by Lauren Dane
“And yet, I couldn’t have addressed the very people responsible for the governance of my home ’Verse without a note from one of them.” She moved away from the podium and began to pace. Very slowly.
“My organization, the Movement for Representative Democracy, was started four years ago, right here in the capital. By me. Because I care about my ’Verse and I care about her people. Ranked and unranked. We’ve spent a great deal of time attempting to address our concerns to our Family representatives and for four years we’ve been put off, ignored, fobbed off on assistants who promised a comm or a meeting and nothing happened.
“Nothing until recently and you all know why. But I’m not going to use that right now. I’m going to tell you honestly that I believe every single member at that table of yours, every Family rep who sits on the Governing Council, should know what the opinions, the experiences and the perspectives of the people he or she is governing are. The unranked have no voice other than what the Ranked choose to give them, and that is wrong. It is outdated and undemocratic, and it is part of your problem right now. Because after a while, the unresponsiveness you see will turn into something else. Now you can turn it into passion and involvement by the creation of an advisory council, a council of popularly elected unranked representatives with one or two seats at this table and one at the GC, or it can be a negative one. But a change is coming one way or another and ignoring it will not make it disappear.”
She spoke to them in her smoothest voice, in the voice Josef hounded her into using until she sounded like one of them and did it without effort. Right then, she wasn’t an unranked person asking for a handout; she was speaking in their voice. A professional woman asking to be heard and telling them the hard truths they knew but didn’t want to face. But she did it with a motherly smile.
She continued on until her time was nearly up, going over, very briefly, a basic timetable and some ideas for how an unranked advisory council might look. And then she stood back, bowed and moved to the podium to await her questions.
Roman and Marcus watched her, openmouthed.
“Gods, she’s amazing. Look at them listen to her,” Marcus said very quietly in Roman’s ear.
Roman had noticed that himself. Had noticed the way the body language of the assembled group had gone from hostile to wary to actually engaged. He hadn’t heard the voice she now used with them. Her accent was totally smoothed out, soothing, cultured. Abbie was a canny woman and she knew her audience.
The questions were predictable and none too hostile. She clearly had opposition to her plan, but Roman was pleased to note more than one head nodding as she spoke. Deimos already supported her proposal, Roman knew that much. His son understood times were different now than they were even just a generation ago. He believed Deimos and Corrin would lead House Lyons into a new era, maybe even one where everyone had a voice.
“Shit,” Marcus whispered. Roman snapped to attention and saw, with growing horror, Saul Kerrigan walking in with Bentan at his side.
Roman stood. “That bastard. Marcus, get the guard and do it now. I want Bentan Kerrigan removed from this chamber immediately and put in lockup. Under my direct order. Do you understand?”
Marcus moved quickly, speaking into his personal comm and then turned back to Roman. They took the stairs toward the chamber.
“Roman, what is it? What’s with Bentan that has you so upset?”
“I’m sure you read the information you had gathered on Abbie. Bentan is the man who attacked her.” And Saul knew it. Had brought her rapist here to shake her. Roman would not let this stand.
Abbie turned and with dawning horror, realized who stood right behind that asshole Saul Kerrigan.
Deimos rapped a gavel in the background, the sound echoing in her ears. Her hearing had gone funny, like she was under water.
Josef’s face was livid with fury. He stomped right up to Saul and Bentan and used his walking stick to halt their advance to her. Roman burst out of a side door with Marcus. Chaos erupted and guards came into the chamber.
Saul began to yell and Abbie straightened her suit jacket, marched up to the microphone and spoke into it.
“Let Mr. Kerrigan speak.”
Roman drew up short but she nodded when he indicated he was having Bentan removed. Josef knew Bentan was under lockup orders should he return to Ravena and Abbie trusted he’d get that information to the guards.
But she would handle Saul Kerrigan right then because he could not be allowed to get away with what he’d just done. She would not allow it.
“You should ask yourselves why this unranked woman has just caused this upset!” Saul yelled as he approached the table.
“Why, Mr. Kerrigan, I believe it was your nephew the rapist who caused the upset.” She wasn’t sure how she kept her voice so calm.
Saul looked shocked and she sent him just the slightest smile. He would not break her.
Abbie turned her attention back to the AC. “Yes, that’s right. When I was seventeen, Bentan Kerrigan and five other men, some affiliated, attacked me. Beat me, raped me and left me in a coma for weeks. Bentan was found guilty and the Kerrigans sent him to the Edge as part of an agreement. One he just broke. Perhaps the question is, why did Mr. Kerrigan bring Bentan here today knowing I’d be addressing this body?”
“You have no say! You’re just an unranked bitch not good enough to service Bentan. I brought him here to show this body just what a threat you are. If you don’t get your way, you manipulate to use the system to harm Ranked citizens. She did it with Bentan and she’ll do it with you.”
“You are out of order, Saul.” Deimos stood, his face tight with anger. “Ms. Haws, thank you for your presentation today. We will take it under advisement and there will be discussion and a recommendation before our next session.” He’d dismissed her and she understood. She had to go to let them deal with this privately.
She nodded. “Thank you.” Then turned and stalked out of the room, Josef on her heels.
In the hallway outside guards were arguing with Marcus and Bentan. Josef snorted and walked over. Abbie just watched it with horrified amusement.
“This man is under an order for lockup if he sets foot back in Ravena. The order is on coded file. You understand why his name is not on the order, but rather his number. The number will lead to another set of papers. I’ve had my office send them straight over to lockup.”
Marcus nodded. “Go on! You are under the direct orders of Roman Lyons. Josef Sheen has given you more information. Get to it or you’ll join him in lockup.”
The guards took an uncooperative Bentan from the building. She refused to look away, even as he threatened her.
Josef knew her well enough not to make a fuss and Marcus, thank the gods, took that cue. “Ms. Haws, there’s a conveyance outside waiting for you and Mr. Sheen. It will take you wherever you need to go. Mr. Lyons expresses his upset that such a person be allowed in this ’Verse and wants to assure you it will be taken care of.”
She swallowed hard, past the fear. “Thank you, Marcus.”
Josef took her arm, under the guise that he needed it, and they left the building.
Chapter 23
Abbie’s hands shook on and off for the rest of the day, but she had work to do, and she’d be damned if she’d let scum like Bentan and Saul Kerrigan get in her way. Josef, in his own gruff way, stuck around on the pretense of wanting to talk with her about the licensing issue. And then he watched her in a hearing, saying he was still responsible for her, or his reputation was, and, by gods, he wanted to keep an eye on her and be sure she wasn’t embarrassing him.
In the end, she’d forgotten about that horrible moment when she’d turned and seen Bentan, because Josef scared her staff so severely she thought Tasha would cry.
Assuring him she knew how to do her job and that she was fine, Abbie ushered Josef back out to the conveyance waiting to take him home.
She just had to get through the rest of her appointments, only two m
ore, and then go home. Home to a hot bath, a drink or three and what she hoped would be a dreamless night.
Until she saw the man from the vid service walking toward her, smiling. She’d totally forgotten about that.
She smoothed down the front of her clothing, patted over her hair and waved at him as she made her way over.
“Roman! Turn on your screen,” Marcus called through the open door.
He cursed as he turned it on to see Abbie, looking so very small and fragile but not betraying the horror she’d experienced that very day.
“Yes, I made my presentation today to the AC,” she was saying to the interviewer.
The interviewer stood very close to her, annoying Roman to the end of his patience. The man smiled at her like a smitten young boy. Bah.
“How do you feel it went?”
“I’m pleased I was listened to. That’s the first big step. Many of the Houses were particularly open to what I had to say. Asking follow-up questions and the like. I do believe many Families want what’s best for the unranked in all the ’Verses.”
“Many? So some don’t?” The interviewer thought he was sly, not realizing Abbie had led him there in the first place.
“Oh, now, I didn’t say that. I am sure there are many perspectives on the issue. I hope to tell you more after their next session. Chairman Deimos Lyons informed me they’d take the MRD’s proposal up before their next official meeting.”
The interviewer tried to get her to condemn someone and Roman kept expecting her to bring up Kerrigan, but she didn’t. Hells, Roman wanted to scream it from the front steps. But she didn’t and he realized he underestimated her and her commitment to the overall goal.
“She looks pale. You’re going to her, aren’t you?” Marcus came in, bringing a pot of tea.
“I’m in meetings until very late. Her comm has been off, so I left a message.” He hoped she didn’t blame him somehow for the debacle.
In an interesting turn, two of the members who’d been wavering on whether to support Abbie’s proposal had gone to her side after Saul made such an ass of himself.
Deimos had been beside himself. Roman hadn’t shared the details of what Bentan had done to Abbie, not overly specifically so, but he’d told his son the man had assaulted Abbie when she was young. That had been enough. The relationship between his boys and their maternal grandfather had always been weak, but Roman feared this stunt of Saul’s would be the end.
And then the comms began, one after the other, as reps from the AC went back to their offices and the story began to unfold. On top of that, there’d been an actual skirmish between Federation and Imperialist troops on the Edge. It had been dealt with quickly, thank the gods, but now Roman had to deal with Wilhelm Ellis, the leader of the Federation military corps.
Roman wanted to go to Abbie, wanted to hold her and chase her fears away, but he had to be Roman, face of House Lyons, and that took precedent. He hated it, but that was reality. He knew Abbie not only understood but would expect him to do his duty. That only made him feel worse.
“Marcus,” he said on his way out to a meeting, “could you—”
“I’m heading over there with Nyna once I leave. She’s apparently still at her office. Daniel is going over there to pick her up and walk her home.”
“Good.” Daniel Haws was a dangerous man, more dangerous than his family knew, but Roman would leave it up to Daniel to share—or not share—with his family that he’d never left the corps at all. He’d protect Abbie with his life and that’s what counted just then. “Will you give her this?” He handed Marcus an envelope.
“Of course. She’ll understand why you can’t come yourself.” Roman sighed. “I know. And I expect there’ll be more attention on her, and me as it happens, for the next however long as this plays out, so keeping things very quiet would be the best thing.” But he wanted to be there for her and the inability to do so chafed at him more than it ever had before.
“All the hells are breaking loose, Roman,” Wilhelm Ellis, Comandante of the Federation military corps said without preamble as Roman entered the office.
“What the fuck now?” Roman fell into a chair and waved away a girl with a tray. He didn’t need pastries, he needed answers.
“People are agitated, Roman. The ’Verses on the frontier and edge are most vocal, but we knew that would happen, especially after the connections Nondal had to this whole nightmare with Perry Walker. Now that the trials have started, it’ll only get worse I expect. The Imperialists aren’t stupid. They’ve been poking at it, making it worse when they could. Any sign of weakness is just blood in the air for them. They’re vicious, and just because they got caught doesn’t mean they’ve stopped trying to take our ’Verses portal by portal.”
Roman sighed. “What’s this about the fighting?”
“Small skirmish. Border issue. Shots were fired but in the air. Things are tense but peaceful. For now. The unranked are unhappy. This group that’s been agitating lately, the”—he consulted his notes—“Movement for Representative Democracy? They could be a catalyst. I see they spoke before the AC today and Kerrigan brought his reprobate, rapist nephew in. To shake the Haws woman, no doubt.”
Roman had long ago ceased to ask how Wilhelm knew the things he did. He simply knew things, understanding them in sometimes terrifyingly stark ways. It was why he was Roman’s right hand. He rarely found it necessary to rein Wilhelm in, which, for someone with as much power as the Comandante had, was refreshing.
“Didn’t seem to now, did it? Saw her on the vids. Looked a bit shaken but didn’t give Saul a breath of attention. That must burn that bastard’s ass.” Wilhelm chuckled.
“I trust you’ll take care of the Bentan problem.”
Wilhelm Ellis’s eyes lit a moment and then he nodded. “I don’t like men who hurt women. And I don’t like it when those Ranked muddy the names of the rest of us. I don’t like being lumped in with people like Saul Kerrigan. It makes me terse.”
“Indeed.”
“I like her. Ms. Haws. She’s got spark as well as one good-looking pair.”
Roman narrowed his eyes and Wilhelm laughed again.
“She does, however, live in a building that’s pretty exposed. Gets good light, I expect. But her windows, bedroom and kitchen area are very visible. If someone was looking, they might see something they weren’t supposed to.”
Roman scrubbed his hands over his face.
“I’m not going to see anything, of course. I personally think rules about intermarriage with unranked are outdated, and I’m glad I’m just associated and a third son. But there are people who might use such information to harm you and yours.”
“Point taken. All right, do what needs to be done on the Edge. I want to know what’s going on with the opposition Families, especially Solaris. I’m meeting with Walker and Pela after I leave here.” He stood and Wilhelm did as well, dwarfing Roman with his nearly seven-foot frame.
“I’ve got your back. And you’ll like Brandt’s wife. She’s one of my people, too. Smart, deadly. I’d wager Ms. Haws would like Sera a lot, speaking of Ranked men breaking rules and marrying the unranked.”
Head hurting, Roman headed to the Council offices to meet with Ash Walker, who’d been sent by his father, Angelo.
Damn it all, if Wilhelm knew, it wouldn’t be unbelievable if others would soon enough. His need to be with Abbie was relentless; it clawed at his gut. Just knowing she was upset and scared made him want to run straight to her. Just days ago he’d woken up, her body against his, sleep-soft and warm. He’d slid into her and she’d opened to him. It was simple and beautiful and he loved her. There was no way he could stay away from her just yet. He’d have to be extra careful, wear the disguise, but he wasn’t giving Abbie up. Not yet.
Abbie grabbed her bag and when she turned back to leave, Daniel stood there, concern on his face.
He hugged her tight, kissing her cheek. “I heard. Damn it, I heard. I’m sorry.”
“No
t right now. I can’t.” If she spoke of it again, she’d fall apart. While she was at work she did not fall apart. She’d save it for her private moments.
He said nothing else as he took her bag and put an arm around her shoulders.
They walked, bundled against the cold, back to her place where she found Nyna and Marcus waiting for her. Nyna’s arms were full and she knew her sister had brought enough food to feed a legion but it was her way of fixing hurts. And Abbie had some hurts that needed fixing.
She understood why Roman wasn’t there. She’d checked her comm and saw his messages. His concern and anger on her behalf touched her. But she wished he was with her nonetheless.
“Hey there, you two. Don’t you have, like, snuggling and stuff to do?” She accepted a kiss from Nyna and then from Marcus as she let them all in.
Marcus handed her an envelope and she recognized the tilt of the handwriting. Roman.
“He really can’t be here right now. He wants to be. But you can’t imagine the pressure he’s under just now,” Marcus said softly to her.
She took the note and tried not to cry. All she wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep, but instead she had to entertain what turned out to be a flat full of people as Georges showed up shortly after they arrived.
“I’m going to change my clothes, I’ll be right back,” Abbie called as she headed into her bedroom and closed the door, shutting everything out.
Quickly, she took a pill and hoped her hands would stop shaking. She wanted to scream out her frustration. How dare Saul Kerrigan show up and infect her with fear again? Why wasn’t she strong enough to simply not be affected by it?
She hated her weakness. Her need of Roman and his arms around her. Of course she would have to be in love with the most inappropriate and unattainable male in the entire Known Universes!
Gods, she was actually wallowing.
She sighed as she tossed herself on the bed and tore open the envelope. Roman’s scent, masculine, sexy, forbidden, filled the room and she closed her eyes to savor it for a moment.
