but I want to at least try.

  Sometimes none of this seems real. Living in a normal house in a normal neighborhood. Being married to Rachel. Planning to have child. For years I imagined a life like this but never thought I would have it. And now that I do, I will fight like hell to keep it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  The Following November

  RACHEL

  I don't know how the past year went by so quickly, but it did, and now Pearce and I have already celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that a year ago I was still in grad school and now I'm married and living in my first house.

  I love this house. I loved it when I first saw it, but I love it even more now that Pearce and I are living here. And I love the neighborhood. Our neighbors are all very friendly. In the house next to ours is a family with two kids. We don't see them much because the kids are in so many activities that the family is rarely home.

  Our neighbor on the other side is a retired school teacher. She's 78 and a widow. I stop by her house every day just to say hi and check on her. She always tells me how handsome Pearce is and then winks. She's funny, and a very sweet lady.

  As for our house, the inside didn't need any work but the outside needed some sprucing up. Last spring, I trimmed all the bushes and planted flowers. I went a little overboard on the flowers, but once I started I couldn't stop. I put flowers around the front of the house, along the sidewalk that leads to the street, and in pots on the back patio. Then I had flower boxes installed on the windows and filled those with even more flowers. Pearce kept asking me if I was ever going to stop or if I had plans to tear up the whole yard and replace it with flowers. He was just kidding. He told me to plant as many as I'd like.

  Last summer, Pearce and I spent most of our time in the back yard, swimming in the pool or just lounging on the patio. I bought Pearce a hammock and on the weekends I'd find him out napping on it in the afternoons.

  Pearce doesn't go into the office on weekends anymore, like he did when we were dating. Since working for Jack, Pearce only works weekdays, and his schedule is a normal nine to five, sometimes ten to five. It's made such a huge difference in how he feels. Pearce used to be so tense all the time, but now he's relaxed, he sleeps through the night, and his mind isn't constantly thinking about work. And when he is at work, he likes being there. He's allowed to have input on things and make decisions, which he wasn't able to do when he was working for his controlling father.

  As for his father, he's still not speaking to us. Neither is Eleanor. I feel bad for Pearce, but then I consider how they treated him and think maybe it's better if they don't talk. We see his parents when we go to parties or other events, but they don't acknowledge us. They'll walk right past us and not even say hello.

  We got that reaction from a lot of people in the months that followed our wedding. We'd go to parties and people would ignore us, or at least me. But it's been getting better. The other women are finally talking to me. I wouldn't say they're friendly, but they're not ignoring me anymore. I think the reason for that is because I'm becoming more involved with various charitable organizations. I volunteer on several committees, and some of these women are on the same committees as me, so they have to be somewhat friendly in order for us to work together.

  A lot of my volunteer work is with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I work with the local chapter and I've helped plan several events. Being part of this group, I've met a lot of people who lost someone to leukemia and it's helped me get through some of my own unresolved grief over losing my sister.

  Between the house and my volunteer work I've kept busy the past few months, but not too busy. I'm doing what the doctor said and keeping my stress level low. I went off the pill in July. The doctor said it could take several months to get pregnant, but it's now almost December and I'm still not pregnant. The doctor told me that's perfectly normal and not to panic, so I'm trying not to. I'm trying to just relax as we continue with the baby-making process, which is Pearce's favorite part of this. I love it too. We're still as attracted to each other as we were when we met. Pearce has contin
ued to work out with his trainer at the gym and it shows. His muscles are even larger and more defined than last year. I love his body. He's my big, tall, muscular man and I can't seem to get enough of him.

  Our anniversary was a little over a week ago. We went out for a nice dinner that night, but our real celebration is our trip. We're going back to Italy, only this time we're going to spend most of our time in that small village we liked so well. We decided not to go on our actual anniversary because it's so close to Thanksgiving and we wanted to spend the week of Thanksgiving with my parents, which we did. We arrived in Indiana last Monday and just got back today, which is Friday.

  We're going back to Indiana for Christmas, since Pearce's parents want nothing to do with us. My parents are thrilled we'll be spending the holidays with them. Pearce gets along great with both my parents but especially my dad. They act like they're really father and son. We spent a week at my parents' house last summer and Pearce and my dad went golfing a few times and my dad took Pearce fishing, which Pearce had never done before.

  "Did you pack a coat?" I ask Pearce. We're in the bedroom, packing our suitcases for Italy.

  "I packed a light jacket," he says. "I don't want a big, bulky coat. It takes up too much space."

  "Maybe I'll bring a lighter one too."

  We leave for Italy on Sunday. I'm so excited about this trip. I've been looking forward to it for months. Two whole weeks of great food, friendly people, beautiful scenery, and lots of time with Pearce. It'll be another dream vacation.

  Shelby's jealous. I talked to her last night. She really wants to go to Europe someday. Shelby's still dating Logan and they still live in different towns. She refuses to move in with him. I don't know why. They get along great and I know she loves him. She did move to a nicer apartment in a better part of town. I'm not sure how she affords it. She still only works two or three days a week.

  The phone rings as I'm folding a t-shirt. I set the shirt down and go to the kitchen to get the phone.

  "Hello?''

  "Hi, honey. Are you all packed?" It's my mom.