by Anna Widzisz
So he’d decided to ignore the true meaning of her words. It made him one of those people who were too handsome to care about being smart while his IQ probably wavered between negative and void.
“Like that would ever happen,” she mumbled, rolling her eyes at him.
She threw the few stones she was still holding on the ground, the whole walk idea had lost its appeal. She passed by the blond guy without another word and made her way up to the house.
He didn’t come after her.
Good choice.
CHAPTER 10
Lynette
She had a plan. And a really good one at that. To make her father change his mind about the wedding was no easy task. Especially when he’d agreed on it with Falcone. But Lynette was not going to give in without a fight.
Today was Monday - the day she was supposed to meet her future husband. As if it wasn’t enough that everyone thought of him as a monster. Well, maybe everyone except her dad.
Or did he?
No matter what, she was focused on making her last appeal, but in order to do that she needed to step up her game. At this point, Severo wouldn’t respond to anything but business. So, she had to talk business. The marriage was an investment in the family’s future and she had every intention to provide with the offer she had in mind.
She dressed in her best clothes which would actually be screaming businesswoman if they could. That was the first step. The key aspect was to make an impression if one was to be taken seriously. Jeans and a T-shirt wouldn’t be able to pull that off.
Breathing slowly, she put on a smile and went down the hall, to the dining room, where she hoped to see her father. He was talking to Jason and Emilio again about today’s engagement party while Rosalia was cleaning the kitchen counter.
The men turned their heads the instant they felt her eyes on them. To see her dressed like that came as a shock to all of them. That was for sure. They immediately took an interest in her, which was exactly what she’d wanted.
Suddenly, she became shy and started thinking about running away and just accepting the marriage. But as soon as those thoughts came she pushed them aside.
Not weak.
“I would like to talk to all of you,” she said, easing into the conversation.
“Figlia, we don’t have the time right now. Maybe tomorrow.”
As always, Severo was more interested in his own little world and had no desire to interact with his daughter. But Lynette wouldn’t take her leave. Not this time.
She cleared her throat. “It’s important, and I’m not going anywhere until you talk to me. It’s about our family so you would do well to listen to me.”
That took a lot out of her, to say the least. She’d been confident, assertive. Almost unbreakable. The girl was only hoping her father wouldn’t crush her for giving him orders.
They all looked at each other as if they were trying to figure out what she wanted without her actually speaking her mind out. That was never going to happen. They wouldn’t know what hit them until she got her way. And not even in their wildest dreams would they come up with the same plan as she had. That she was sure of.
“You can stare all you want, but unless you take me seriously and grant me enough time to tell you what I need to say, you will be stuck here with me.”
“Alright, Lynette. What do you need?” asked Emilio, getting approval from his Capo.
The brunette only laughed.
“We’re not going to talk in here. Can we go to your office, padre?”
Contrary to what some might think, she doesn't have a death wish, so she wouldn’t actually dare to order Severo. That’s where she needed to draw the line.
Surprisingly, the men stood up without objections and all four of them went to the office. Severo sat down in his chair while Jason and Emilio stood on both of his sides.
Lynette pushed the chair out of her way to be able to stand before her father. Them actually following her requirements was another step toward accomplishing her goal.
“Since you’re all about business, I have a proposition for you. It’s about my marriage to Noah.”
Well, that was a mistake.
She shouldn’t have started by stating what she was going to talk about. It made the men unwilling to listen to her. Annoyance shadowed both Emilio and Severo’s faces at their time being wasted on the same thing. As if they would change the arrangements they’d already made.
Jason looked at her curiously. He had never seen her as determined as she was at that very moment. Something he was able to observe, unlike her father and uncle.
“The sooner you hear me out, the sooner you can return to your work.”
“Figlia, if it’s about changing my mind regarding your marriage, then stop right there before you say too much.”
Severo wasn’t happy with the way his daughter was talking to him. She was walking the very thin line between respect and being punished for impertinence.
“You don’t even know what I want to say. Believe me that after you’ve heard my proposition, you will have a lot to talk about. It’s all about business to you, right? A game of power. So, let me have a small part in it and kill two birds with one stone.”
Their interest was captured once again.
“Alright, but this is the last time I’m going to listen to you when it comes to the wedding. After this, you won’t have anything to say. Do you understand?”
Of course, she knew this was her last chance, so she nodded in agreement.
“Just don’t interrupt me,” she said, getting Severo’s approval. “I know you’ve worked with Marco Falcone for a long time. You need to make the business agreement permanent for whatever reason. I get it. And you think this marriage is going to achieve that. But have you thought about the power Noah would gain if he were to be my husband? After all, I am your oldest and only daughter. He would have a lot of prospects to take over your position in this family. Regardless of what you think of their family, I find it hard to believe that you would appreciate them taking over, and that’s a possibility because from what I’ve heard Noah already has more support than his father. He could become the Capo of his own mafia family quickly and, as my husband, there would be nothing stopping him from snatching your place too.”
“Figlia,”
”I said not to interrupt me. If you have questions there will be time after that,” she snapped but regained her senses just as fast.
Silence fell over them again.
“There are other things which can strengthen your bonds with them, I’m sure of that. But still I would need to get married sooner rather than later, I do know that. And you, padre, want to get married so you can have an heir. But that’s still a very long way ahead. What’s more, it can actually happen that you won’t have a son, but just daughters. That’s possible, no matter what you say about genes and all that. I’m perfectly aware that I can’t take over your business and I wouldn’t even want that. But there is someone whom you could trust both with me and the family.”
They still didn’t get what she was actually aiming at. Well, the Consigliere did. He looked at her, unable to hide his shock at what she was just about to propose.
“Jason,” she added.
“Lynette, what the hell are you talking about?” Jason snapped.
He hadn’t expected her to come up with such an idea. She hadn’t told him her plan because he truly hadn’t wanted to know. And that had been his mistake.
“I can marry Jason instead of Noah.”
Lynette was nowhere near done talking.
“He’s Consigliere so it’s not like he doesn’t know his way around the business. You trust him more than any other. You work well together. That won’t change. So, for us to get married is a better idea than marrying me off to the one person who could snatch all of your power with one ‘I do’. People respect Jason almost as much as they do you, padre. You would be safe as a Capo until you decide to retire, and since I am your daughter I hold som
e of that respect as well. Everyone would continue to follow us.”
“Jason, explain,” roared Severo, probably seeing red.
What she’d just proposed was not something any of them would have ever thought of. Not in a million years.
“Severo, I have nothing to do with this. Until now, I had no idea what she was going to propose. You know I wouldn’t ever do such a thing. I am faithful to you and the Famiglia,” Jason rambled.
He stood on very uncertain ground because of Lynette. But she didn’t know that.
Lynette frowned. “Of course, he is faithful. That’s why I thought of it in the first place. What are you all getting angry over?”
Their reaction was worse than she ever suspected it would be. Emilio couldn’t take his eyes off her, as if he wanted to figure out what exactly was going through her head.
“Emilio, find Ricci and tell him to take Lynette to school today,” said Severo, dismissing both his brother-in-law and his daughter.
“Wait, what? Won’t you give me an answer? It’s a reasonable offer. Why are you acting like this?"
She still doesn't get it.
“If you know what’s good for you, figlia, you will do as I say and go to the fucking school. Now!” he yelled showing her the door.
She rolled her eyes and took her leave, unsure of what had just happened. She was certain that her plan had been good enough to at least be considered. In spite of not having any feelings towards Jason, at least no romantic feelings, she would still take him as a husband over Noah any day. And their marriage would end all of the rumors spread in the Famiglia about them. Because they would be bound by God.
“You might have just put the last nail in Jason’s coffin.”
That was all Emilio said after they left the office.
CHAPTER 11
Lynette
That morning’s conversation with her father hadn’t gone according to plan. It was all Lynette could think about, replaying the whole thing over and over again. The reaction she’d got was far from normal, and later her uncle’s words had made her uneasy. The nagging voice in her head repeated that this was the start of real problems.
Not even an empty school corridors could awaken another emotion other than worry in Lynette. At this time of day, it was far from normal. The classes were about to start in a few minutes, but it seemed as if no student had come.
She decided to go to the east wing, where she was supposed to have PE class, wondering whether she should go back home, or at least call Jason to find out if everything was alright. But he would get back to her as soon as he was able to. Someone still had to pick her up from school in the afternoon. Hopefully, it would be him.
Big metal doors opened when she forcefully pushed them, the smell of chlorine making its way inside her nostrils. It was a sharp scent. At the same time, the bell rang, reminding the students that they had five minutes left before the first lesson was to be started.
Walking by the PE teachers’ lounge, she heard voices. It relaxed her thinking that she wasn’t actually alone in school, after all. As she was about to go into the locker room, she saw through the window of the door which led to the swimming pool that the water was dyed. Someone thought they were funny and decided to play a surprise joke to the teachers.
Lynette rolled her eyes and went through the entrance to see whether the jokers were still there. Never in a million years would she have been able to guess what awaited for her inside.
There was a body in the water.
As fast as she could she ran up to the side of the pool, kneeling. Reaching out and holding the ladder so she wouldn’t fall, she grabbed the limp arm and pulled it towards her. Lynette was not strong, so it took her a few tries to get the body out. But she eventually managed to lower the victim on the floor and turn them around. A horrified scream escaped her lips.
The victim was no one else but David Rodson. The bitter taste of bile invaded her mouth at the sight in front of her, yet the girl found herself unable to look away. His lifeless eyes were wide open, his entire body blue and covered in blood. The throat had been slashed so deep, from one side to the other, that it made no sense to even check if he was still alive. No one could make it through something like that. Instant death had been inevitable.
Tears that had been building up in her eyes began rolling down her cheeks. Instinctively, she wiped them away, feeling a sticky, unfamiliar sensation. Blood, she shortly realized. Her face was smeared with blood as her palms had been covered in it after trying to save David. But it didn’t matter anymore. Her clothes were already wet and crimson at that point.
Two teachers ran in and, after them, a few students did as well. Lynette didn’t look at them carefully enough, her eyes still transfixed on the dead body. A frightened expression had been etched into David’s face forever. There was just so much horror in his eyes that she couldn’t bring herself to look away.
Someone embraced and pulled her up. She was shaking and her legs refused to move, so she was almost dragged away from the scene to the teacher’s room. An anxiety attack was about to come. She could feel it and couldn’t hold it back.
One of the teachers helped her sit down on the chair and put a blanket on her shoulders to keep her warm. But she wasn’t cold because of the soaking wet clothes she had on. It was all because of the fear, encompassing her entire being. Powerful like never before. The man said something to her, but Lynette didn’t pay attention to it. And she was left alone.
Who was stupid enough to leave her alone after what she’d just seen?
It was an instant thought she had.
But she didn’t care about being left on her own. It gave her the opportunity to gather her thoughts and come to an understanding as to what she’d just witnessed. She started to count the minutes until the first police officer would barge through the door and accuse her of committing that inhumane act towards David.
Soon afterward, she heard a knock on the door and two policemen came into the room. The same men that had questioned her about David’s disappearance. They didn’t seem slightly surprised to see her again, but there was something more glinting in their eyes this time. Satisfaction. While they hadn’t been able to connect her with Rodson’s case before, everything had changed now. She’d been the one to find the body. The first one at the crime scene. Lynette knew she was in a bad situation.
So, she decided not to talk to them. Instead, she focused on the wall, as if she hadn’t realized that she wasn’t alone anymore. Even if it was all an act, the police didn’t have to know that. To them, she needed to seem devastated and traumatized. The required, normal state for any teenager who’d just seen a body. Come to think of it, almost any human being would most likely be in the same state.
It took the policemen a long time to realize that she was not going to say anything. A small hesitation. That’s all she needed to play the not guilty card. She was innocent. She was left alone once again. But not for long. She looked up at the voice addressing her.
“It’s just me, Lyn.”
Drew Ryder was standing in front of her. Besides confusion and worry, there was fear in his eyes. Clear as day. For the first time, he was afraid of her.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in?” she asked.
She assumed that the whole wing would be closed off for students until further notice. So how had Drew been able to sneak in if he didn’t have classes there? “I can be invisible if I want to.” he answered trying to defuse the tension.
Lynette wondered who the joke was meant for. Him or her?
“Are you alright? I heard those two police officers talking. They said that you’re in some kind of shock and won’t talk. Supposedly.”
“And what would I say to them? I don’t even know myself what actually happened. It’s one, big, bloody mess.”
As soon as she spoke those words she burst out with uncontrolled laughter. It filled the room. Lynette couldn’t stop. “Bloody mess,” she repeated louder. “Do you get i
t? A bloody freaking mess.”
Drew looked like he thought that she had lost her mind. The pun was anything but funny. He knew that just as well as she did. But at that point, she needed to stick to her joke to feel better. It had all happened so fast that she couldn’t wrap her head around it. Her mind was trying to close itself off from the horrors through wild, almost crazed laughter.
The boy waited for her to stop.
And she did. But it turned just as fast into crying. Like never before. She felt gentle hands on her shoulders, checking whether she would flinch this time. She didn’t. That was his cue to step even closer and hug her tightly. Her sobs became even louder than her laughter before. All the emotions that had built up inside of her came bursting out to the surface. Finally. She was unable to hide them anymore, but she could hardly stay there, crying her eyes out for the rest of her life. Her thoughts unconsciously traveled to Drew’s presence beside her. She didn’t mind being embraced like that.
She needed to feel the closeness of another person and Drew gave her just that, without any hesitation. He might have had doubts about her involvement in the murder, but he still managed to hold her tightly as if nothing had changed between them. It made her feel safe somehow.
“Everything is going to be alright. Just hold on,” he whispered, not sure if she’d appreciate the sentiment. It could turn out to be a lie, after all. However, it seemed as if that was exactly what she’d needed to hear right then. Even if it was far from being the truth.
The sobs grew quieter as Lynette slowly got a hold of her emotions. It had been a while since the last time she’d allowed them to break loose like that.
“David Rodson is dead.” She swallowed, still wrapped in his arms. The warmth of his body calmed her down and she didn’t want to give it up yet.
“If you didn’t do it, then tell it to the police. Everything you know and saw.”
The words stung her heart. They became the incentive to push the boy away from her. She backed away, glaring at him. “If?” she spat back.
