She nods, picking the clipboard back up and jotting her notes.
I’m crazy, I know this. I know I should be locked away in a loony bin somewhere. Hell, it might be safer for everyone at this point.
“And what about now?”
“I don’t want to take my life. For however short lived it is, I want to live the rest of my life in peace.” Unlikely.
“Good. Well then, let’s get started, shall we?”
6
ARIA
9 weeks pregnant…
On Friday, Momma forces my hand. She calls a family dinner, one where the entire family is invited. And when I say entire, I mean Jo is coming over too. If JJ weren’t in North Carolina, he’d be here too.
Jo has been Momma’s best friend since they were kids, and ironically, she was my first taste of domestic violence. She’s the reason I should’ve seen the signs in Charlie way before he started beating me.
And now, I’ll have to confess my sins in front of her, disappointing my second mother.
“Hey, you have a minute?” Agent Olson’s voice suddenly fills the room.
I glance at Agent O through the full length mirror.
“Sure.”
He takes my invitation and sits at the foot of Annie’s bed.
“How are you feeling?”
I haven’t told him yet.
And I don’t plan on telling him until somebody forces my hand.
“Okay, I guess. I won’t be running any marathons any time soon.”
A smirk tugs at his hard lips.
“Is the house to your liking?” I ask.
He shrugs. “It’s a mansion compared to what I’m used to.”
I arch an eyebrow for further explanation.
“I’ve spent a lot of time overseas.”
“I didn’t think your time in the FBI brought you overseas. You never mentioned it.”
“It didn’t. But the Marine Corps did.”
Ah. I should’ve sensed that earlier. I suppose he has the build, the weird sense of humor when he’s trying to lighten the mood. Just like JJ.
Clearing his throat, he folds his hands on his knees and meets my eyes through the mirror. “A team was dispatched to the coordinates you provided, the West Chicago Prairie Forest Preserve. Every inch of those woods were scoured and there were no bodies found.”
My stomach churns.
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
“The soil is being tested to see if there’s any evidence of decomposition, but my team isn’t optimistic. Do you think he would move the bodies anywhere else?”
I’m sure they did. They own properties out the wazoo. There are a ton of places those bodies could’ve been moved to. But I don’t necessarily see Charlie going through all that trouble—especially when he thought he was above the law.
I know the truth of all of their skeletons. But their empire won’t truly be dismantled until both Dodges are dead.
“Has he tried to make contact?” I ask warily, though I think I already know the answer.
Agent O knits his eyebrows, pondering if he wants to tell me the truth or not. “Yes. He’s called a few times.”
I drop his gaze in the mirror and cross the room, lowering myself onto Annie’s desk chair.
“How many is a few?”
He shrugs.
“Let’s say he was worried about you in the beginning, but then changed his tune when he put two and two together.”
I can’t picture Charlie caring to check on me, or ever worrying about me. It’s not in his nature. He’s a cold, unfeeling…monster.
“The more he calls, the more fodder for the case. It shows he’s trying to silence you.”
He’ll silence me, all right.
“Even though we’ve got him, I still want you to be vigilant. Study your surroundings. If something doesn’t seem right, call me.”
He’s always my first call. When Agent O slipped me the burner phone that first encounter at the grocery store, he was my only connection to the outside world. I’d met tons of corrupt intelligence agents before because of Charlie. Late night visits, cash being handed under the table, but when it comes to Agent O, something in my gut screams at me to trust him.
If I’ve learned anything throughout this whole ordeal, it’s to trust my gut.
“You look nice. Are you going somewhere?” he asks.
I wear a loose dress, and I’m aware of the scarring on my arms. I just hope my family doesn’t see it.
“Thank you, and no, not really. Just to my parents’ house for dinner.” To drop the biggest bomb in my arsenal. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
Amusement plays in his green eyes.
“You can ask, but I might not answer.”
Worth a shot.
“Are you…what are you leaving behind for all of this?”
His face falls.
“I had a girlfriend, but once the case started gaining some traction, I broke it off with her.” He offers a kind smile, but his eyes aren’t smiling back. I know pain. And he’s in a world of it. “I don’t want you to think I left her because of you, but I broke it off with her because I didn’t want her anywhere near this. It was safer to make her think I did something horrible to the point where she wouldn’t want to be with me.”
He sighs when I gasp. “In this industry, it’s best practice to not have any attachments. I love Evangeline, but I would have left her at some point for this job.”
Is that supposed to make me feel better?
It’s sad, but…I get it.
“I should get going. Did you need anything else?” I ask grabbing the flip flops my father abhors and slide them on. Leave me alone. I’m pregnant.
“No, thank you. I’ll give you an update when I have one. In the meantime, maybe you can relax?”
A laugh escapes my lips. Right. Fat chance.
I pass by him to go meet Annie in the kitchen who’s dressed in tight skinny jeans and a Sage Creek High 4-H Club T-shirt. She types furiously at the keyboard, trying to finish those last few words on her next article before her deadline tomorrow night.
“Sorry for the wait. Are you ready?”
She glances up at me and gives me a pained grin.
“I’m ready. Are you?”
Nope.
“Yeah, let’s get this over with.”
Agent O walks us out, but then heads back to my house, while Annie and I start in the opposite direction towards the main house. Dr. Hawthorn sits out on his front porch, smoking his cigarette, and stares into my soul. His intense stare makes me squirm,
He’d be so much hotter if he weren’t scowling all the time.
I Pull my gaze away from him, and take two steps to catch up to Annie. From four acres away, Jo’s old Ford comes into view in the driveway.
Showtime.
“It’s all going to be okay. Keep your chin up.”
It’s not going to be okay.
Nothing about this is okay.
She snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me into a side hug. “You keep frowning, you’re gonna get wrinkles.”
Rolling my eyes, I retort, “As long as that’s what Bethany Hunt is going to be gossiping about, bring on the crow’s feet.”
Annie giggles.
We reach the front door and let ourselves in. Chris gives us “the look” when we step into the formal living room. Bickering from my mother and father can be heard from the family room.
Jo, with her short strawberry blonde hair and mischievous green eyes meanders in from the kitchen and beams when we come into eye shot,.
“Honestly, Stephen, I’m not asking a lot!” Momma shouts from the kitchen.
“Darlin’, yes you are! I’m not dressing up and driving all the way up to New York for a dumb play!” Daddy exclaims.
“I told your Momma I scored tickets to Hamilton for the both of them.” Jo shifts her gaze, and her once gleeful grin turns into something melancholy. “Hi, Sweet Pea.” She closes the distance between us
and wraps me in a tight hug.
“Hi, Jo.” She kisses my cheek and takes a few steps back, holding my shoulders, her eyes sweeping over my visible injuries. “I’m sorry.”
“Baby, whatever for?” Annie and Chris take their cue to referee the fight in the family room, leaving me alone with my other momma.
“I should’ve known. There were so many signs and I ignored them…”
“You know what I love about you?” When I don’t answer, she leads me over to her seat and lowers me down, taking residence in the armchair next to me. “You have always been the one to see the best in people, even when they didn’t deserve it. Hell, I’ve seen you try to be civil with Brandy Hunt and Mia Parker when they openly bullied you in front of the entire town.”
Scoffing, I glance away. “And yet, the whole town thinks I had it coming. Once this gets out about him, they’ll think the same thing.”
“We know who you are, Aria. Nobody deserves to be abused.” Her warm hand caresses my cheek, over the swelling in my cheek. I close my eyes at the gentle caress, grateful I have somebody else on my side. “It’s not your fault. It’s his.”
Hold onto that feeling for the bomb I’m about to drop.
“Daddy begged me to leave him.”
Jo sucks in a deep breath, almost like she already knew.
“The night before we left when we came to visit…Daddy asked to talk to me alone. He told me to stay here and not leave with him.”
He told me Charlie was off. He was rude, inconsiderate, and something about him made Daddy’s skin crawl.
“He’s so angry,” I whisper.
“I don’t think that has anything to do with you, sweetheart.”
“How can it not?” My eyes well up with tears. “I’ve been the kid that has never done anything right. I’ve disappointed him more than I’ve made him proud.” And he’s about to be even more disappointed after tonight.
“I don’t believe that. He is proud of you. Baby, you left home at eighteen to one of the scariest cities in the country. You got your degree all on your own, graduated at the top of your class, and made moves to forge your own path. We’re all proud of you, baby.”
“I fell in love with my boss,” I whisper and Jo’s brows furrow. She knows this path of self-destruction I’m heading down—possibly better than I do. “I let him talk me out of working. My student loans are defaulting, and my degree has been collecting dust—"
“People make mistakes.” I stare at her blankly. “You’re not Jesus Christ, baby. You’re Aria McKenzie. You’re not perfect, and that’s okay. The most important thing is to learn from your mistakes.” The corners of her mouth quirk into a smile.
“What if I ruined everything?”
“I can positively tell you, you didn’t. Your daddy is stubborn. He’s worried about you…he almost lost you.”
Again.
“Aria, your momma needs help in the kitchen,” Daddy jeers from the doorway.
I weakly smile at Jo and dart into the kitchen to avoid any more stern and disappointed glances from my father.
Momma races around the kitchen like she’s preparing dinner for the pope. Annie and Chris set the table.
“Momma?”
“Take the meat to the table, baby. Chris, sweetheart, I need you to reach the gravy boat in the cabinet above the stove.”
My stomach swirls with hunger and nausea. I’ve learned I need to be full one hundred percent of the time to avoid hurling my guts up. But not all foods do the trick.
I grab the plate of prime rib and carefully maneuver around the island to avoid Chris’s rushing around.
“Come to the table, y’all. We’re ready,” Momma announces.
I’m not.
Chris takes the seat next to mine and grins. I envy his ignorance. Daddy says grace and we dig in.
“Did you hear Brandy Hunt got another DUI?” Jo asks. Momma gapes and hides her gleeful smile.
“I did. It shut Bethany up for a few days. Then she started spreading rumors about Michelle Delaney.”
Jo laughs so easily behind her hand.
Daddy chews and pretends this conversation isn’t happening. Annie listens closely, but it’s obvious her mind is somewhere else. She continues to check her phone every five minutes. Chris gently nudges me under the table.
“Are you doing okay, Peanut?”
I nod, avoiding my father’s gaze.
“Can you promise me something?” I whisper.
“Anything.”
“Don’t get angry.”
He stills while Momma and Jo gossip about the other women in town. Daddy watches us with an intense glare.
“Angry about what?” Chris asks quietly.
“You’re on my side, right?”
“Of course I’m on your side. But…”
“No buts. I need you to be on my side.”
He sighs.
“You owe me.”
Believe me, I know.
“What’s going on?” Daddy demands, a hush falling over the table.
“Aria,” Momma warns. She wants to enjoy the meal she worked so hard to prepare.
“Can we talk after dinner?” I plead.
“After dinner,” Momma insists, glaring at Daddy. He purses his lips and sets his fork and knife down.
“Now,” he objects.
“I worked hard on this dinner, Stephen. Stop bullying my baby and eat your food.”
The tension was thick when Annie and I arrived, but now, I’m sure you can cut it with a spoon.
“So you’re all aware, I’ll be going to Canada for two weeks next month,” Annie announces, changing the subject. “Would you mind taking over my lessons while I’m gone?” She’s asking me, but I haven’t done anything like that in years. When my name is mentioned, people tend to walk the other way.
But for the sake of changing the subject, I murmur, “Sure.”
“Where in Canada are you going?” Jo asks. My eyes are glued to my plate, but Daddy’s stare penetrates my skull, as if he’s searching for some telepathic sign of the bomb I’m about to drop on him.
Daddy doesn’t like surprises.
“Quebec City. Then when I get back, they’re expecting a four thousand word article for the time spent there.”
“Do you speak any French?” Jo asks.
“Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?”
Jo giggles maniacally and Momma and Daddy both glare at Annie.
“Absolutely not,” Momma growls.
“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Chris gripes.
“I do. And when Tom asked and I said the same thing, he laughed.”
“When are we going to meet this guy, anyway?” Daddy asks.
She shrugs so nonchalant and flashes a mischievous grin at Jo.
“I don’t know. When the time is right.”
“How long’s it been, two years?” Chris asks.
Annie glares and rolls her eyes.
“Don’t worry about it. I know what I’m doing.”
I can’t help but feel that was an unintentional jab at me, but I don’t miss the way Momma and Daddy’s gazes shift to me.
“What about you, Christopher? Are you finished sleeping around?” Annie teases.
“Oh, he is not!” Momma shouts.
Chris is the first born, and a total Momma’s boy, and he can do no wrong in Momma’s eyes. According to her, he’s a respectable man who is saving himself for marriage.
“You should see the line of women who sneak out of his house at two in the morning!” Annie exclaims.
Chris’s face pales as Momma turns slowly and angrily towards him.
“What?” She asks in disbelief.
“I’m a red-blooded, healthy, American male, Momma.”
Oh, God.
Jo stifles her giggles, as does Annie.
But sure as shit, it’s not Chris Daddy is glaring at.
“I’m pregnant.”
A hush falls over the table. Momma and Annie are the only ones who
know. They both shift their worried gazes to Daddy, anticipating what his next move is. Jo and Chris stare at me in shock, with Chris squeezing my hand under the table.
“Pregnant?” Jo murmurs in disbelief.
“I’m nine weeks along.” I yearn for the laughter and fun gossip that flew around the table just minutes ago. My heart squeezes and my stomach churns with everyone’s devastated stares.
“Does…does Charlie know?” Chris asks.
“No. And neither does Agent O. I don’t want this anywhere on the reports—”
“What’s your plan, Aria?” Daddy demands.
My sad shrug enrages him further. He picks up his plate and stands up. He can’t even stand to be in the same room as me. He slams his plate on the tile floor, the plate exploding on impact, food covering the floor. Terrified gasps fill the room, none of them coming from me.
“I don’t know what I’m doing yet—”
“How is this even a conversation?” he bellows.
Chris stands up as Daddy strides closer to me, blocking his access to me.
“Daddy, please…” I plead with tears streaming down my face. I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry, but here I am.
“He will kill you—”
“Stephen, you do not get to bully her!” Momma shrieks.
“Are you going to put another one of him into the world?”
Chris swiftly guides me out of my seat and leads me through the house and out onto the front porch. I don’t even realize I’ve been holding my breath this entire time.
“Breathe,” his soothing voice coos.
I can’t catch my breath. As fast as I suck in for a breath, the faster it escapes me. The screen door opens and closes. Suddenly, Annie’s on my left, and Jo crouches in front of me with her hands on my legs.
“Geez, some warning next time,” Chris grumbles.
“I’m sorry,” I whimper.
“Breathe, baby,” Jo coos.
When I was still in the thick of living with Charlie, I was able to find a meditation channel on the TV since the only phone I had was a flip phone with only his number programmed into it. I try to reach for those grounding tools I learned, but they’re so far out of reach. The tears destroy my breathing.
“It’s going to be all right, sweet pea. We’re going to help you.”
Make Me Dream (The Sage Creek Series Book 1) Page 6