One Wild Ride

by Elizabeth Lynx

  I gasped when I saw who it was. My hand shook as I reached for the doorknob and opened the door.

  “Mom, what are you doing here?” I asked in shock to see the woman I hadn’t laid eyes on in over five years.

  “Aria, it’s nice to see you,” she said as she tried to smile.

  She was lying. Someone made her come here. My mom never wanted me and made it obvious with her actions, and even if she didn’t say the words, she believed the wrong sister died.

  “Are you going to invite me inside?” She lifted her jaw the same way she did when she was unhappy.

  “Yes, please come inside.” I stood back, opening the door to let her through.

  I wasn’t surprised when her lips pursed as her eyes scanned my apartment. My mother was used to high-priced, upscale, and anything that was made of gold, platinum, and silk.

  “It’s quaint.”

  “You can stop pretending now,” I said as I frowned and waved toward the living area. “Come sit on the couch and tell me why you’re here. Is it Dad? Did he send you?”

  I moved to the overstuffed chair next to the old, brown couch. Our hodgepodge of furniture was not up to my mother’s standards as she leaned down to sit like she was about to take a shit.

  “Your father wants you to come to California,” she said as her eyes wandered around the room.

  “Why?”

  I wasn’t about to up and leave my friends and especially Alex, just because my father snapped his fingers.

  “He’s having his fiftieth birthday. I am planning a big celebration.” My mother finally brought her attention back to me and not my second-hand furniture.

  “You both live in California now?”

  Last I knew they lived in Winnetka, just north of Chicago.

  “Yes, we moved two years ago. Your father took on a client that is quite powerful. Has a lot of connections. You know how your father is, always trying to move up in the world.”

  I rolled my eyes knowing what connections she was talking about. Where they saw money and power, every normal person saw crime and danger.

  “I see you have moved on from Ava’s killing,” I said and watched my mother’s brown eyes for any hope of sorrow.

  I was disappointed in what I found.

  She scooted toward the end of the couch and reached over, placing her hand on mine. “Now, Aria, you know your sister wasn’t killed. She died of an overdose. The doctors confirmed it. I suspected she had a problem and hoped the clinic would’ve helped but we were just too late.”

  I drew my hand back as if my mother’s touch was full of venom. “Clinic. Is that what you two have told yourself? You think if you say it enough you’ll believe it.” I laughed because if I didn’t I would sob. “Dad sold us to those people. Those disgusting criminals. His children. They drugged her and they would have drugged me but I escaped.”

  I was the lucky one. Ava should have escaped. She was smart and brave and she deserved all the things. She could have found the cure for cancer or ended world hunger or done something that would go down in history. What could I do? I could paint. That doesn’t save lives. And even if I filled a million canvases with every color known to man, it would never bring her back.

  My mother gazed down at her fingers and I noticed for the first time how worn they were. There were calluses and wrinkles and spots that I would expect to see on an eighty-year-old’s hands, not a fifty-five-year-old’s.

  I leaned in as my mother started to speak with her head down as I could barely hear her.

  “We were young when we had your sister. Your father had just started law school. It was hard in the beginning. The bills, the cost of college, and having a baby . . . we struggled. And then when you came your father had just started with a good law firm. We made a pact. He would take any job they gave him, even the cases none of the other lawyers would take, if it meant we would have enough money for you two.”

  “That was then, Mom. And that’s no excuse for what happened to Ava.”

  She gazed up at me, tears streaming down her face. “You’re right, Aria. But by then everything was out of control. And your father, he changed. It changed him. He became like them.”

  The moment had come. My mother was finally admitting the truth. I fell to the floor, kneeled at her feet as I clasped her hands in her lap, my words pleading, “Then come with me. Get away from him. I can make sure you never see him again.”

  Her eyes traveled my face as only a mother’s could. It had been so long since I had seen her look at me like that—full of love and pride.

  “I’m so proud of you, Aria. No matter what’s happened, please know that I love you. That there hasn’t been a moment that’s gone by that I haven’t thought about you.”

  That’s when tears fell from my face. I knew what she was doing. For so long I told myself I never wanted to see her again, but now that she’s here I never wanted her to leave.

  I hated her and my father for so long, but now, I felt nothing but pity. My sister and I needed their help that day and they turned their backs, leaving us in hell. But I refused to make the same mistakes as them.

  “Mom, please, I promise I’ll help you.”

  Her smile grew soft as she waved me up to sit next to her. She drew me into an embrace. It felt good and long overdue.

  When she pulled back I had hope. “I do miss Chicago; it’s so nice this time of year.”

  She pushed a few tendrils from my brow.

  I nodded. “Yes, it is. We can visit the Tower Road beach and take walks like we used to.”

  She laughed. “Remember when Ava was so excited that we had a warm day in May that she ran into the lake, not realizing how cold the water still was.”

  I threw my head back with a deep belly laugh at the memory.

  “I remember. She shivered so much and I was worried when her lips turned blue. I hugged her the whole walk back to keep her warm.”

  “We were so happy then,” my mom said and then sighed.

  “We can be that happy again.”

  She squeezed my hand and was about to say something when something in her purse buzzed. I had no idea what was in her purse but deep in my bones I felt it related to me. My stomach twisted as my mother reached for her purse to pull out her cell phone.

  She tapped at it, reading whatever caught her attention.

  “It’s your father. I have to go, Aria,” my mother said refusing to look at me.

  “But you’ll come back, right?”

  I got up as she made her way to the door. She opened the door and turned to me.

  “It was wonderful to see you again. I meant it, I’m so very proud of you. Can I have one more hug before I go?”

  I’d lost her. Just one word from my father, whatever he sent her, and she was lost once again.

  “Of course, Mom. I miss you. I’ll always be there for you.”

  She pulled me close. Her arms tightened around me. I felt the tears begin to fall as I tried to hold them back. Just before she let go she whispered into my ear, “Run as far as you can and don’t ever look back.”

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Alexander

  “This drink’s hot,like your body,” the kid said as he pushed Aria’s coffee order toward her. The final blow, he winked at her.

  My eyes narrowed trying to saw him in half with my stare.

  “How old are you?” Aria asked trying to hold back her laughter.

  “How old do you want me to be?” he countered as he made a kissy face.

  “Where’s a manager?” I demanded, glancing around the shop. The only things I noticed were the small wooden tables, a couple of customers, and brown painted walls, but no one who might be another employee.

  “My uncle owns Wake Up Joe’s and he’s in the back. I suggest you don’t disturb him.”

  “Come on, Aria, let’s go find a seat.” I placed my hand on her back to guide her away from the sleazy kid.

  As we sat in a brown leather booth back in the corner, I gazed around
the place to make sure I wasn’t followed. I only saw an old man with a golf umbrella despite the cloudless sky outside and a guy in a leather jacket reading a book while enjoying some coffee. He appeared too scruffy to be anyone my mother would hire.

  “I did it,” I said.

  “Great. So, he hasn’t been back?”

  “I changed the locks and codes to the doors on Monday and since then, I haven’t seen Bradley,” I said.

  I tried to fire Bradley weeks ago when he attempted to make me believe Aria was using me. He flat out told me no. Reminding me that my mother employed him, not me. He told me my mother had brought up Alexa Dorton again. I worried how far my mother would go to separate Aria from me.

  It was difficult for me to be alone with Aria. Especially when we wanted to be intimate with each other as Bradley made it a habit of showing up. Even when Aria came over to work on the mural.

  We considered having me stay at her place but every time we would come back to her apartment, we found a new bug. There was no winning with my mother.

  She had the power and the money to gain access to anything she wanted. I was unhappy but not that surprised when I discovered my place bugged, but when we found them at Aria’s place too, I wanted to destroy her world piece by piece. Never, would I believe a single word that exited my mother’s mouth again. She’s twisted me and everyone I cared about without a care of how much it hurt.

  Aria tried to get me to go to the police, but I knew my mother. She was smart enough to have enough cops in her pocket. A detective Cindy Hardy’s card, from the Chicago Police, fell out of my mother’s coat pocket a few months ago. I knew she had that card for a reason and it wasn’t to report a crime.

  “Good. At least we got one person taken care of,” Aria said before she took a sip of her black coffee.

  For years I dreamed of being with Aria. Never believing she would want me and now that I could have her, my mother made it almost impossible to be everything I wanted to be with Aria.

  I twisted a discarded plastic stirrer in an attempt to delay having to tell Aria what I knew.

  A warm hand, soft in its touch halted my finger’s progress with the object. I glanced up to find Aria, her eyes wide with concern.

  “He called me,” I finally said unable to hold back when she gazed at me like that.

  “Who?”

  “Bradley. Just before I texted you this morning. He told me that I can’t even begin to understand how high this goes. That it’s not about me. It is so much bigger than that. When I tried to fire him, and had to change the locks, he brought up Alexa again—” I hesitated as I watched Aria’s expression turn fearful.

  But she had to know. Maybe if I told her everything she would agree to leave Chicago and go to that tropical island we talked about. “He said I’m just a tool in my mother’s arsenal. He admitted he was a part of her arsenal too, and the only difference was he knew about it and was paid for it. I was to marry as part of the plan.”

  “But why, if he is being paid to help your mom, why would he tell you all of this?” Aria asked.

  “Bradly said he meant it all those times he said he was my friend. He saw how my mother poisoned everyone around her with her lies and he saw what it did to me. But he always respected me because I was the one person who refused to believe her. Who wouldn’t let her control me.”

  I had no idea how Bradley thought my mom never controlled me. That woman had been manipulating me since birth. It’s only now, that Aria was finally in my life, that I was even attempting to leave my mother’s grip.

  “Who is this Alexa? And why does your mom want you to marry her so badly?” Aria asked.

  I shook my head. “Her family is powerful in politics. Her uncle is a senator and her grandfather was a former vice president. Her parents have a lot of money and a lot of sway in Washington DC. I met her once when I was ten. She’s as controlled by her parents also.”

  She took a sip of her coffee and let my words sink in. “Do you want to marry her?”

  I didn’t hesitate as I shook my head. “No, Aria. I want to be with you. I want to be free to marry who I want and do what I want.” I hoped my smile, as I reached for her hand, conveyed that I meant everything I said.

  Aria nodded but I could see the doubt in her eyes. She glanced around the café and took a moment to stare at the man reading the book. I looked over, noticing the book was gone and he was using his phone. I couldn’t quite make out his face as he had his phone up with the back facing us. I wondered if he was filming us. Even if he was, he wouldn’t know what we were saying.

  Aria leaned in to me, turning her head from the guy with the phone. “My mother showed up at my place last week.”

  I squeezed her hand. “What did she want?”

  She let out a small puff of air and gave a grin that didn’t convey happiness. “She gave me the excuse of wanting me to come to California for my father’s birthday party. I didn’t believe her. That’s when she finally told me the truth.”

  Aria had mentioned what happened to her and her sister due to her parent’s abandonment. It broke my heart to hear that anyone would treat their children as objects to be bought or sold. But then I knew my mother, and realized there were some people in this world who didn’t deserve to be parents at all.

  “I kept thinking, why now? Why did my mother show up at this moment? That’s why I wanted to tell you. I wouldn’t be surprised if my parents were being used by your mom. If that is true, your mom doesn’t want me with you. And wants me gone so much she’s willing to have my parents drag me off to California.”

  I took her other hand in mine and brought both of her hands to my chest. “That’s why we need to get out of here. After what Bradley said, I’m wondering if we should just ditch the idea of trying to fool my mother and leave tonight.”

  Aria took her hands from me and I knew that she was about to say something I wouldn’t want to hear.

  “But my friends? Morgana comes home in a few days, on Saturday, and I want to be here for her.”

  “But you saw her three weeks ago when you went with her parents and grandmother to visit in New York.” I knew I was being selfish but this was my mother I was trying to get away from. If Bradley was right, which I suspected he was, then Aria could be in danger.

  “Can’t we at least wait a week. Then I can go. I am going to Morgana’s welcome home party at her parents’ house on Saturday night. I’ll tell her we are going away. How about you come with me? Meet her.”

  “I already met her, remember?”

  She laughed, her eyes crinkling and it made me want to lean over and trace the lines on her face. Imprint them in my muscle memory so I can feel them forever.

  “I mean really meet her. Outside of a basement garage.” She smirked.

  I didn’t want my mother’s people to follow me to Morgana’s parents’ home, put her family in danger. As much as I wanted to get to know Aria’s friends, I felt it was safer to stay away. I was about to tell her when the back of my neck prickled. Someone was watching me.

  “Is that Grace?” Aria said leaning to the side to stare at something behind me.

  I turned and found a pair of brown eyes focused on me. A chill ran down my body. It was the way she was staring. As if she knew me even though I had barely met her twice. Once when she brought in coffee when I was speaking with the Mimir lawyer, and the second time in the elevator at Mimir.

  “What is she doing this far north? It’s Thursday, shouldn’t she be at Mimir?” Aria whispered to me.

  As Grace began to move toward our table, I turned back to face Aria. Something about this felt off. Evaleen had mentioned Grace was weird and now I was beginning to believe her.

  “Hi, Aria. Funny running into you here. Oh, hello, Mr. Hawthorne.” Grace stood at the entrance of our booth so neither of us could escape.

  Was it strange that I had the urge to run?

  “Hello, Grace? Yeah, it is funny. I figured you would be downtown.”

  The c
orner of Grace’s lip ticked up as she turned her gaze from Aria to me. “I had to run an errand for Mr. Mimir.” She held up a manila envelope before continuing, “Some photographer’s studio around the corner. Figured I’d pick up lunch on my way back. I hear Morgana’s coming back this weekend.”

  The more Grace watched me the more I squirmed in my seat. I noticed Aria’s eyes narrowed at Grace. “Yeah, I’m going to see her Saturday.”

  Grace finally took her eyes off me but only for a second. “I assume her mom’s going to make some cake.”

  “Yes, her parents are throwing a welcome home party. Aria is taking me.” For some reason, I felt the need to make it obvious to Grace that I was with Aria. Get her to stop taking an interest in me.

  “That should be fun. Is Mr. Payne going to be there?” Grace’s eyes fell from us and glanced around the room, focusing on the scruffy man with the phone. The man was tapping at it, his face turned down.

  “I don’t think so, Grace. Why would Morgana want that piece of garbage there? You want him? He’s all yours.” Aria waved her hand at Grace.

  Grace’s eyes cut to Aria and by the way she looked at Aria, I would think Aria had said Grace smelled of roadkill on a summer’s day.

  “Why would I want someone who would lie like that? He’s a fool. Anyway, I have to be ordering my food so I can get back. It was nice to see you both.”

  And just like that, Grace’s expression turned from pure hatred to polite friendliness as she waved goodbye.

  I leaned toward Aria. “Let’s get out of here.”

  She nodded in agreement. We walked out the door and made our way down the street before Aria saw another Mimir employee.

  “Edgar?” Aria called out.

  I looked up to find a tall, blond man with a dark gray suit looking over at Aria and waving.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Aria

  “I’ll make tea,” Evaleen’s mom said as she scurried off farther into Edgar’s townhouse.

  When we mentioned we had run into Grace at Wake Up Joe’s, Edgar told us to come home with him as he lived a few blocks away. We explained as much as we could about Alex’s mom and everything that’s been going on as we made our way through the zigzag streets to his place.