by Carter Blake
I don’t deserve his forgiveness. I know that. But I’m going to do everything I can to make this right.
The drive to Oliver’s home is stilted and silent. All of us are lost in our own thoughts, and none of us knows how to express the fear that we’re feeling inside. I am hoping against all hope that my Dad is there with the documents. If not, I don’t know what I’m going to do.
I still haven’t really worked out how I feel about my Dad at the moment. I don’t really know how to begin processing everything that’s happened, so I’m pushing it to the back of my mind, I think that might be something to deal with when the storm is all over, and I’m starting again. I’m barely holding it together as it is, without adding any pressure to that.
I glance at Wesley out of the corner of my eye, just wanting to see how he might be feeling about me at the moment, but from the hard set of his jaw, and the narrow look in his eyes, he isn’t thinking about anything other than Oliver. Maybe it’ll be best for him to never think of me again.
It makes me feel so awful, because I’m sure I’m the first person that he’s ever truly opened up to, and I tore him apart in a stupid moment of making the wrong choice.
Deep down I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do, I could feel that it was wrong, but I continued along the same path anyway because I’d held the delusion that it was my destiny for far too long. Now, any thoughts of fate and destiny, just make me feel sick. They made feel stupid, like I was blaming something else for my own foolishness.
“Here we are,” he eventually announced, shaking me from my thoughts. “Let’s do this.”
Then he totally stuns me by pulling a gun out from his glove compartment, sending my heart racing like crazy. I thought this was going to be a confronting thing, not a murder thing.
Even if Oliver is an asshole, I’m not sure that he deserves to die, and I definitely don’t want to be a part of it.
We’ll all be locked up in jail for sure, for being part of a conspiracy.
Shit, how can I get out of this? How can I say that I don’t want a part of this without looking like I’m betraying him all over again?
“Don’t worry,” he reassures me, obviously reading the emotions that are written all over my face. “It isn’t loaded or anything, it’s just for scare tactics.”
“Oh okay,” I whisper shakily. “That’s probably a good idea.”
Amber positions herself in front of Oliver’s door, while me and Wesley hide around the corner. We’re both panting heavily, our bodies pressed up close, and it takes all that I have within me not to act on the feelings that are currently coursing through my body. I know what we’re here for is important, but how the hell am I supposed to concentrate on the mission when the man that I adore is so near to me, yet so unattainable?
“Hello there, Amber,” we hear Oliver’s smarmy voice ringing out.
With the creaky swing of the door, Wesley jumps into action, so I follow his lead because I don’t know what else to do.
Oliver’s eyes widen in shock, particularly at the image of me back on the other side, but when his gaze falls on the gun between Wesley’s fingers, an odd sense of acceptance seems to cross his expression.
“What do you lot want?” His hands are up, and his eyes dart to the door, then back to the gun.
I wonder if he’s trying to think of an escape route. Hopefully, there isn’t any other way out apart from this one. Maybe we didn’t think this through well enough after all.
“We want to come inside,” Wesley replies sternly.
Oliver steps aside.
We all file into Oliver’s small front room.
“Is Michael here?” Wesley asks, still pointing his gun at Oliver.
“Who?”
Wesley barks, “Don’t play games.”
“No.” Oliver shakes his head. “I do-don’t know where he is.”
I can see the lie in his face.
“What is it you want?” Oliver repeats, his voice shaky with fear.
“You already know. There’s no point in trying to deny anything. So what I need from you now is to tell me exactly what the plan is. We already know what Michael told Naomi is a lie, so why don’t you just tell us what’s going on? Whatever reason Michael has given you to get you on board with this isn’t exactly the truth. He might have started the concept for this formula, but he left the business, signing everything over to my Dad in the process.”
“He was forced out,” Oliver growls fiercely.
“Because he wanted to go against company morals, because he wanted to sell the drugs for far too much.”
“No, it was because of your mother.” Every lie and half truth that I’ve been told, spills past Oliver’s lips too, proving that he’s been just as conned as me.
“That was a separate issue entirely. The formula that Michael started has been worked on by Future employees for a very long time now. What we’ve created is mostly ours, and now he doesn’t even want it for himself…a notion I might actually understand, he wants it to sell.”
Wesley stares at Oliver for a very long time, whose expression falters more than once.
“So, why don’t you do the right thing and tell me what’s going on here. I know you’ve been motivated by money, which isn’t a game that I intend to get involved in. I just want you to do what’s right.”
Oliver looks like he isn’t sure what to do, but his eyes are constantly drawn back to the gun. Wesley definitely did the right thing with that one, it’s working really well.
“Okay look,” he eventually starts. “I don’t want any trouble, so I’m just going to tell you what I know.”
My heart beats faster, I begin twirling my hands around in knots, fear circulates my veins. This has to be the truth this time, I won’t be able to stand it if it isn’t.
“Michael is going to meet with the Russian pharmaceuticals manufacturer, Tsitnikov Manufacturers, at midnight. They must be the ones that he has a deal with.”
“So, how do we stop him?” I interrupt, staring intently at Oliver.
He makes eye contact with me, as if he’s trying to work out what my motives are, so I shake my head to ensure him that I’m not being threatened too.
“You know as well as I do that what he’s doing is wrong. This isn’t just some revenge thing, this is a pill that could save lives. He needs to be told, he needs to pull his head out of his ass, he needs to be made to understand. If we let him do this, it could change things forever. Even money can’t be a motivator enough for you to think that’s okay.”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs helplessly. “If you didn’t stop him, if his own daughter isn’t motivation, then I can’t see anything that will be.”
We sit in silence for a few moments, just trying to work out where we need to go next, when a face fills my mind. This isn’t all about money, and revenge, and it never has been. There’s another element to this, something that we’ve all been missing, when really it could be the key to absolutely everything.
“I might not be able to stop him. But I think there’s someone that can. It might be a risky strategy, one that could go either way, but right now it’s the only shot that we have.”
“Who?” Wesley asks me anxiously, moving closer to the edge of his seat. “Time is against us, so I’m really willing to do anything at this point.”
I face him with a pounding heart, hoping that he isn’t about to hate me for what I’m about to say. It will take this problem back to its origins, which really could go in the best way possible, or the worst, but it has to be worth a shot. I just hope that everyone else agrees.
“Madeline,” I eventually whisper. “Your Mom. If anyone can get through to him, it has to be her. If he really loved her, maybe he still does.”
Wesley goes pale. “No. I’m not getting her involved. ”
“Then what? It’ll be a PR nightmare if the media finds out those documents were stolen. Even if they are returned, your investors will lose faith in security.”
&nb
sp; “Shit.” He drags his fingers through his hair, then nods. “I’ll ask her.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, and exhale through my nose, praying that she’ll agree. I may hate my father in this moment, but I still don’t want him to go to jail, and that’s exactly where both of us will go if I don’t get those documents back.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Wesley
“You’re on your way?” I hear Naomi ask Amber anxiously. “Yep, okay we’ll see you there.”
We’ve decided to confront Michael just before he heads into his meeting with the Russians. To do our best to stop him before he goes through with his plan. If he doesn’t, then I’m going to have no other choice to call the police.
There are so many things that could go wrong which makes me extremely nervous, but we just don’t have time to come up with something better.
Michael could have lied to Oliver too. If he’s capable of lying to his own daughter he could do it to just about anyone. Or the meeting could have already happened. Or seeing my Mom could simply anger him further. There aren’t any guarantees. I really prefer certainty. But what else can I do?
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” Naomi replies in a shaky tone of voice. She’s really worked up about this, and I know that it’s because she blames herself, but to be honest I’m beyond all of that now.
She made a mistake. A huge fucking mistake. But she’s trying to redeem herself. That’s something.
I just want this done.
All I care about is getting the formula and my other research notes back.
Once I’ve done that, I can start worrying about everything else. About what I’m going to do about her.
We’ve been sitting in the car, outside the Russian offices, waiting for Michael to arrive, but the more the clock ticks, the closer to midnight we get, the more possible issues I think of. The tension, the anticipation is killing me, I just need to get this started, now.
“Wait,” I hiss quickly. Spotting some headlights. “Is that his car?”
Naomi sits up straighter, following my eye line, and I watch her face change totally, telling me that it’s time.
“He’s here,” she hisses quietly.
I gulp everything down, trying to ignore my pounding heart.
“Michael,” I yell out angrily. “It’s time for this to be over. Give me the documents.”
“Ah, wow, I am impressed,” he sneers, looking between Naomi and me. “Then again, it should be easy to find out my plans when you’re fucking my daughter.”
I hear Naomi’s sharp intake of breath.
“You lied to your daughter,” I react, my temper flaring at his words.
“I lied to her because I knew that she couldn’t be trusted, and guess what? It looks like I was right. Turning her back on her father, the only family that she has left, the man who raised her, who gave her everything. All I wanted was this one thing from her, and she couldn’t even do that right.”
“Stop,” There’s unrestrained emotion in Naomi’s voice, but mostly anger. “What the hell is wrong with you? I’m not betraying you. I’m trying to do what’s right.”
“The formula is mine.”
“Was yours,” I say harshly. “You may have started it, but my Dad, my company, I have progressed with the research to turn the drug into what it is today, and I will not have it falling in your hands. All you’ll do is sell it for a massive profit, and so will the Russians. The only people who will lose out in this scenario is the people suffering with cancer, the people we could help.”
I don’t know if reasoning with him will work, but I have to give it a try.
“No, they aren’t the only people who will suffer,” he growls. “You will too. You’ll lose your company, your reputation, your father’s legacy…everything that was handed to you on a plate.”
“Handed to me?” I exclaim, wondering if this has been a part of his problem all along. “My Dad didn’t tell any of us that he was going to pass, not until right at the very end. None of us were prepared for it, least of all me. I’d been working at Future for a while, trying to learn the ropes, but I never took it too seriously. I was always more interested in messing about with… with women and drink. Then I inherited a whole damn business, a whole load of people relying only on me. I had no experience, no idea what to do, but I took to the challenge, and I’ve worked my ass off ever since. Things weren’t just handed to me. I have grafted every fucking day.”
He doesn’t answer, he simply moves closer to me, with a look of pure hatred on his face. I get the impression that he’s just about ready for a fight, which is totally unexpected to me. My heart thunders louder as I shove my sleeves up my arm. I’m not much of a fighter, and this certainly isn’t something that I thought I would have to do, but I can’t just stand here and take it either.
“Dad, no, stop it,” Naomi screams.
But he doesn’t listen, he just keeps on coming. That is until the screeching of a car engine grabs his attention.
“What the fuck is this?” he yells furiously. “Have you actually brought back up with you? Are you that much of a pussy?”
“I could have called the police, but I didn’t.”
“Then who–” His eyes widen as he watches my mother get out of the car.
Everything about Michael instantly changes – his facial expression, his body language, everything.
He’s still in love with her, and he probably always has been. Maybe this has been as much about that as everything else. If that’s the case, then maybe we can still work this out without calling the authorities.
“Michael,” Mom’s expression is warm and inviting, and she moves closer to Michael without any fear. In fact, she’s acting as if she’s greeting an old friend, and as if the rest of it is all not happening. I’m amazed by her, and praying that it won’t get her hurt. Mom is the only family I have left and I will absolutely lose it if something happens to her tonight. “It’s been far too long.”
Her arms are outstretched, but he won’t move into them. He’s simply staring at her as if he’s seen a ghost.
“The last time I saw you was when you forced me out of the business.” His voice is filled with pain and betrayal.
“Now you know that isn’t true,” she tells him, reaching out and rubbing his cheek gently. “I saw you a little while after, by which time you had a baby on the way.”
I can see him breaking, just a little bit.
“I’ve missed you,” she says, a small smile curving her lips. “We were always friends. More than that at one time.”
“I…I always loved you,” he tells her sincerely.
“I know,” she says sadly. “And I loved you.”
What the hell?
“You don’t want to do this. By hurting my son, you’re hurting me.”
“It killed me to see you with John.” His jaw clenches and he looks away briefly, then back at her. “I guess that’s why I always needed revenge. I know that’s wrong, and I know it was even worse to drag my only daughter into it, but in a way I suppose I wanted to punish her too.”
I glance over to Naomi, to see her frozen like a statue, as if she has no idea what to do.
“I loved Jenny too. I mean, not at first, but by the time Naomi was born I did…then she was taken from me too. I felt like I was cursed, that I made everyone around me leave, and I…I…I didn’t have anything else but what I’d worked so hard towards.”
There are tears falling down his face now. With just a few words, my Mom has completely shattered him. She must be some kind of genius or something, I don’t even know what to think about it all.
“I’m so sorry, Michael.” Her hand rests on his arm.
“I work a crappy job for hardly any pay, and I keep thinking about how things could have been, had I not been so pig headed.” He sighs, and I can see him finally letting some of the truth free. “Of course that was my fault, I understand why you did it now, but that doesn’t help me to recover everyth
ing that I’ve lost, and the life that I’ve wasted.”
“This isn’t the way to get that back,” Mom tells him kindly. “This will just end up being another error to add to your list. You will regret this, just as you regret everything else.”
I hold my breath at this moment, wondering which way it’s going to turn, before I see Michael slowly nodding, effectively solving everything. As he goes back to his car, and he grabs the paper work, I feel everything inside of me clench. This is it, sink or swim, the moment the future of my company and my father’s legacy is decided.
“Here,” he says weakly, handing it to me. “Take it. It’s yours.”
I don’t know what to say, but luckily I don’t have to say anything because he turns to face Naomi.
“Naomi–”
“Don’t,” she holds up her hands to stop him, then turns on her heels and practically runs to my car.
“Please don’t blame Naomi for my mistake. She thought she was doing the right thing.”
I give a small nod.
Michael gives my Mom a small smile. “I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you, Michael. For everything.” She lets out a small, shaky breath, then leans over and does something unexpected – she kisses his cheek.
“Take care of yourself, Madeline.”
We both watch silently as he walks towards his car, then takes off.
“You should go talk to that girl of yours,” My Mom says, squeezing my hand. “Looks like Michael isn’t the only one who needs some forgiveness.”
I walk towards my car where Naomi sits, tears streaming down her face, even though her expression is stoic, her gaze clouded over.
“Are you okay?” I ask her quickly as I start up the engine.
“I think so,” she sighs. “Let’s just get this paperwork back to your office. Lock it up where it belongs.”
“And then?” I ask, because I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do. I still want her, so fucking much it hurts.
“I don’t know…” She glances out the window.
The thought of not having her in my life is devastating.
