by Jillian Neal
“I probably won’t be able to curl up in my ball after a few months.” She sounded distressed.
Chuckling, Dan kissed her cheek. “Sure you will. We’ll just have to form your ball around your belly, because I want to hold all of my babies including my baby girl upstairs. So, we’ll just have to get a bigger couch or move it to the bed.”
“I don’t want to tell her yet. You know, in case something bad happens again.” Her fear punctured her elation.
“Okay, but please for me, let’s focus on everything that we’ve been so blessed with. I spent the last ten years of my life constantly thinking about what might go wrong, and you made everything right. Let’s just live, really live in the light, because you’re my sweet Maylea. You deserve to live in the bright sunshine not hidden away in the dark anymore.”
Tears flowed rapidly down her cheeks as she tucked her head under his chin and let him wrap his shield around her.
“Thank you for loving me,” she whispered.
“More than life itself, baby doll.”
Stand Up
Three hours later, Dan, Fionna, and Aida stood near the jetway at the Senate amongst every single Haydenshire, every Arlington Angel, every member of Elite Iodex, friends of Rainer and Emily’s from school, and friends of the Haydenshires in an endless crowd of people who’d come out to denounce the media and support the Lawsons.
The crowd of supporters were largely outnumbered by the press, however. Portwood looked morose. Dan slapped him on the back. “You’ll be fine. You’ve got this. You’re a hell of a cop.”
He was extremely nervous that his very first official case was going to involve the Crown Governor’s precious baby girl. “Yeah, I hope so. This is a disaster. Hey, if I wanted to maybe just call occasionally and run an idea by you, would that be okay?”
Trying not to chuckle, Dan nodded. “You can do this, but if you need a little help, I’ll be there.”
Several reporters neared just then. “Folks, here we have the former Chief of Iodex, Daniel Vindico with his wife Mrs. Fionna Vindico, and their recently adopted daughter talking with the new Chief, Landon Portwood. Can you gentlemen tell us what you’re discussing in light of all that’s happened?” The woman thrust the enhanced mic in Dan’s and Landon’s faces.
With an audible huff, Portwood and Dan both spat, “No,” simultaneously. effectively cracking Fionna up. The woman looked highly offended but decided to move on. “Officer Portwood, can you tell us what we can expect once the plane carrying Rainer and Emily Lawson lands?”
With a cocky grin, that made Dan proud, he pointed out the windows. “You want to know what the press can expect if after this sickening invasion of privacy and deplorable act they decide to print anymore photographs of the Lawsons, then watch!” He pointed to a plane that had just touched down.
Dan wondered what he had up his sleeve. A moment later, he laughed and he gave Portwood a proud nod. The plane that landed was not Rainer and Emily’s. Instead numerous rapid response Iodex officers out of Miami stalked into the senate dragging three men and two women, several of them wearing the rental chain’s uniforms, through the crowd of press. They were all sporting enhanced cuffs and shackles as they were humiliated on every Gifted television news network.
“Very nice.” Dan complimented.
Portwood huffed. “Thought we’d go ahead and set up the precedent that if you want to fuck with one of my officers on his honeymoon, it will not end well for you.”
Dan offered him his hand which he shook readily.
Governor Haydenshire glowed crimson in his fury as he glared at the men and women who’d been arrested. Mrs. Haydenshire tried to keep him calm but it was a mighty task.
“How fucking stupid do you have to be to mess with my baby sister? They’re gonna want to rot in Felsink because if they get out, I’ll be waiting.” Garrett finally made his way through the gridlock to Dan and Fionna.
“Yeah, the thing that bugs me is that this wasn’t stupidity. It was desperation.” Dan finally confessed the gnawing, plaguing thought that had been with him since he’d opened the paper hours before.
“Mrs. Vindico can you give us a statement on the Angels outcry of rage over what has happened to Emily?” A reporter pounced on Fionna.
“You know it shouldn’t just be an outcry from the Angels.” Fionna stated very succinctly. “It should be an outcry from the entire Realm! This is wrong on every single level. Not only was it obviously illegal, but you’ve slandered a good man’s character, invaded their intimacy and privacy, and embarrassed the woman who’s adored him since she was four years old. You want to know what Crown Governor Lawson would think of Rainer now? Well let me tell you, he would be proud of him because he’s a great man just like his dad. I cannot believe the Realm would allow Joseph Lawson’s son to be treated this way. Each and every person that pays good money for those ill gotten photos is just as guilty as the ones who took them.
“Joseph and Rainer both have stood up and defended the Realm. Joseph gave his life trying to make this Realm a better place. I think it’s high time that the Realm stood up for Rainer. The Angels won’t stand by and watch you drag Rainer and Emily through the mud, and neither should the Realm!” Fionna spat viciously.
Dan nodded his adamant agreement as he stood proudly beside his wife. “The Vindico household will be canceling their subscription to The Realm Times and any other publication that prints the photos, and not that my opinion matters much, but I would strongly encourage anyone that cares about the things that Joseph Lawson fought and died for to do the same.” Dan demanded.
Applause and cheers echoed from the crowds behind him. The cameraman accompanying the reporter eased the camera down and Dan’s eyes narrowed. “You wanna get that camera the hell away from my little girl or are you looking for yet another lawsuit?”
Visibly shaken from Fionna’s diatribe and Dan’s threats, the reporter stepped back in front of the camera. “Well, folks it looks like we are just moments away from Rainer and Emily Lawson’s arrival. We are expecting to hear from the Crown Governor himself. He is certainly very disturbed over the photographs and the allegations about his son in law, so stay tuned.”
Governor Haydenshire stepped to the center of the crowd glaring furiously at the dozens of cameras surrounding him. “I’m not certain what you want to hear me say,” he huffed. “Obviously, I’m furious over this gross invasion of privacy, and the people at fault will be found and punished to the full extent of the law. Let me go ahead and state the only thing any of the members of the press are actually waiting to hear: Any photograph of my daughter or of my son-in-law from their honeymoon that is run in any Gifted news media of any kind will be fined at $250,000 per shot used. Whether Rainer and Emily choose to sue for compensatory damages or not, I will be taking out personal lawsuits against any media organization found in possession of the photographs.”
The press reeled from the amount the Crown Governor set on the photographs.
“And let me assure anyone who’s interested in the truth, that Rainer Lawson is one of the finest men I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I could not be more proud that he is my son-in-law, and I can assure the Realm that no one takes better care of my baby girl than Rainer.”
Medio Sawyer stepped up. “Let me just add on the heels of the Crown Governor that any photograph of Emily Lawson taken from her honeymoon will not only be considered as defamation to her character, but as defamation to the Arlington Angel. The Angels will file lawsuits of their own to recover any amount we feel the photographs have cost either our Junior Receiver or the team as a whole.”
As reporters turned to their individual cameramen to recap the Governor’s fury, Portwood’s cell rang. He held it up to Dan and Garrett revealing Rainer’s name.
“Hey.” Portwood placed his finger over his other ear in effort to hear Rainer over the crowd. “You know what I can make that happen for you. Give me just a minute, and tell Pete not to make the approach. I’ll tap into
the radio feed. You just sit tight.” He headed towards Governor Haydenshire.
Several minutes later, Portwood stepped to the center of the crowd sporting quite a smirk. Governor Haydenshire looked somewhat mollified as well.
“I’m not in anyway sorry to inform all of you that the Lawsons are a little tired of having their picture taken. In an effort to take care of Emily, Rainer is having their plane land at an undisclosed private location.”
A broad grin spread across Dan’s face. He doubted he was the only one that suspected that the helicopter would be setting down in the Haydenshires’ backfields, but the press would not be photographing their arrival.
Regret
Dan and Fionna joined the Haydenshires at the farmhouse. Rainer looked ten years older. He clearly hadn’t slept any the night before, and Dan seriously doubted it was from staying up and honeymooning his new wife.
Emily had cried solidly since five o’clock that morning when the Governor had phoned them. Her eyes were almost swollen shut. She would move from laying in Rainer’s lap, to laying her head on one of her brother’s shoulders, and then go back to Rainer.
Adeline and Fionna stuck close by her willing her to cheer even a little. Aida eventually crawled in her lap and hugged her fiercely. When Aida explained that it made her sad that Emily was sad, she elicited a small smile, which was more than anyone else received.
A knock sounded on the back door as Mrs. Haydenshire was trying to convince Emily to eat something. The Crown Governor pled with her telling her that he’d send out for anything at all, but she’d just broken down in tears again.
Portwood entered carrying several file folders. “We found a wire transfer and the purchase order for the photography equipment in the owner’s files. Lawson, they paid top dollar for this, and the cameras weren’t in the villa. Miami Iodex is up in the trees trying to find cameras smaller than a pen. Even if you’d scanned the rooms you wouldn’t have seen them.”
“I don’t care.” Those were the first words Rainer had spoken in hours.
Portwood gave him a sorrowful gaze as he nodded his understanding. “Well, for what it’s worth, the money came from Belgium, and I have a picture of the guy that sent it.” He slapped down a black and white photo of the back of an average looking man wearing a baseball cap low on his face.
“The cameras are on their way to evidence. I’m having Miami rapid flight them in. Maybe we’ll get some prints off of them. I just wish I understood the reasoning. If they’d taken the photos and tried to blackmail you with them, or they’d gotten more and waited until you were home, that would make more sense. I can’t figure out the timing.”
“They had everything they wanted as soon as they came in and found Em sick.” Rainer sneered. “They didn’t need to wait. They had plenty of shots by then. They just wanted a good story to go with it. Throwing her in the pool was icing on the cake.” His eyes were starting to spin from exhaustion and fury.
“No,” Dan uttered the word without meaning for it to verbalize. Every eye in the room turned to stare at him. “Whoever did this needed the money they received for selling the pictures, and the papers needed to make back the exorbitant prices I’m sure they paid for them. Neither could afford to wait any longer.”
The bitter realization settled on the crowd.
“So, what do they need the money for?” Portwood stated the thought on everyone’s mind aloud.
“I don’t know.”
“Not that it matters after everything else I don’t suppose.” The Governor clearly wanted to change the subject. “I am sorry you were sick on your trip, baby girl.”
“I wasn’t sick.” Emily huffed before turning her entire body so that she was lying in Rainer’s lap with her back to everyone else in the house.
Brows furrowed around the room. There had been pictures of Emily on a chaise lounge in the villa looking pale and weary.
“But there was a shot of you...?” Patrick quizzed.
Sitting up, Emily drew an audible breath. Another round of tears threatened, but she shook her head. “You know what, why not? I was on my period!” She announced and then returned her head to Rainer’s lap. He grimaced but cradled her closely. He draped a quilt over her trying to let her hide from the world.
All of Emily’s brothers shuddered. Dan and Portwood pretended they hadn’t heard any of that.
“I’m just gonna go wait on those cameras. I’ll let you know what we find out, and I’ve set up blockades a mile out from around the farm so you should be left alone.” Portwood assured the Governor and Rainer.
“Thank you, Landon. I really appreciate all of your hard work.” The Governor didn’t seem to have minded his daughter’s announcement quite as much as the other men in the room.
Before he made his escape, Portwood’s cell rang. Halting abruptly he answered. “Hey, man, anything new?”
He was quiet for several long minutes but a broad grin spread across his face as he listened intently. “No, I’m here now. I’ll tell them. Thanks John.”
He ended the call and turned back to the waiting crowd. “It seems that the hotel owner wasn’t too interested in rotting in Felsink, and he turned over on the men that paid him to set up the surveillance equipment. As soon as Tuttle got the names, he called Fitzroy. The men were laying low in Arras on the Belgium border. Fitzroy already has them. It looks like there may be a top guy or two that stood to make several million, and I’ll find them. I swear Rainer. But for now we definitely have two major players.”
Hope began to permeate the dejected crowd.
“And it seems The Times and every other publication that ran the photos this morning have been getting emails and phone calls all day. People appreciate what you gave the Realm, Dan, and when you and Fionna gave the outcry to cancel subscriptions, they listened. Every reputable paper will be running an apology tomorrow, and stating that the villa was under surveillance. They’re going to vow that Rainer was in no way abusive. I know that doesn’t erase what everyone saw, but it’s something, and papers and television stations have been turning over their copies readily after you threatened lawsuits if they were found on property, Governor.”
Emily regained her composure. She sat up and scrubbed her hands over her face. “Really?”
Portwood nodded. “Yeah, like I said, there are obviously a few top guys, and we’ll find them. But this isn’t how they’d planned on this going. They stood to make millions from the news outlets when the photos circulated. They would’ve gotten a portion every time they were printed, but the papers are scared. They lost thousands of subscriptions today, so it looks like we put a stop to it.”
“And they’re going to say that Rainer isn’t abusive?” That was clearly the part of the entire scandal that bothered her most.
Portwood offered her a kind smile. “And maybe this will get them to leave you two alone for good.”
Fionna and Emily embraced. They both looked relieved to be back together. Emily turned to Adeline next and hugged her sister-in-law tightly. “I’m sorry I was so grumpy.”
“I think if anyone had a right to be grumpy, it was you.” Adeline assured her.
“Landon?” Fionna called sweetly.
“Yes ma’am?”
“Is there any way at all that we could help them get moved without the press finding out where they’ve moved. Maybe, if we did something, it would help get them settled and everyone’s minds off of everything.”
“Are we talking a big moving truck or lots of pickups?”
“Which would be easier? I’ll get them whatever they want.” Governor Haydenshire vowed.
“Well...” Portwood hemmed.
“The furniture we bought is in a storage place in Alexandria less than a mile from the house.” Rainer sounded almost normal again. Dan understood that he needed a purpose.
“And the wedding presents are already at the house.” Logan chimed in. “I took them over while you were gone.” He received the next hug from his little sister.
“So, there are just a few boxes in the guest house then.” Emily concluded.
“If you could get a small moving truck to the storage place, and get the guys to load it without you showing up, then I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t load a few boxes in one of the lesser known Haydenshire cars and then let everyone take a different path to the new house. I’ve got blockades up. No one’s getting anywhere near the farm.”
“That’s easy enough.” Garrett seemed anxious to accomplish something as well.
“Really you’ll help us?” Emily seemed shocked.
“Em, come on. It’s us.” Garrett huffed.
Mrs. Haydenshire offered to let Aida help her take care of baby Abigail for the afternoon, and Aida had readily asked if she could stay. Dan and Fionna quickly decided to talk to Adeline at the first available opportunity.
~Rainer Lawson~
“When I think about it, I get sick, like violently ill.” Rainer spat as he and Logan walked from the farmhouse to the guesthouse.
Logan knew he needed the mile to talk. “I know, Rainer, but that one on the beach was the worst of them. You really couldn’t see anything but her top half.”
“I just don’t know how the hell I let this happen. I was so fucking careful!”
“Remember how Dan used to say that Wretchkinside’s favorite phrase was ‘everyone has a price.’ I guess whoever paid for this talked loud.”
“She should be furious with me. She should hate me, and she just keeps apologizing.” Rainer choked on the verge of bitter tears. His regret permeated the very marrow of his bones. “I wish she would scream at me. I deserve at least that.”
“Mind if we join you?” Will, Garrett, and Dan caught up with them.
Rainer didn’t want advice or anything from anyone except Logan. Why didn’t anyone understand that?
