Page 54

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Sinclair shoves his way through the door before Garret can shut it. My pulse skyrockets at the sight of him. He’s supposed to be in Des Moines! What the hell is he doing here?

“Mr. Sinclair, I’m sorry but my father’s not home right now.” Garret is playing it cool. Acting as if we know nothing. “I’ll tell him you stopped by.”

“I’m not here to see your father, Garret.” Sinclair smiles at me. “I’m here to see my daughter.”

My heart is now beating so hard I swear I can hear it, but I try to appear calm.

“Your daughter? I don’t know what you’re talking about. My father is dead.” The words come out of my mouth, but I’m not sure how. And I have no idea where the dead father lie came from.

Sinclair steps closer to me. “You know who I am, Jade. Don’t play games with me.”

Garret gets in his face. “You need to leave. Now.” Garret’s at least 5 inches taller than him and is way stronger, but Sinclair doesn’t seem to care. He stands there unnerved.

“I’m just trying to have a talk with my daughter.” He gets a smug look on his face. “I see you have a new car out front, Garret. Something happen to your old one?”

Garret grabs the collar of Sinclair’s long, gray coat and yanks him closer. “So you admit you fucked with my car? You almost killed us! Is that what you wanted? To kill your own daughter?”

“Take your hands off me,” Sinclair says calmly.

“Only if you get the fuck out of here.”

Sinclair reaches in the pocket of his coat and pulls out a gun, placing it against Garret’s chest. Garret immediately releases his hold on Sinclair and backs away.

I stare at the gun. I’ve never seen a gun in real life and now the first time I see one it’s pointed right at me. Ready to kill me. Ready to kill Garret.

“What are you doing, Royce?” Garret slowly moves in front of me, blocking me from Sinclair.

“I’m just taking care of some things that the people I hired couldn’t seem to handle.”

“So you’re going to kill us?” I go around Garret to face Sinclair.

Garret grabs my shirt, pulling me back. “Jade, stop it! Get behind me.”

I struggle with Garret, trying to remain in front of him. My fear fades for a moment as pure rage builds inside me as I look at Sinclair. I don’t even know him but I hate him. I hate that smug look on his face. I hate that he wants to hurt everyone I care about. I hate what he did to my mom.

“This is the way you deal with shit you can’t handle? DAD?” I say it forcefully with a touch of sarcasm. “I can’t deal with shit either. I guess I got that from you. But unlike you, I don’t kill people I can’t deal with.”

He gives me this weird, sadistic grin. “You’re just like your mother. You just can’t shut up and do as you’re told. She had that same independent, stubborn attitude. And that’s why we’re here today. She didn’t get rid of you like I told her to.”

Garret manages to get a firm grip on me and presses me tightly against him.

“Then why didn’t you just kill me yourself years ago?”

“Jade, I never wanted to have to do this. I’m a father. I have four other daughters. You and Sadie are nearly the same age. Once you were born, I had no desire to harm you. But then some very important people asked me to run for president. Do you understand what an honor that is? And the powers that come with that?”

My fear returns as he moves closer and I focus on the gun in his hand. “Yes. And I promise you, I won’t say anything. Not now. Not ever.” My voice is desperate. Pleading. “I don’t care that you’re my father. I don’t need your money or anything else. Just leave me alone. I swear to you I’ll never say a word.”

“You don’t get it, Jade. When you run for the presidency, you can’t take chances. You can’t risk something getting out. I left you alone all these years because I honestly didn’t think you’d be a problem. Nobody knew about you. Then you got that letter and I knew you’d start asking questions. You’re just like your mother that way. And when Sadie met you a few weeks ago, she commented how you two looked alike. She continues to mention it. If she’s noticed, then eventually others will, too.”

“I’ll hide out! I’ll move far away! Nobody will ever know!”

“Enough of this. Get in the study. Both of you.”

He waves the gun at us, forcing us into the small room that’s just off the foyer.

“You’ll never get away with this,” I tell him even though I know it’s not true. He’s rich and powerful. He probably will get away with it. “The police will do an investigation. They’ll know you did this.”

“The police won’t even have to investigate this, Jade. It’ll be obvious what happened here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Down at the police station there’s already a report on file that clearly states that you were cheating on Garret with a young man named Blake Edwards. And that Garret was arrested for nearly beating the boy to death. When the police see what’s happened here, they’ll assume Garret was still distraught over your infidelity and his jealous rage led him to shoot you and then himself.”

“But that’s not true. I wasn’t cheating. And Blake dropped the charges. He—” I stop because it’s no use arguing with Sinclair. It won’t change what’s about to happen here. It’s obvious the man is completely deranged. He’s about to kill his own daughter and he almost seems happy about it.

“You’ll get caught, Royce,” Garret says. “You’ll never make it off the property. We have security guys right outside. How did you even get in here? Unless you . . .” He looks at me and we both realize that Sinclair’s already killed both of them.

“You’re finally catching on that I’m not kidding around. Now get over there.” Sinclair motions Garret toward the middle of the room. He orders me to stand a few feet away.

I can no longer think. My mind is convinced that none of this is real. It’s just a movie scene playing out and I somehow got the lead role. I wake from my fake world when I hear Garret talking again.

“Royce. Don’t do this. I’m begging you. I’ll take her far away. We’ll move overseas. You’ll never see or hear from us ever again.”

Garret looks at me with sheer desperation. I can tell he’s searching his mind for a way to save us both, but there’s nothing we can do. We’re trapped in that room with the gun on us.

We both look back at Sinclair. He holds the gun up, aiming it directly at me.

Garret dodges in front of me as the shot goes off. He knocks me to the ground as another shot fires.

It’s so loud. So very, very loud.

Then, for a brief moment, it’s quiet.

Garret is on top of me. I lift my head to see Sinclair face down on the floor. Then I hear footsteps running into the room. It’s Mr. Kensington, holding a gun in his hand.

“Garret! Jade! Are you okay?” He sets the gun down on the bookshelf and kneels down next to us.

“Yes,” I manage to answer. “Garret, get off me.” He doesn’t move. “Garret.” I push on his shoulder and see blood pouring from his shirt. It’s running all over me.

“No!” I scream. “Help him!”

Mr. Kensington carefully pulls his son off me, laying him on his back.

I quickly sit up. “Do something! Call the ambulance!”

His dad rips open Garret’s shirt. Blood is pouring out from the upper part of his chest just below his shoulder.

“Do something! Please! Hurry!” My whole body is shaking, my heart racing so fast I can only take shallow breaths.

Mr. Kensington looks at me. He’s very calm. How can he be so fucking calm?

“Jade, I need you to pull yourself together so you can help me. Garret’s losing a lot of blood. I need you to hold your hand here and apply pressure.” He takes my hand and places it over the spot where the bullet went in. “I’m going in the other room to call for help.” He gets up and walks out.

I do as Mr. Kensington says, pressing against the upper part of Garret’s chest. Blood covers my hands, pooling between my fingers. There’s so much blood. Too much blood. And I can’t make it stop.

“It’s gonna be okay.” I say it even though Garret can’t hear me. Because he always says it to me and now that he can’t, I’m saying it for both of us.

I press even harder against his chest but the blood just won’t stop. Why won’t it stop?

“You said you’d stay with me forever if I wanted you to, Garret.” I keep talking to his unresponsive face, tears streaming down my face. “So you better not leave me. Because I want that. You and me. And whatever this is we have together. I want it forever. I want it so bad.”

Mr. Kensington races back in holding a towel. I move away as he kneels by his son again, pressing the towel against Garret’s chest.

“They’ll be here any minute.” He looks at me intently. “Listen to me, Jade. Listen to me very closely. What happened to Garret was an accident. He was cleaning his gun and didn’t realize there was a bullet left in it. That’s what happened here. Do you understand?”

“Um, no. Why wouldn’t you tell the police the real story?”

“The police aren’t coming. I’m telling you this in case you’re ever asked about this incident. The story I just told you is the only story you know. Now do you understand?”

I nod, quietly shaking as tears continue down my face.

“The people coming to take Garret are not paramedics. And he’s not going in an ambulance. A van will arrive instead. It’s a mobile medical unit and it has a team of physicians. They’ll take care of him. He’ll be okay.”

“How do you know?” I look down at Garret. Blood continues to pour from his chest, soaking the towel.

“I just know.”

For some reason I believe him. Maybe because I refuse to believe anything else.

I lean down near Garret’s face. “Your dad said you’ll be okay.” I brush my shaky hand across his forehead and kiss his cheek.

Mr. Kensington is watching me. “You really love my son, don’t you?”

I keep my eyes on Garret. “More than I can even describe.”

“He feels the same way about you.” I slowly look up at Mr. Kensington and when our gazes meet, he holds it like he’s trying to tell me something. Like he’s letting me know that he won’t get in the way anymore. That Garret and I can be together.

We hear people coming through the front door. Soon four men enter the study with a stretcher. They lift Garret onto it and take him away. Garret’s dad talks to one of the men as they leave but I can’t hear what he’s saying.

Then a different set of men come in. They’re covered head to toe in odd-looking suits, almost like hazard suits. They pick up Sinclair’s body and take it away.

I remain on the floor, my clothes spattered with blood and my hands covered in it.

A few minutes later, Mr. Kensington walks in again carrying a garbage bag. “Jade, you need to get up now.” He helps me up off the floor. “I need you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say. Royce Sinclair was never here. You have no connection with him. He’s not your father. You know nothing about him. Am I clear?”

I nod.

“Over the next few days and weeks, you’ll hear what happened to Mr. Sinclair. You’ll hear it on all the news channels and the radio. You’ll read it in the papers. The story you hear or read about is the only one that happened. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I understand.” I feel like I’m being brainwashed, which in a way I kind of am.

“This is over now. You and Garret are safe. Frank and Ryan are also safe and they will remain safe.”

“What are you saying? Was Sinclair planning to do something to Frank and Ryan? How do you know that? Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

“Never ask questions, Jade. That’s the number one rule.” He waits for me to nod that I understand. Once I do, he continues. “I don’t want you calling Frank or Ryan until tomorrow. You need to calm down and get your head clear before you talk to anyone. Now take this and go clean up.” He hands me the garbage bag. “Put all of your clothes in there and leave it outside your room when you’re done.”

As he says it, a group of people dressed in white uniforms enter the study armed with spray bottles, towels, and brushes. A man rolls in a machine that looks like a carpet steamer. None of them speak. They just get to work.

Mr. Kensington walks me out of the room and to the staircase. As I’m going up the stairs, I hear his voice behind me, “Welcome to the family, Jade.”

I pause briefly as he says it, then hurry up the rest of the stairs. I’m not sure what that means, but the way he said it makes me shudder. It’s like there’s no going back now. I’m part of whatever this is and I can’t get out.

I go in my room and stuff my blood-stained clothes in the bag, setting the bag outside my door as instructed. Then I take a long, hot shower and get dressed.

When I go back downstairs, it’s like nothing ever happened. Everything is clean and spotless, including the study. Garret’s dad is in his home office working on his computer as if everything is back to normal. When I go in the kitchen, Charles is back making homemade bread.

“Hi, Jade. Are you hungry?”

I stare at him, trying to figure out if he’s in on this cover-up scheme or if he has no clue what went on while he was at the store.

“I hear Garret had to take off for a few days. Is that why you look so lost?” He smiles at me. “You two can’t even go a day without seeing each other. Must be love.”

“Must be,” I mumble.

I go and sit in the sunroom where just a few hours ago Garret and I were making out and talking about Christmas. I seriously consider the possibility that I’ve entered a different dimension. An alternate universe. This is so strange that there’s no other way to explain it.

I spend the rest of the day and night in my room, only going downstairs to get something to drink. At 10, I try to sleep, just wanting this day to be over. But I can’t sleep. My mind keeps reliving the scene in the study. It still doesn’t seem real. If Garret’s dad hadn’t gotten home when he did, I’d be dead. And Garret would be dead.

I’m so worried about Garret. There was so much blood. What if his dad was wrong? What if Garret isn’t okay?

Just last night we were here together in my bed. And now I don’t know where he is or how he’s doing. I need to know. I need to be with him.

* * *

“Jade? Are you up?” It’s Mr. Kensington. He knocks a couple times on the door.

“Um, no. I’m still in bed.” I squint at the bright light pouring through the window.

“Get dressed and come see me downstairs.”

As I hear him walk away, I glance at the clock. It’s 10 in the morning. I don’t even remember falling asleep.

After I’m dressed I go downstairs and find Mr. Kensington in his office. There’s a flat screen TV mounted on the wall across from his desk. It’s turned on but the sound is muted.

“Good morning, Jade. Have a seat.”

I keep my eyes on the TV as I read the words scrolling at the bottom of the screen. “brEAKING NEWS: Royce Sinclair found dead in his estate in Roanoke, Virginia. Police ruling it an apparent suicide.”

“Jade.” Mr. Kensington tries to get my attention again. “Take a seat.”

I turn to face him and see that he’s pointing at the chair across from his desk. I sit down where he tells me to.

“How did that happen?” I say it slowly as I try to wrap my mind around what I just read.

“How did what happen?” He gives me a look, reminding me of our conversation. Rule number one: Never ask questions.

I glance back at the TV again and see footage of some men carrying out a body bag. They’re coming out of a mansion that has big pillars in front.

“It’s a shame about Royce Sinclair, isn’t it? And here I just hosted that fundraiser for him. Apparently he couldn’t take the pressure of the campaign. Of course, that’s just what was reported. He could’ve had other reasons for taking his own life. I guess we’ll never know. It’s too bad for his family though, especially now at the holidays.”

My jaw nearly drops to the floor as he talks. The way he says it makes me think that he seriously believes the suicide story. It’s like he’s wiped his brain of any memory of what happened in his study. The room that’s just feet from where we’re now sitting.

How did the body get to Virginia? Or maybe it didn’t. Maybe that whole footage on TV was staged. Who knows what was really in that body bag?

But if it’s all staged, how did Mr. Kensington get the media to go along with it? Every channel? Every reporter? Nobody looks into this to see if it’s really true? Nobody thinks it’s strange that a man running for president would kill himself? And what happened to the body? Where did they take it?