“The law firm flexed its muscles.” Standing outside the BHPD headquarters, Sean stepped further away from a group of cops that had just gathered near him. “They got the plates on my car and traced it to me and then the police department. They called the mayor and the chief of detectives.”
“But you didn’t do anything,” Haley said.
“They threatened to go after Chase Beauty as well.”
“That’s just great.” If Haley thought she was in trouble before, she would be in deep shit now. She just needed to hold on for a few more months. Then it wouldn’t matter what her parents wanted. “Are you in trouble?”
“I think my personal involvement in the whole thing cushioned my fall. The chief knows how upset I am about my sister’s accident. He’s pissed, but I think he understands. It’s the FBI we have to worry about.”
“You shouldn’t have waited for me.”
“I wasn’t going to leave you,” Sean said. “I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you.”
Haley hated herself for feeling so affected by his words. After everything she had done, he still cared about her. “Will the FBI be able to use it?”
“As of now, they don’t want anything to do with it. You were right, they discovered the pillow and I guess they grilled Garrett.”
“Where is he?”
“No one knows, but we have to find him. He’s in danger.”
“Everything is worse now, isn’t it?”
“No,” Sean answered. “It’s just more complicated—delicate.”
“There has to be . . .”
Haley turned around on the satin vanity bench she was sitting on, in response to the sound of her last name. The gossip reporter on the local news station was discussing a new charitable initiative the Chase Foundation was launching, scholarships for minorities to private preschools and grade schools. It was Janet’s latest genius idea to deflect some of the bad press from the Museum Ball and it gave Haley an idea of her own.
“Do you still have a copy of the USB?” she asked.
“Yeah, I made it before I handed the original over.” There was a short silence. “Why?”
“If the cops aren’t going to do anything with it, I think I know who will.”
When Michael stepped out onto the back patio of Chase Mansion, he saw his father in the outdoor kitchen, drinking a glass of wine while standing in front of the large, stainless steel barbeque, grilling assorted chicken parts and steaks.
In that moment, Michael thought of turning around and leaving. His father had been trying to reach him for days. He hadn’t showed up at Chase Beauty and he only went home to spend time with the boys for a short while and disappeared again. But one can only feel sorry for themselves so long, so he decided to come out of hiding and heed his father’s request to come to Chase Mansion to talk.
Was he going to fire him? Bump him from the board of directors? Demote him? Or maybe he would just disown him. Michael knew there was a potpourri of reactions his father could have, and for the first time in his entire life, he really didn’t care.
Just as he was about to leave, Steven turned around and saw him. He waved Michael over. Michael slowly made his way over there, trying hard to decipher what that look on his father’s face meant.
Steven put his glass of wine down. “Where have you been, son?”
“Around.”
Steven didn’t think it was worth it to demand a better explanation. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”
“A shower can do wonders.” Michael leaned against the wooden column. “What did you want, Dad?”
“Your mother and I have been talking.”
Steven pushed the last piece of meat to the edge of the grill so it wouldn’t burn, and closed the lid. He placed the fork on the table and focused all his attention on Michael as he told him about their plans for him and Kimberly. Steven had hoped Janet would be around to do this with him, but she wasn’t home and Steven didn’t know when he would see Michael again. His son appeared to be in a state of disbelief through most of it, but as it seemed to settle in, he became furious.
“Who do you think you are?” Michael demanded, standing up straight. “God? You think you’re God?”
“No son, I’m your father, and your mother and I are . . .”
“Deciding that my marriage is over?” Michael asked.
“Your marriage was over a long time ago,” Steven said. “Son, we are doing this because we love you.”
“Bullshit!” Michael slammed his fist into the column. “You’re doing this because my marriage has become inconvenient for you.”
“Look at where your life is, son. You cannot tell me that this marriage is good for you anymore. Most importantly, it isn’t any good for the boys. You have to get over this poisonous obsession you have with Kimberly and do what is right for them.”
Steven took a step toward Michael, who seemed ready to break down, but Michael stepped back.
“Stay away from me,” Michael warned. “I won’t let you take her away from me.”
“She’s gone, Michael. She’s been gone a long time and you know it.”
“She’ll never go for it.” Michael was vigorously shaking his head. “She won’t leave the boys.”
“She’s agreed to do it,” Steven said. “For the children’s sake. She is putting what’s best for them ahead of what she wants. She called the divorce lawyer this morning. Now all you have to do is . . .”
“No!” Looking for the first thing he could find, Michael grabbed the heavy steel wok and threw it. He couldn’t believe that Kimberly would do this. He had always known that no matter what, she wouldn’t leave the boys.
“Get a hold of yourself, boy.”
“I’m not your boy,” Michael said. “I won’t go along with it, and since neither your or Mom’s names are on that marriage certificate, you can’t do this without me.”
“Even if she has to fight you, we will support her.”
Michael laughed. “That will look great in the press. You and Mom siding with my ex-hooker wife against me in a divorce.”
“We will go through anything to help you see the light and get your life back together.” Steven paused, wishing he could find the right words to make it okay. He knew it would take so much more. “We are doing this for you. Nothing else matters to either of us. Not the family’s image and not Chase Beauty.”
“Well, we all know that’s a lie.”
Steven had initially thought to use Michael’s position at Chase Beauty as leverage to get him to comply, but changed his mind. He was going to get Michael to agree, but he wasn’t going to threaten him or bully him.
“It’s not,” Steven responded. “I love you more than Chase Beauty and you are the one that will take it over when I’m gone.”
Michael was shocked to hear his father say such words, when he expected the complete opposite. He searched his father’s face for a telltale sign of a lie as he came closer, but he couldn’t find it. As Steven came face-to-face with him, placing a hand on each shoulder, squeezing tight, Michael believed him.
“I have done everything for you,” Michael said.
“I know, Michael.” He looked into his son’s eyes and the pain he saw dug right into him. “And now I’m going to do everything for you.”
“I want to keep her,” Michael whispered.
Steven shook his head. “She’s not a toy or a pet. She’s not your property. She’s a person and she wants to be free.”
“No.” Michael reached up and shoved his father’s arms away. “I won’t be without her. Not even for you.”
“Michael!” Steven called out as Michael turned and left. He called his son’s name a few more times, but Michael was gone. It was okay. He wasn’t going to give up. He loved his son and had made a promise to his wife.
Avery’s phone rang the second she plugged it into the car adapter. In her haste to get to Miami with Anthony, she had forgotten her charger and the phone had been dead all day.
Once she arrived at LAX and reached her car, the first thing she did was plug it in. As a mother, she didn’t have the option of being unreachable. And this was why it bothered her when she saw her mother’s name on the caller ID.
“What’s wrong, Mom?” Avery asked as soon as she answered. “Is Connor okay?”
“Connor is fine,” Nikki answered. “Where are you?”
“I’m at LAX.” Avery could tell something was wrong with her mother’s voice. “It was ugly, but I ended things with Anthony. I just got back. What is it?”
“I’ve been trying to reach you all day.”
“It’s an eight-hour flight. My phone was dead. Are you sure Connor is . . .”
“It’s not Connor,” Nikki said. “Baby, it’s Anthony.”
“What?” Avery braced herself for the worst.
“The Miami police were trying to reach you and they couldn’t, so they called us.”
The police. “What happened, Mama?”
“Anthony was in a very bad car accident.”
“What?” Avery’s hand came to her mouth in shock. “Is he . . . What is . . .”
“He’s alive, but he was hurt really bad. When they called a couple of hours ago, he was in critical condition.”
Avery tried to soak it all in. What had she done to him?
“Avery, are you there?”
“Yes.” Her voice was shaky. “What else did they say?”
“They say he was drinking, but that was all.”
“I have to go back.” Avery grabbed her purse from the passenger’s seat. “I’ll call you when I get there.”
She hung up, grabbed the charger and jumped out of the car. As she ran back toward the airport, the world started to cave in around her. This was her fault. She shouldn’t have left him alone and now look what had happened. Avery didn’t know what she’d do if he died and she prayed to God to let him live. She would do anything if he could just survive.
Michael stood outside Kimberly’s bedroom for a few minutes before knocking on the door. She didn’t respond to his knock, as usual, but as he gripped the door knob, he was at least grateful that she hadn’t locked it this time. When he stepped inside, Kimberly was delicately placing some of her very expensive clothes in a suitcase. She didn’t look up, but Michael had gotten used to that.
“When are you leaving?” he asked.
That caught Kimberly’s attention. “Steven told you.”
Michael approached the other side of the bed as she gently folded a pair of jeans and placed them in the suitcase. “How could you leave the boys?”
Kimberly felt her chest tighten at the question. She couldn’t, she wanted to scream. She never would. “You’ve given me no choice.”
“It seems more like my parents have given you no choice.”
Kimberly placed her hands on her hips and tried to manage the most resolute expression she could. “I would like to spend some time with them before I go.”
“When are you . . .”
“I’m just moving into a hotel room.” She reached around the suitcase and zipped it closed. “As soon as you sign the contract, it is filed, and the money is deposited into my account, I have to leave. It will take a few days.”
“What will you tell the boys?” Michael felt almost overcome with a sense of loss. He didn’t understand it, but it was undeniable.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Kimberly answered. “If you’re willing to behave we can come up with something to tell them together.”
“It will kill them.”
“I know,” Kimberly said. “But we’re killing them now. You and I both know that what we’re doing is damaging them in ways that can’t be fixed if it continues. I’m doing this for them. As much as it will kill me, it’s better for them to have one parent who loves them and is at peace with themselves than two parents who poison the air every day of their lives.”
“Kids need both their father and mother.” Michael stood still as she came around the bed and placed the suitcase next to an already-filled suitcase, against the wall next to the bathroom.
“In eleven years they’ll be adults and they can do whatever they want.” Kimberly went over to the drawer where she was placing her jewelry in a secure case. “I imagine you and your family will fill their heads with hateful things about me, but those boys love me and I know they’ll want to see me.”
Michael wrapped his arm around the bed post. How could she be so nonchalant about it? Did she hate him that much? Yes, he told himself. Yes, she did and he deserved every bit of it. But his children didn’t.
“You’re right,” Michael said. “We’ve . . . I’ve fucked everything up and the boys are paying the price.”
Kimberly turned around to try to figure out what he was up to. Did he mean it? Was this actually going to work? “We all are.”
“But they’ll just keep paying if you leave.”
Kimberly sighed. “I can’t stay.”
“Not with me,” Michael said. He swallowed hard, feeling the impact of what he was about to say. “We shouldn’t be together.”
Kimberly stopped and watched him intently. She was waiting and staking everything on what he said next.
“I’ll give you a divorce,” Michael said. “I won’t contest anything. I can’t give you twenty million dollars, but I can give you ten million, alimony, this house, child support and . . .”
“Child support?” she asked.
Michael nodded. “Joint custody and they can live with you, here. Here, or anywhere else you want to live as long as you don’t leave.”
Kimberly took a moment to find her voice. Her babies. “What do you mean by joint?”
“I won’t become a weekend daddy, but they can live with you.”
“What will your parents say? The contract . . .”
“Is invalid until I sign it,” Michael said. “And I’ll never sign it. I want you to stay.”
“I won’t be yours,” Kimberly said. “Never again, Michael. Divorce or no divorce. You can’t have me.”
“I know,” Michael said after a moment. “But the boys can, and that’s all that matters.”
Kimberly had to dig her nails into her palms to keep herself from showing the effect of Michael’s emotion. What had Steven said to make him do this? “They’ll be angry that you’re letting me keep them and stay.”
“Then they’ll be angry.” Michael shrugged. “You can unpack. I’ll call a lawyer to put the contract together as soon as I can.”
“How do I know you’ll keep to it?” Kimberly asked.
“Because I love the boys,” Michael said. “And I don’t want you to leave. You know that. If there is anything you can know, it’s that I don’t want you to leave.”
Kimberly knew that Michael still didn’t comprehend that she was leaving him, even if she stayed in L.A., but that wasn’t important now. He would understand soon enough. Right now, all that mattered was getting her kids and getting her divorce.
“I’m still leaving,” she said. “I have to get out of here. But if you can get me the contract, I’ll get a lawyer to look it over to make sure it’s valid. After that, I’ll move back in and you can move out. The boys can stay here.”
“So you’ll stay?” Michael asked.
Kimberly nodded. “This is good, Michael. This is much better for everyone. I would have been miserable the other way and so would the boys.”
“So would I,” Michael added.
Kimberly waited until he was gone to fall to the ground on her knees. She started crying right away, feeling the stress and buildup inside of her begin to subside. She held her hands to her chest and leaned against the dresser. This was how she had planned for it to go. Despite all his venomous threats, Michael had some sick need to have her around and he assumed, through the kids, he always would.
It was a risk, but one she had been willing to take. Because the Chases could have given her two hundred million. She still wouldn’t leave without her babies. And now she wouldn’t have t
o.
Avery was tired beyond belief, emotionally and physically, but she tried to carry on. She took a deep breath before pushing open the door to the room Anthony was in at the hospital. When she entered, she gasped at the sight of him. He wasn’t awake or conscious and his entire face was bandaged.
“Oh my God.” Avery rushed to the side of the bed and raised up the bed sheets. One of his arms was in a cast and his midsection was in bandages as well. She looked down further. His legs weren’t in bandages, but they were bruised all over and full of scratches.
“Mrs. Harper?”
Avery hadn’t even seen the doctor who had been in the room the whole time. She looked very young and tired, as if she’d been seeing frantic wives all day.
Avery nodded. “Is he going to make it?”
The doctor smiled. “Yes, he’s just sleeping. His condition has improved over the last five hours.”
“So he will recover?” Avery hesitantly reached out to touch him. She laid her hand flat on his chest.
“That’s what I need to talk to you about, Mrs. Harper.” The doctor’s expression turned extremely serious.
Avery kept her focus on Anthony. “Just come out with it.”
“Your husband was driving under the influence and he ran a red light. The oncoming car hit him from the driver’s side. All of his air bags deployed, which is the only reason he’s still alive. But his body was jolted very badly. He sustained spinal injuries.”
“Oh no.” Avery stepped away from the bed, backing up. “Please, don’t say . . .”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Harper.”
“Avery.”
Avery watched with horror as Anthony reached his arm up only to have it fall because he was so weak. When she came back to the bed, she took his hand in hers and squeezed, looking into his eyes. She could barely see them through the bandaging.
“You . . . You came back.”
Avery bit her tears back. “Of course, Anthony. I’m here.”
“You’re my . . . wife.”
Avery nodded. “Yes, I am your wife and I am so sorry.”
A Price to Pay Page 26
