Afterglow

surrender

"Lachlan, would you care to explain why you've brought my soon-to-be ex business partner's daughter into our home?"

"Soon to be?  You're cutting ties with her dad's company?"

Lachlan's father's study was as close to an evil lair as one could get.  The dark green walls that reminded me of a mossy forest floor brought a dim ambiance to the space, the dark oak desk and furniture adding to the color scheme, and the wall to wall bookshelves that lined one wall completed the look. 

"When that company is trying to find a way out, I have no need for them any longer.  I'm sure she knows now my little task I asked of you.  Do you want a reminder of what happens when you disobey me?"

I wasn't shaking yet, but I could tell that Lachlan was close.  This man didn't use threats against you in question, but the people that you cared most about.  In this case, it was Blythe for Lachlan, because he knew that his father wasn't talking about hitting him, but his little sister, if he didn't obey him. 

"And what happened to her face?  Really son?  I forbid this relationship, I know you two were together at the gala and afterwards at the house."

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head.  He might have been able to threaten Lachlan, but he couldn't threaten me. 

"Excuse you, but I don't really think that's any of your business.  We are both about to be eighteen and then you won't have any hold on Lachlan, not like you have any on me anyway."

Sitting down at his desk, Gerard Brooks leaned back in his desk chair with his feet up on his cherry oak desk, the finish shining underneath the lone fluorescent light fixture hanging in the middle of the ceiling.  

"That's very sweet that you wish to protect your little boyfriend Katrina, however I don't think your input was necessary here.  You can just stand there and look pretty, er- well, with that nasty mess going on with your head, I suppose I can say just stand there."

I laughed humorlessly. 

"You might have to work a little harder to insult me there, Gerard."

"Kat," Lachlan warned but I ignored him.

Gerard grew somber, the arms that he'd placed in faux leisure behind his head falling as he leaned forward.

I was goading him, trying to get his temper up enough to admit something that would incriminate him, something that would actually work, because I was so sick and tired of all of us living in fear and this pseudo space of reality where we were all walking on eggshells and what if's, never truly free.  At least my phone was recording the audio in my back pocket.

"What do you want, Katrina?"

"In this very moment?  I want you to step down as the CEO of your company and name your wife as your successor.  Then I want you to turn yourself in to the cops for child abuse and money laundering, among other things, but we can't always get what we want, do we?"

An easy smile landed on his lips and I was very clearly rattled.

"You have no proof."

"What about the scar on Lachlan's thigh, Blythe's words against yours?  Hell, I'd even bet Brandon and your wife would testify against you at this point."

Calm and collected, he folded his hands in on themselves while observing me like I were nothing more than a pesky fly that he had to swat away. 

"You want to know what I think?"

"Not particularly, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway."

"That mouth will get you in trouble one day, Miss Randolph.  You're walking a dangerous tightrope right now, and I think that, hypothetically speaking of course, if I threatened my son's life right now, that you would walk away from him forever, if it was what I wanted.  I think that you'll do anything I say, just to make sure that he doesn't get hurt."