All of My Soul

by Jenni Wilder

  Strands of twinkly white lights hung from pillars set around the edge of the roof, and a four-person band was playing soft instrumental music on a stage at the far end of the dance floor. At least a hundred round tables covered in fancy white tablecloths with gorgeous floral centerpieces in the middle of them had been set up around the perimeter. I couldn’t believe I was here with Lincoln, surrounded by so much elegance.

  “Lincoln!” a woman called while waving a gloved hand at my boyfriend. “Oh, my dear. How are you feeling? Do you need to sit?”

  She made a move as if she was going to touch his injured side, but Lincoln pulled away quickly.

  “I’m okay, Mrs. Herrera. Thank you for your concern.”

  “Oh, I don’t know how you play that game. It’s so brutish!”

  A man came up behind Carter and clapped him on the back. “Ah! The Monaghans! My favorite family!”

  I saw Kennedy roll her eyes.

  Emily looked hurt and rejected as Carter rudely shook her hand off his arm and eagerly reached for the man’s hand. “Governor Herrera, it’s an honor to see you again.”

  “Likewise, Carter! Likewise!”

  The governor shook Carter’s hand with gusto, and Kennedy rolled her eyes again. She seemed to hate this.

  Lincoln chuckled. “Governor and Mrs. Herrera? This is my girlfriend, Jillian Thompson.”

  My mouth suddenly went dry. This was the governor of Illinois and his wife! I stupidly hadn’t been expecting this. I swallowed hard and offered my hand to her. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

  “Oh, my dear. You too! Lincoln’s mother has just been raving about you.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “She has?”

  She patted my hand as she shook it. “Oh, yes dear. You’ll have to invite us to the wedding someday.”

  My mouth gaped open. “Lincoln, what have you been telling your mother?”

  He laughed and kissed my forehead. “Nothing, baby. I think she just knows.”

  Kennedy made a gagging noise, but discreetly turned it into a cough before anyone other than Lincoln and I noticed.

  “Mrs. Herrera, you remember my sister, Kennedy, right?”

  Kennedy groaned quietly but quickly plastered a fake smile onto her face and shook the governor’s wife’s hand. “So nice to see you again.”

  “Oh, of course. Same to you, dear.”

  The two of them continued to make small talk and Lincoln leaned down and whispered into my ear. “Watch this.”

  I looked up at him with confusion, but he just grinned.

  “Hey, Ken. I keep forgetting to ask you. How’s your rash doing? Did the doctor ever figure out what it was?”

  Kennedy and Mrs. Herrera froze midhandshake. Lincoln’s sister’s face turned the same shade of red as her dress, and Mrs. Herrera quickly pulled her hand away from Kennedy’s with a horrified look on her face.

  Lincoln was right. Paybacks were a bitch.

  I tried to suppress a laugh, but when Brian snorted with laughter at his wife, I couldn’t keep my composure any longer.

  Lincoln burst out laughing, and finally Mrs. Herrera caught on that he was joking.

  “Oh, you kids,” she said while laughing.

  The Governor and his wife excused themselves to greet some other influential people who had just arrived. Once they were out of sight, Kennedy turned and smacked Lincoln on the arm with her purse.

  “Ouch!” Lincoln protested.

  I stood between my man and Kennedy, preventing her from hitting him again. “Hey, come on. He’s still healing.”

  She took a step forward and jabbed a finger in Lincoln’s face. “All right, jockstrap. Hide behind your girlfriend. But you’re going to pay for that little comment eventually.”

  Lincoln threw his head back with laughter. “Ha! Bring it on.”

  Carter stepped up next to me. “Okay, you two. Let’s go find mom and dad.”

  ~~~~~~~~

  The Monaghan family, Emily, and I sat together at a round table near the stage as we enjoyed our expensive, thousand-dollar-a-plate, five-course dinner before the dance. I got to talk with Lincoln’s parents again, and I met the mayor of Chicago and her husband. It was a little surreal, but I loved being here with Lincoln.

  “You look so beautiful in that dress,” he whispered as we swayed on the dance floor. His right hand rested on the small of my back while his left hand, hindered by his cast, held one of mine directly over his heart.

  My head rested against his chest as we swayed gently under the starry night to the instrumental music the band was playing. I smiled and snuggled tighter into him as he held me close.

  “You look so sexy in this tux.”

  He let out a small laugh. “Even with my ugly cast?”

  “Oh, trust me. I’m not looking at the cast.”

  Lincoln laughed loudly and then kissed the top of my head. “Aren’t you just full of it tonight?”

  I lifted my head from his chest and looked up at him, trying to look seductive. “Mm… I can’t wait to be full of you.”

  He exhaled sharply. “Jesus, Jillian. We still have one more week.”

  I weaved my fingers through his hair. “I think I remember the doctor saying that was just a suggested time frame.” I lightly scraped my fingernails against his scalp, giving him a sly smile when I felt him shudder under my touch.

  “You better not be teasing me, Princess. I don’t think I could take it.”

  “I can’t be apart from you any longer, Lincoln. I don’t care what the doctor says. We’ll go slow, but I need you.” I was practically begging him.

  He closed his eyes, inhaled a deep breath, and lowered his mouth to my ear. “Tonight, baby,” he whispered, sending shivers down my body. He pulled me closer to him as we danced to the music. “Tonight I’ll show you just how much I love you.”

  I thought he was going to surrender to my lips and kiss me, but he surprised me by spinning me out away from him. I couldn’t help but grin with happiness as my dress swirled around my feet and he lifted our arms and spun me around under them. Lincoln’s bright smile made my heart swell as he pulled me back close to him and held me tight. I laid my head back on Lincoln’s shoulder and sighed, resigning myself to have patience and wait for later tonight.

  We danced to several more songs, and I watched the couples around us on the crowded dance floor. Emily must have forgiven Carter; he was holding her close as they swayed to the music. Kennedy and Brian were dancing a short distance away from Lincoln’s parents who were mingling with another couple Lincoln had introduced me to, but I couldn’t remember their names.

  The sound of microphone feedback fractured the enchanted moment, and everyone cringed and looked up at the stage. The mayor was standing behind the podium, trying to speak over the horrible screeching noise until it finally cut out, leaving only the sound of her voice.

  “Oh, that’s better,” she said in relief. “Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of Governor Herrera’s reelection campaign, I would like to thank you all for your attendance tonight, especially our esteemed Senator Monaghan and his family.”

  Applause broke out through the crowd, and the senator smiled widely and waved to everyone before kissing the back of his wife’s hand.

  Mayor Hodgkiss started speaking again. She gave a long-winded speech on the importance of being politically active and the duty we have to our forefathers to uphold the constitution.

  The mayor’s voice faded into the distance as Lincoln put his arm around my shoulders and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “I can’t wait to get you home and slowly peel that dress off you.”

  Patience, schmatience.

  I ducked my chin down and nuzzled my cheek against his chest. “Mm… how much longer do we have to stay?”

  He chuckled and kissed the tender skin below my ear, causing me to whimper.

  Red, white, and blue fireworks exploded in the sky behind the mayor as the screen behind her lit up with the dollar amount raised from the dinner.

/>   “Thank you everyone! And God Bless America!” The mayor lifted her hands over her head and waved to the crowd as confetti shot out of cannons on the sides of the stage.

  People cheered as the governor took the stage and shook hands with the mayor and a few other important people. Little pieces of red, white, and blue paper fluttered through the air as cameras flashed at the photo opportunities on the stage.

  Watching the excitement and elegance, I almost didn’t notice when the screen behind the stage full of politicians blinked out. It seemed natural that they would turn off the screen at some point, so when it flickered back on, it drew my attention. I shrank back against Lincoln and gasped as Mackenzie’s awful picture of me filled the screen. Across the top someone horrible had scribbled: “You don’t belong here, bitch.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  A second was all the longer it was displayed before the screen went dark. The guests of honor on the stage never even noticed it, but the audience had.

  I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my fear as everyone in the crowd looked at each other in confusion. People were bewildered, and the applause died out as they murmured to each other, speculating about what they had just glimpsed.

  I didn’t think anyone had recognized that it was me on the screen, but I knew this was a threat from Mackenzie. She was either here somewhere or she had been here recently. Not only was I horrified that everyone had seen my naked body, but it wasn’t safe to be here.

  Lincoln pulled me close to him with his good arm, turning me into his chest.

  “We’re leaving! Now!” Lincoln said in a harsh voice, and I peeked up to see Brody hovering close behind me.

  The three of us weaved through the crowd toward the elevator. I was sandwiched between Lincoln and Brody, both of them pressing tight against me, shielding me from everyone around us.

  Carter suddenly appeared in front of us, blocking our way, just as we reached the elevator.

  “Move!” Lincoln commanded.

  His brother held his hand up. “No, Lincoln. You have to talk to Dad. You have to deal with this.”

  Lincoln’s arm tightened around me as he tried to sidestep around his brother, ignoring what Carter had just said.

  Carter moved to block us again. “Dad knows that was Jillian’s picture. We have to go talk to him. This could ruin his career!”

  Oh no! I couldn’t let that happen. I didn’t want to be responsible for that. I looked across the crowd and saw Kennedy and Brian talking to Lincoln’s mom as the senator stood in a circle off to the side with three other men, their heads together. They were deep in conversation, no doubt strategizing about damage control.

  I tried to hold my tears back. I didn’t want to be the cause of this mess.

  Lincoln got in Carter’s face. “You are overreacting! Dad will be fine. I need to get Jillian out of here.”

  Just then, the microphone squawked again drawing our attention as the mayor tapped on it to check if it was still on. She held up her hands and leaned in to speak. “Sorry about that folks! Just a minor technical glitch that is in no way connected to the governor, his campaign, or anyone else here.”

  She painted on a fake smile. It was obvious she was trying to smooth things over. Her public relations man would be disappointed with that horrible excuse for a cover story. No one would buy this being a technical glitch. Especially when the screen lit up again, and my picture flashed once more.

  A collective gasp came from the crowd, and several women screamed. I felt sick to my stomach, and I heard the mayor yell for someone to shut it down.

  Lincoln’s arm tightened around me again. “We’re leaving!”

  I planted my feet and pulled away from him. He looked down at me with confusion and anger.

  “Lincoln, no. You have to speak to your father.” His parents would hate me now. I was causing problems. The senator’s career could be in jeopardy because of me. I couldn’t live with myself if that happened, even if it wasn’t my fault.

  Grabbing the back of my head, Lincoln brought his face down to mine and frowned. “No. We’re leaving. I have to get you somewhere safe.”

  “I’ll leave with Brody, but please. Stay and deal with this.”

  “I’m not leaving your side until I know you’re safe.”

  “Brody and I will go somewhere safe, but I can’t let anything happen to your family. I couldn’t live with myself. You have to go talk to your dad.”

  Lincoln’s jaw ticked under his skin, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. He didn’t like this, but he saw I had a point. “I can’t let anything happen to you.”

  I cupped his face. “Nothing will. You’ve made sure I’m safe. You’ve given me Brody. I’ll be okay without you for a little while.”

  Lincoln’s eyes flickered to Brody. “Don’t let her out of your sight for a second.”

  “Of course not, sir.” Brody scanned the crowd around us, looking for danger.

  “Listen to me,” Lincoln demanded as he moved his hand to my cheek to get my attention. “Stay close to Brody. I’ll make this as quick as possible, and then I’m not leaving your side.”

  I nodded and kissed him quickly. I didn’t want to leave him, but I wouldn’t let him make me a priority over his family’s safety. I couldn’t allow that. I had already caused enough problems.

  “Please be careful. If anything happens to you…” His eyes pleaded with me to understand the seriousness of the situation.

  Panic built inside me, and I tried to suppress it. I needed to get out of here. People were beginning to stare. “I’ll be fine, baby. Take care of this.”

  He kissed me again, and I could sense his desperation. He was terrified something would happen to me, but I pulled out of his grasp and started toward the elevator without looking back. I didn’t want to see the faces in the crowd if anyone knew that was my body up there.

  “Do you really think she’s here?” I asked Brody in a small voice as we rode down alone in the elevator. I tried not to think about the fact that the whole rooftop full of elegant and influential people had just seen my naked body, but in reality Mackenzie had done a lot of damage tonight and not just to me this time.

  “It’s hard to say. That’s why we need to get you out of here. We’ll have to speak to the people in charge of the video system. Find out how easy or difficult it would be to hack into.”

  “I forgot my purse,” I said absentmindedly.

  “Security will grab it. We’ll get it later. I have to get you out of here.”

  I nodded and nervously played with the watch on my wrist. It was the one Lincoln had given me for Valentine’s Day. God, that seemed like ages ago. We had been through so much since then, and tonight was the culmination of months of stress imposed by one hate-filled beauty queen.

  I suddenly felt the elevator slow and stop underneath us. A small bell signaled our arrival as the number four lit up above the door. Brody took one giant step toward the control panel and held down the door-closed button.

  “We don’t have time for this,” he muttered but the silver reflective doors slid open despite his wishes, revealing an ornate hall lobby. With the exception of a sign announcing this floor was closed due to renovations, the space in front of us was empty as far as I could see.

  “Stay back,” Brody ordered me as he drew his weapon out from under his tuxedo jacket.

  I shrank back against the mirrored back wall of the elevator. “Is that really necessary?” I didn’t doubt that Mackenzie wanted to hurt me, but a gun? That seemed excessive.

  Brody didn’t answer as he held the gun up and took one step out of the elevator.

  A shot rang out, and I screamed as Brody’s body was jerked back against the wall. Eyes wide, he grunted and twitched as he collapsed to the floor of the elevator, his legs blocking the doors from closing.

  “Brody!” I moved closer to him and started to kneel down next to him when a familiar voice made me freeze.

  “Uh, uh, uh. I wouldn’t do that
if I were you.”

  I looked over my shoulder and saw Mackenzie casually leaning against the doorframe of the elevator, looking beautiful as always. Her hair was artfully piled on top of her head, and the strapless, knee-length black dress she wore was covered in multicolored sequins that sparkled when she moved. She looked like she was about to compete in one of her pageants.

  A man with a long scar over his eyebrow stood next to her in dark jeans and a dirty black T-shirt. Asher Epps pointed a black-and-yellow gun at Brody. Two long wires connected the two of them, and every time Asher squeezed the trigger, tremors rocked through Brody’s body.

  Asher looked at the weapon in his hand with utmost adoration. “You like it?” He laughed as he squeezed the stun gun again causing Brody to flop like a fish on the elevator floor. “M-97X Taser. Slightly modified, of course.”

  “Stop!” I screamed as I backed away into the opposite corner of the metal cage. The urge to run away as fast as possible started to overtake me, but I also wanted to help Brody.

  “Shut the hell up, bitch.” The hate in Mackenzie’s voice was terrifying.

  Asher let out a wicked laugh and shocked Brody again, this time not letting go of the trigger. A repetitive ticking noise from the gun filled the elevator as nonstop electricity flowed into Brody’s twitching body. A small amount of white foam began forming on his mouth.

  “Stop! Stop! I’ll do whatever you want. Just stop hurting him!” Brody didn’t deserve this. He was just doing his job.

  “Damn right you will. Get out here,” Mackenzie demanded.

  Asher moved to the side to let me out of the elevator but didn’t put the stun gun away. The joy on his face at the sight of Brody suffering was disgusting.

  Mackenzie immediately grabbed a fistful of my hair, ripping bobby pins out, and yanked my head down to waist level. I cried out from the sudden pain.