If I Say No (Say Something #2)

by Brandy Jellum

  Isaac’s wife, Jane, is all business when I inform her that her husband has been found. But I’m not sure about how serious his condition is. She rattles off a series of instructions and says she’ll be right over.

  Liza helps Marco press a towel against his wound, hoping the pressure will decrease the flow of blood. He shoos me away and tells me to keep an eye on Isaac.

  I follow the instructions Isaac’s wife has given me. I check to make sure he’s still breathing on his own. His face is covered in blood, and his eyes are so swollen I’m not sure he’d be able to open them if he was fully conscious. His nose is crooked, broken. I locate a knife on Marco’s desk and carefully cut away his shirt. I count seven puncture wounds, and his torso is covered with bruises.

  Isaac’s wife arrives shortly after I start to wash away some of the dried blood with a warm towel. She’s brought along her younger sister, Marie. Jane quickly sets to work examining her husband while her sister takes a look at Marco. I’m of little help, but I hand her whatever she asks for. Liza helps the sister retrieve the bullet from Marco’s wound and stitch him up. She gives him some pain killers and it isn’t long before he’s sleeping on the couch near the fireplace. Jane and her sister work side by side as they finish tending to Isaac.

  When the guys are taken care of, I help Liza upstairs to our room and help her shower. She breaks down and sobs as I hold her under the warm water. I don’t ask her to tell me what happened. I don’t want her reliving it yet. Once Marco is feeling better, I’ll get the full story from him instead. I help Liza into bed, and just hold her close to me. The room is quiet with the exception of our breathing and there is no place I would rather be than right here with her in my arms.

  Liza sighs and presses her body against me. I kiss the top of her forehead.

  “There is no one I’d rather have a fake wedding with than you,” she says softly. It takes me by surprised. “Maybe one day, we can have a real one.”

  I replay her words over and over again in my head as we drift off to sleep. The painful reminder of the upcoming wedding not being real hits me hard, but she has given me hope. Maybe that day will come sooner rather than later.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  “REID EMERSON HARDER!” My mother shouts, following with a slap to the back of my head. I snap out of my sleepy state of mind, and sit up quickly. I glace towards Liza, who is starting to wake up as well, and then back to my mother. She has her hands on her hips, lines running along her forehead, and a hard stare direct towards me. I know this look; I’m in deep trouble. I shift my eyes towards Liza, who is now sitting up next to me. Her unruly hair juts out in every direction, and her baggy eyes with dark circles show signs of fatigue. “Don’t look to her for help. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

  “Ellen,” Liza says. Her voice is hoarse and I can tell she isn’t fully awake yet. She stretches her arms behind her and yawns. “What’s going on?”

  “You tell me,” my mother snaps. She folds her arms across her chest and narrows her eyes at me. A lump forms in my throat. “I had the lovely pleasure of meeting a terrific woman named Jane in the laundry room just a bit ago.” I force the lump to go down. Liza grabs my hand under the covers, and squeezes it tightly. “The only problem is, is she was trying to wash blood out of a pile of towels.”

  My eyes dart between my mother and Liza and my heart begins to beat rapidly against my rib cage, desperately seeking for a way out. “Look, Mom, I can explain.” I say hesitantly.

  “Well you better.” She huffs. “There’s mud and droplets of blood throughout the house. A stranger trying to clean it all up,” she says in rapid succession. My mother pauses long enough to take a quick breath. “Oh! Let’s not forget the man sitting in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of coffee, and claiming he’s an FBI agent!”

  I throw the covers off of me and climb out of the bed quickly, not caring that I’m only wearing my boxer briefs. I make my way to the closet when my mother’s voice stops me. “Don’t you walk away from me, boy.” She’s hot on my tail. “I want answers, and I wanted them yesterday.”

  I stumble a few steps, taken aback by the tone in my mother’s voice. She’s always spoken with a touch of authority whenever needed, but never have I heard it filled with so much anger and hurt. There’s no way out of this. I don’t want to hurt my mother any more than I already have by keeping all of this from her, but I have no choice except to tell her what’s been going on.

  I sigh before turning around. “Let me get dressed and then we’ll go downstairs. I’ll tell you everything.”

  She nods once and leaves the room. I enter the closet and sink down onto the large ottoman that sits in the middle of the space which Liza insisted we needed. I bury my head in my hands. I’m ready for this to all be over. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep going with this. It’s eating me alive.

  I can sense Liza’s presence before I see her. She stops a few feet away from me and I feel the weight of her eyes on my. “You can’t really be thinking about telling her, are you?” she asks.

  “What other choice do I have?” I look up to her.

  “It’s going to break her heart.” Liza’s right and I know it. I just don’t see any way around it. “Tell something else. Make something up. I don’t know…just don’t tell her the truth.”

  “Like what?” I snap. “It’s a little too late to come up with something now. She’s met Jane, seen the blood, and Agent Johnson is downstairs at the moment.”

  Liza sits down next to me and lays her head on my shoulder. My body radiates with heat where we touch. She sighs and we sit there saying nothing. I don’t know what to say or do. This is my mother we’re talking about. I can’t lie to but I don’t want to tell her the truth. If she’s angry and hurting now, she’s going to be devastated to learn how dark her eldest son has become. It’s enough to break her. She’s had enough heartache in her life and she doesn’t need any more.

  Liza gasps and shoots to her feet. “Blame me!” she exclaims.

  “Excuse me?” I have no idea where she’s going with this or what’s running through her mind.

  “Tell her it’s my fault.” She straightens her stance. “Let’s tell her that Robert is after me. It’s perfect cover. He was just released from jail and every bit as evil as the spawn he has sitting in prison.”

  “That could work,” I mutter. But that doesn’t mean it feels right. I’m adding another lie to the colossal pile I’ve already created. I know we need to tell my mother about Rhett but I don’t want to. Not until I know he is locked away and can never harm anyone again. “What about Jane and the blood?” I ask.

  “Easy.” Liza smirks. “Robert tried to attack me last night and Marco got injured in the process of protecting me.”

  “And Agent Johnson?” I raise a brow.

  “He’s trying to attest Robert on an unrelated reason,” she answers quickly. She already has it all figured out in that beautiful head of hers. Except for one little thing…

  “How do we clue him in before we go downstairs so he doesn’t slip up in front of my mother?”

  Liza shrugs her shoulders. “I figured all this out. The least you can do is figure that part out.” She smiles and winks. I laugh softly. I know that none of this is a laughing matter but everything has been hurt and anger up to this point. It’s nice to see Liza smile. I’m glad to know she hasn’t lost the spark in her. She pulls me by the hand until I stand. “Now get dressed and downstairs.” She spins me around, slaps my ass, and sends me on my way.

  As I get dressed, I can’t help but wonder what’s gotten into Liza this morning. I’m worried because now is not the time to be behaving like this. But I can’t deny the piece of happiness it brings me. It gives me hope that we’re going to get through this. Somehow and someway, after all is said and done, we’re going to be okay. We have a lot to work on individually, and with each other. We have more scars than I can count that need healing and we’re both holding secrets back. Especially me. But I h
ave to hold out and believe that everything will work itself out, and pray that she feels the same way too.

  Liza has already made her way downstairs when I head back into our room I take a moment to myself but instantly regret it. The little bit of hope and happiness I just had is gone. I still have a lot ahead of me before I can allow myself to feel like that. A little voice in my head tells me not to get my hopes up. One step at a time, and my next step is dealing with my mother.

  I make my way to the kitchen, trying to figure out how to give Agent Johnson a heads up, and realize that I can text him. I shake my head and laugh of myself. Some things are still easy in this insane situation. I pull my phone out and fire away a quick message.

  On my way down.

  My mother wants clued in with what’s going on but we’re not telling her the truth.

  Liza has a plan. Just go with the flow.

  I hit send and hope he checks his phone before I reach the kitchen. The brief walk isn’t nearly as long as I would like, and I haven’t received a response as I walk through the entrance where everyone is gathered. My chest tightens and I can’t catch my breath. A bead of sweat forms along my hairline. Everyone is sitting at the table. Agent Johnson is looking at his phone and I let a sigh of relief out. He looks up from his phone, glances to my mother, and then to me. He nods. Good, he understands. I sit down next to Liza.

  “All right, who wants to go first?” My mother cuts right to the chase.

  “I, uh, I-” I start to say before Liza cuts me off.

  “This is Agent Johnson,” she says. “And the reason he is here is because of me. Well, my biological father, really.”

  Before anyone can say a word, Liza launches into a fully detailed story, expanding on her idea she had upstairs. I’m not sure whether I am impressed with her ability to pull a lie out of thin air and deliver it as beautifully woven story or if I should be concerned. She is so convincing that for a minute, I actually believe her myself. Until I glance at Agent Johnson and his presence reminds of the real reason.

  Everyone listens intently as the story comes to an end. Silence falls around us and the air is filled with tension. I glance between everyone and hope my mother buys it. I glance back to Agent Johnson, who raises an eyebrow, and nods slightly.

  Whack!

  My mother reaches over and smacks the back of my head. I rub at the spot where her hand connected and scoot away, hoping she won’t do it again. I hear a soft chuckle and see Agent Johnson trying to restrain himself from breaking into a laughing fit. My mother raises from her chair. I flinch as she walks past me, and she wraps her arms around Liza.

  “You poor girl,” she says softly. “You’ve been through the ringer, haven’t you?”

  Liza looks over my mother’s shoulder, her eyes glossy, and full of sadness and guilt. My mother whispers something to her and I strain to hear what she is saying. I’m leaning so far over in my seat, I almost topple on top of the two, and barely manage to upright myself when my mother releases Liza. She straightens her stand and turns to me. Whack!

  I start to rub the back of my head. “Again?”

  “You’re lucky that’s all you’re getting,” my mother says coyly. “How could you keep this from me?” She rubs Liza’s arm. “A girl needs a wise woman for support and comfort. Especially when her fiancé thinks he has it all under control.”

  My mouth is dry. She has no idea how wrong she really is. I don’t have anything under control. Not even close. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wish I had it all in control. But that’s the problem with my brother; he’s unpredictable and has major control issues. He won’t allow anyone to have any or even let them think they do. Everyone wants to think we have the upper hand, the FBI included, but knowing Rhett, he’s already three steps ahead of us. He always has been.

  “We didn’t want you to worry,” Liza blurts out. The three of us shift our attention to her, and she pulls herself back into her chair. “You’re in recovery. You don’t need this mess hanging over your head.”

  My mother cups Liza’s cheeks in her hands. “Aw, honey, we’re family. We’re supposed to be in each other’s mess. And as a mother, it’s my duty to make sure my children are okay, yourself included.”

  Liza’s eyes are wet and she looks away. I know this is killing her on the inside. Her and my mother have gotten close over the months. My mother sighs and looks at me. She shakes her head in disappointment. It takes everything in me not to tell her the real story. Not the fabricated one that is eating Liza alive at the moment.

  “Well,” my mother says. “I think I’m going to lie down for a bit. If you need anything…” she says to Liza. “My door is open.” She looks to me. “You, on the other hand, can fend for yourself.”

  We watch in stone silence as she leaves the kitchen. As she disappears around the corner, a soft cry escapes from Liza, and I turn to her. A tear slides down her cheek. I reach out to wipe it, and she pushes my hand away.

  “Never again, Reid.” She says softly. “I can’t take the lies anymore.”

  I say nothing. I can’t say anything. What’s there to say? Okay, there’s a lot that to say, but not when we have an audience. Which reminds me of the man sitting across from us. I look to him. “What are you doing here anyways?” I ask.

  “We need to talk,” he answers plainly. “Alone.”

  The sound of a chair scraping across the floor startles me, and I jump. I see Liza, her lips tight, and her eyes angry. “Liza-” I start.

  “I get it, Reid,” she snaps. She wipes a tear away and tugs on the bottom of her shirt. “Really, I do.”

  She leaves before I can stop her. I feel the weight of the agent’s stare on me and I clench my fist. I’m ready for all this to be done. The sooner, the better. “Sorry about that,” he says.

  “Just get to the reason you’re here.” I cut him off before he can say anything else.

  “Right, well.” He glances at his watch and shifts in his seat. He takes a moment to clear his throat. “It’s time to get you up to speed on what’s going to go down during the wedding.”

  He shifts in his seat again. His unease creates a feeling that I’m not going to like where this is going…

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  “ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?” I slam my fist against the table, unable to comprehend the words coming out of Agent Johnson’s mouth.

  “Calm down,” he warns. He glances towards the kitchen entrance and back to me. “Unless you want anyone to overhear.” I take a deep breath and try to calm the raging storm brewing inside of me. “He’ll be in and out in less than five minutes. He’s safe with us. We’re the FBI, we’re trained, and we know what we’re doing.”

  Right. If they knew what they were doing, we wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation, and I wouldn’t want to rip his head off. It’s one thing to use mine and Liza’s wedding as an event to lure my brother out. It’s another that Lily is going to be the bait to draw him out. But he can’t be serious about using a child as bait as well. My nephew, my flesh and blood, of all things. What are they even telling him? “Hey, kid, your father is a sociopath, and we’re going to use you as bait. All you have to do is pretend you’re going to a wedding for your uncle that you didn’t know existed until now. That’s it. Just another ordinary plan.”

  Yeah, what a brilliant plan. My faith in the agents and the government is quickly dissipating. Using Ollie, putting him in danger, just doesn’t make sense. It’s an asinine plan. He’s only eight. Haven’t they thought about what that’ll do to him emotionally? I can’t wrap my head around this.

  “Listen, Reid,” Agent Johnson says. “We can’t guarantee that Rhett will make a move during the wedding. With Lily or not. We know he’ll be watching, and if he sees Ollie, we’re almost certain he will try something. It’s a simple plan really.” I don’t know who he is trying to convince, me or himself. “Lily and Ollie will enter the venue. Once they’re inside, our agents will take him out the back entrance, and take hi
m to a safe house. Lily will be taken to a private room until the ceremony starts. Then she’ll be on the balcony above watching. Rhett will make his move, and we will silently put a stop to whatever diabolical plan he has.”

  I let his words churn in my head. I glance at him and he holds my stare. His face is a blank canvas, I can’t get a read on what he might be thinking, but one thing is for sure, he is serious about the entire thing. This has gone to a whole new level. Since when did the FBI start using children as a pawn? A sinking gut feeling tells me that they probably do more than I would like to know.

  A million things run through my head. This can all go wrong. It’s so easy. Someone could get hurt. Ollie could get hurt. What the hell is wrong with them? Then another thought comes to my mind and a light bulb goes off in my head. “Have you told Lily about this plan? Because there is no way she is willin-”

  “It was her idea.” He cuts me off.

  My heart drops to the pit of my stomach. My mouth is dry and my jaw hangs open. There is no way…no way that Lily is even the slightest bit okay with this. Let alone that it was her idea. I slam the table again, slide my chair back, and it crashes against the tile. I leave the kitchen without saying a word and head straight for the front door. I hear Agent Johnson shout for me as I grab my keys off the table in the foyer and make my way to my car.

  I climb in, throw it in park, and my tires burn out. I can see Agent Johnson reach the front door as I speed down my driveway. As I pull out the gate, I catch a glimpse of Liza joining him in the rearview mirror. Ringing fills the car a second later, and Liza’s name pops up on the dash. I ignore it and keep driving. She tries to call three more times before I pull up to the gate in front of the house Lily is staying in. I slam my hand against the center of the steering wheel and a loud horn echoes from the car. Within a second the gates open, and I peel into the driveway. My car is barely in park when I open the door. I climb out quickly and run to the front door.