by Laura Pavlov
I clasped my hand with hers and led her down to the car. She wore a white button-up and black pants, per the caterer’s request. A sick feeling settled in my stomach.
Maybe this was what happened when you truly loved someone? You feared anything and everything taking them from you. You didn’t trust the outside world, because you had something to lose.
And I had everything to lose.
I remained quiet on the drive over, which was a definite first. I couldn’t decide if I was worried or pissed, but every time Ford or Dan spoke, my anger grew. We were in an old, beat-up van and Monroe sat on my lap in one of the bucket seats. She turned to look up at me.
“We’re going to laugh about this later, you know that, right?”
“Sure, Little Bird. I hope you’re right.” Then why the fuck did I have such a bad feeling?
“Do you remember when you would step on the field for your football games? Your mom probably worried the entire time. But you were totally in control and doing your thing. This is sort of like that.” She held my hand and lifted it to her cheek, pressing it there and smiling.
“I think she just compared you to Mom,” Ford said with a chuckle.
“Shut up. You were a pansy-ass when Harley gave birth. We all saw it.” I rolled my eyes.
“She had two humans trying to break themselves out of her body. Monroe is going to be a food server at a political party, with lots of people around. What could possibly go wrong? Maybe she catches Professor Douchebag in the pantry with one of his guests. Not dangerous, brother. You’re overreacting.”
I chuckled for the first time today. Maybe he was right. Maybe I’d blown this up in my head. Part of what I loved about Monroe was her determination. I loved that she knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t afraid to go after it. How could I fault her that?
I let out a long breath. “We’ll laugh about this all the way to Mexico.”
“There he is. See, it’s all going to be fine. Love you.” She kissed me quick before Dan opened the back door and walked her to the side of a building. Apparently, he had a good friend who owned a catering company, and also owed him a favor. It sounded sketchy but he told me not to ask. Dan had been a journalist for thirty years. He had “friends” everywhere.
Ford turned to face me as he sat in the seat beside me. “Not used to seeing you care about anyone this much. It’s nice.”
“Well, if anything happens to her, I’m going to punch you and Dan in the fucking faces.”
His head tipped back in laughter. “Stop worrying. She’ll be fine.”
She would be.
There was no other option.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Monroe
This gig was turning out to be a bust, but I didn’t mind it, because at least I’d tried. That was part of paying my dues as a journalist. I would exhaust every resource. My current hunch—Lyle Labrith was probably an entitled brat with daddy issues. I’d seen nothing from Professor Labrith nor his lovely wife to give me reason to think anything was going on. They’d held hands at the party, chatted and laughed with guests.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket and I couldn’t help but laugh. The highlight of my evening thus far had to be the endless slew of texts from my boyfriend. I think he’d finally relaxed as I’d been texting him constantly to keep him updated.
Jack ~ Still boring, Little Bird?
Me ~ Aside from working my ass off serving cocktails and appetizers… still uneventful. Don’t gloat.
Jack ~ Not gloating, baby. Just wishing you were here. Actually, I wish we were at home. Naked in my bed.
My cheeks heated. He never held back, but he still managed to catch me off guard.
“Melody, things are winding down out there. Would you mind going around and collecting empty glasses? Check the bathrooms as well. When people get drunk, they tend to set their drinks down and forget about them,” Elaine, the lady who owned the catering company and was a friend of Dan’s, said. I’d used my go-to undercover name, though things had been completely uneventful.
“Of course. No problem.” I grabbed an empty tray and made my way out of the kitchen.
The Labriths’ home was large and a bit cold for my taste, but still gorgeous. Large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, causing diamond-like shapes to cover the walls. Chatter and laughter filtered down the hallway as I made my way to one of three guest bathrooms. The crowd had definitely dwindled, and I was ready for this shindig to end. I didn’t see any signs of a second party on the horizon, as people continued to say their goodbyes.
Music trickled through the speaker system throughout the estate and I collected more glasses than my tray could hold, as I tried to stack a few without dropping them. I turned down the final hallway, making my way to the last powder room that I doubted anyone used as it was fairly out of the way, and I heard whimpering. I set the tray down on the console table and peeked my head in the bathroom, but no one was there. I stood still as I tried to figure out where the sound was coming from. Muffled sobs had me turning down another hallway, abandoning my tray for the time being. A light was coming from beneath a door and I heard hushed voices. I stood beside the door.
“Listen, Melissa, how long can you keep this up? He’s an asshole. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“I just don’t know anymore. But how will that look?” Her voice broke on a sob, and I recognized it immediately. It was Governor Labrith. “How do I run for reelection when I can’t even make my own marriage work?”
“We’ll figure it out. Whatever it is. But you can’t keep living like this,” the other woman said.
“I know. But I got into politics because I truly wanted to make a difference. I wanted to do good and make Lyle proud. I wanted to give back.” She sobbed. “But I can’t seem to escape bad men. It’s my cross to bear, I suppose.”
A heavy weight sat on my chest as I listened to this beautiful, brilliant, powerful woman who sounded—broken.
“Lyle is proud of you every day. You are an amazing mother. But even he can’t stand the sight of his father. You don’t need to live in misery,” the other woman said.
“I just can’t believe he’s throwing another one of his sick, twisted parties. He promised that he was done with this. How am I supposed to turn a blind eye anymore? He’s blatantly cheating on me, and God knows who he’s bringing here tonight? This is my home. This is where we raised our son.”
“Enough is enough. You need to walk away,” the other voice said.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I quickly turned off the sound. The voices quieted behind the door before it cracked open and I met Governor Labrith’s gaze.
“I’m sorry. Can I bring you something?” I squeaked.
“No. We’re just leaving. Does anyone else know I’m in here?” she asked, swiping at her mascara-smeared eyes.
I leaned forward and handed her a napkin. “I don’t believe so. The party is clearing out.”
“Thank you.” She cocked her head to the side and studied me. “What’s your name?”
“Monroe,” I said, and I don’t know why I didn’t give her my fake name. I was a bit awestruck to be speaking to her. I admired this woman immensely and the fact that she was living with a monster only made me want to support her all the more.
“I’m Melissa Labrith. And this is my assistant, Jenna.” They each reached out to shake my hand before turning to walk in the opposite direction.
“Governor Labrith,” I called after her.
“Yes?” She turned around to wait for my response.
“You’re doing a great job. We need people like you out there fighting for us.” I couldn’t believe the words left my mouth, but she nodded and smiled before turning to leave.
I hurried back to my tray just as Elaine rounded the corner.
“There you are. I was afraid you got lost,” she
said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“Oh sorry. I noticed the closet door was open and I found a bunch of these glasses in there,” I lied and it seemed to appease her.
“Good job. Thank you. Do you mind lugging the bags of trash out to the side of the house? My feet are killing me. I’m getting too old for this.” She chuckled. The other girl hired to help tonight was a complete airhead. Elaine had to keep pulling her from chatting with the guests and remind her that she was actually working the event.
“Of course. I’ve got it,” I said as I set the tray down on the counter and made my way out the back door with two of the bags from the pile of garbage stacked against the wall.
The night was quiet. The Labriths’ home was a grand red-brick estate, with pine trees forming a line along the side of the house. I set the bags down and sent a quick text to Jack.
Me ~ Looks like there’s trouble in paradise. I think things are about to heat up. Will keep you posted.
Jack ~ Fuck that. Your job is done. Dan spoke to Elaine and she said you guys will be finished up in fifteen minutes. Whatever is happening next is not something you will stick around for. But now you know there’s something to look into.
Me ~ Okay. Be out soon.
I tucked my phone back in my pocket and walked down the cement walkway where Elaine told me to set the bags. It was dark and quiet, and I thought about my conversation with Governor Labrith. I wondered how such a confident, strong woman ended up in a marriage like this? I understood that she probably felt trapped because they were portrayed as the perfect family, and she would be judged for leaving her husband. But should she be forced to suffer in a loveless marriage just to keep her job? No way.
“I’m sick of being patient,” someone whisper-hissed in the distance and I stepped behind the tall evergreen to listen.
“Baby, it’s almost over. I’ll plant the drugs in her room tonight, it’s enough to put her away for quite a while. You’ll make the anonymous call first thing in the morning, and I’ll be sleeping peacefully in my room. It’s all finally happening,” the deep voice said, and I had no doubt that it was Professor Labrith.
I held my breath, afraid to make a sound as I tried to make out the other voice. “How do you know she won’t talk her way out of it? I’m sick of waiting.”
The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Was she a politician?
“Because of who her father is. People already have their doubts about her and seeing proof will be the final nail in the coffin. This place, all of this, it will be ours. We can finally be together.”
“How will we afford all this on a professor’s salary?” The voice caused the hair on my arms to stand on edge. Who the hell was she?
“Stop your pouting. How do you think I have enough cocaine to put my wife away for years? I’ve got my own side business going, and we won’t need to worry about money. I can promise you that.”
My heart hammered against my chest and I carefully placed the garbage bags down beside me once I realized I was still holding them.
“People will be suspicious if we’re suddenly together and living the good life.”
“We’ll keep it a secret at first. Melissa and I have many investments, she comes from a lot of family money and everything is in both of our names. She’ll go away and it will all be mine. No one will suspect a thing.”
What the hell was happening? He was going to set up his own wife? The mother of his child? This man was a million times worse than I’d suspected. And who was his mistress? I’d heard her speak before. Maybe on the news? In an interview?
“If you say so. Just make it happen. I’m tired of waiting. There’s plenty of men—” the woman hissed.
“Don’t threaten me, darling. We’ve waited a long time to get here, let’s not ruin it now. Go to the door for the after-party. I’ll step back inside. We can have some fun right under that bitch’s nose. She’s already angry and I’m sure she’ll retire to her room shortly.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you at the front door in a few minutes. Let me have a little bump before we step inside.”
The sound of excessive sniffing came from where they stood, and I froze. They were obviously doing drugs. The crunching of leaves startled me and the light from above shined down just a few feet away from where I crouched behind a bush, illuminating the face of the woman as she walked right past me, not noticing me in the shadows. My heart nearly pounded out of my chest. My mouth went dry. This was not happening.
I knew I recognized her voice.
Sabrina.
Her boyfriend was Professor Labrith?
No, no, no, no, no. This couldn’t be. Clearly, she didn’t know Dan and I were working on this story, or she wouldn’t be here. How could we have missed this? This was the rich boyfriend she was talking about all this time?
I heard the back door close, so Professor Labrith must have gone inside. I reached for my phone and dialed Jack.
“Are you done?” His voice was deep and sexy.
“No. Something happened. It’s not good—”
A hand wrapped around my mouth and my phone was removed from my hand. I tried to kick, attempted to scream, but the person holding me knew what they were doing. He held me tight, and the air left my lungs.
Panic coursed through my veins as I was placed on a seat in the back of what looked like a limousine and a strap came across my chest. A man slipped in beside me, and the car door shut before speeding off into the darkness. I looked at the other man sitting across from me in the dimly lit space. The moon illuminated his gray gaze as chills spread down my spine.
Joseph Capetti.
Oh my god.
What had I gotten myself into?
I sucked in a long breath and squared my shoulders.
Don’t show fear.
“W-what do you want with me?” I asked, trying desperately to hide the quake in my voice.
“Miss Buckley, I’m sorry to drag you out here, but I find myself in an interesting predicament, and I believe you hold all the answers to my questions.”
“What are your questions?” My words wobbled and I glanced down to see my hands trembling in my lap. I squeezed them together in hopes of appearing calm.
I’d been kidnapped and was in a car with a suspected crime lord. Joseph Capetti was one of the most powerful and feared men in the city. Why would he ever let me go now? How many times had I read articles that said you never get in the car with your abductor? But here I sat across from the man, as he spoke to me like this was totally normal. Maybe in his world, it was. And I didn’t have much of a choice as I’d been taken against my will.
Jack.
He flooded my thoughts. He’d be worried sick. He’d predicted this would happen and I hadn’t listened. Tears streamed down my face and I swiped at them before looking back up at Joseph Capetti.
“There is reason to believe that my worthless son-in-law is mistreating my daughter. My men have been trailing him, and we found you doing the same thing. I know you don’t work for the caterer. I’m aware of your accolades in the world of journalism, and I have to say, for being so young, I’m quite impressed. I know who your father is. I know who your boyfriend is. I’m not looking to start a war. This is your opportunity to make this a peaceful meeting, Miss Buckley.” He leaned forward and brought his face closer to mine.
There were crossroads in life, and I was at one. This story—it wasn’t what I had expected it would be, nor was it one I was dying to tell. Governor Labrith was an innocent bystander, and the only thing I wanted at this point was to make sure she didn’t get set up. If I weren’t here, I’d be at the police station reporting what I’d heard. This was no longer about a story.
But I was here.
And I could only assume Joseph Capetti and I wanted the same thing. To help his daughter.
“I went there to see if
there was a story. Word on the street is that Lyle hates his father, and that Professor Labrith throws questionable parties. I honestly didn’t expect to find what I did,” I said, my voice sounding a bit more stable.
“Go on.” He studied me intently as I spoke, sending chills down my spine.
“Professor Labrith is going to set up your daughter tonight with what sounds like an absurd amount of drugs. His girlfriend, who happens to work for my newspaper,” I paused to shake my head and sigh, “is going to place an anonymous call early in the morning to the police, and your daughter will be caught with bags of cocaine, I believe. He’s going to plant them in her room, and his plan is for her to go to jail and he and his girlfriend will be together.”
I sat quietly as he stared at me. “Did you hear me, sir?”
He chuckled, and my shoulders relaxed a bit. “I did. I’ve never been a fan of the man, but I have to say, this goes far beyond what I thought him capable of. My daughter isn’t happy, but she’s so damn fearful of losing her position, one she actually uses for good, that she can’t bring herself to walk away.”
I nodded. “Yes. She appeared upset tonight.”
His gaze narrowed. “I’m surprised she allowed you to see that. She must recognize something familiar in you. I see it as well.”
“What’s that?” I shifted on my seat as we pulled over in an abandoned parking lot after driving for a while. It was dark and quiet, and I glanced at the large man beside me, certain that I couldn’t physically fight my way out of here. There wasn’t a building or a car in sight. There was nowhere for me to run. No one to call for help.
“Good. It’s easy to see you and my daughter are similar in that way. This world needs more of that.” He sat back in his seat.
“Are you going to kill me?” I asked, because I needed to know. I couldn’t be pleasant with him if he was about to slit my throat.
He bellowed out in laughter and the man beside me chuckled. “Oh, my dear. You’ve watched too many movies, haven’t you? I’m not in the business of killing people.”
