by AR Colbert
Part of me wanted to cheer her on. There was a sweet satisfaction in watching Everett flinch under her control. But a bigger part of me feared what else this crazed version of Emmaline had lying up her sleeve. What had caused her to snap, and would she hold that gun to my head next?
Everett spat on the floor, swirls of red tinging his saliva. He was right. I was looking to gain information about the Supreme Leadership, but I could never admit that in front of these two. Especially not with a crazy Emmaline gripping a gun.
“I just needed some air. Then Everett offered me a drink and we stepped out somewhere quieter.” My voice was surprisingly steady.
Emmaline raised a single brow and the corner of her pink mouth twitched. “Well then I’m sorry I interrupted.” Her arms fell to her side with a shrug. “I’ll let you get back to it.” She smirked, daring me to object, and stepped toward the door. Then, with a final glance over her shoulder she added, “But for the record—if you want to know about the Supreme Leadership, you should come to me next time. It seems I have a direct connection, now.”
Everett’s jaw clenched so hard I thought it might snap. His face twisted into a loathsome sneer. “Not for long. Not after they hear about this.”
Emmaline’s laughter tinkled like a music box full of delicate charms. “Oh Evie... you know they’ll trust my word over yours any day. And Claren won’t tell, will you?” She winked. “Not when I have so many juicy details to divulge to her.”
My heart pounded against my ribs, punching again and again with incredible fervor. But my traitorous feet were glued to the floor. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. None of this made any sense. What had gotten into Emmaline? This had to be a trap. She would never offer information to me—not without expecting something huge in return. And I would not be indebted to Emmaline, or anyone. Ever.
But what if she meant it? What if she really was willing to tell me what I wanted to know?
“Wait. Don’t go.” The words rushed from my mouth before I could give it any other thought. I wouldn’t be able to find out about the Supreme Leadership’s plans from Everett anymore, so Emmaline may have been my only shot.
Everett’s eyes widened. “She’s a liar, Claren. You can’t believe a word this woman says. Let’s get out of here before she gets us both in trouble.”
“Shut up, Everett.” Emmaline raised the gun again. “Sit down. You’re not in charge here. I am. And Claren has some questions.” With her weapon still trained on Everett, she turned to me and smiled sweetly. “What can I help you with, dear?”
I wiped my sweaty palms against my thighs, but they slid uselessly across the chiffon of my skirt. I clasped them in front of me to keep from trembling. If only I could’ve gotten a better read on what Emmaline was thinking, I might have been able to form a more cohesive plan. But she was blocking herself so thoroughly that I was shooting into the dark. I’d have to be careful not to incriminate myself.
“I’m told the consultant who was working with Justice Hines—Conrad Reynolds—left the day the attacks took place Outside. I know it’s believed that the Outsiders turned against each other, but I find his departure... convenient. Has anyone been in contact with him since then?”
Three full breaths rattled in and out of my mouth before Emmaline answered.
“That’s an interesting question. Are you implying that he may have been responsible for the attacks rather than the Outsiders?” She and Everett both turned and silently waited for my response.
My mouth was like cotton, which made it near impossible to swallow the lump in my throat. “I just think it’s peculiar timing. I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but the question has to be asked.”
Her blue eyes refocused on me, razor-sharp. Then, to my relief, her face split into a wide smile. She looked almost... proud. “Yes, Claren. The Supreme Leadership is responsible for murdering forty-seven people living Outside of Classen City.”
“EMMALINE!”
“I told you to shut up,” she hissed at Everett. “Do you have any other questions?” she asked, turning back to me.
I slumped against the desk. She stood there with so much pride on her face, looking more and more like a monster. What did she have to gain here? I would probably pay for this, but I had to find out more. I steadied my shoulders. “Are they going to attack again?”
“Probably, yes. I’ll know more next week.”
“No more!” Everett stood and slapped Emmaline across the cheek while simultaneously knocking her weapon across the room with his opposite hand. It hit the ground with a loud clack and slid a few feet in front of me. I scrambled for the gun, but Everett came and stepped on my fingers as I reached out to grab it.
“That’s enough.” His voice was a growl, all previous symptoms of his inebriation gone. He kept his full weight pressed down on my hand, pinning me awkwardly on the floor. Emmaline approached with a fire in her eyes, but she halted just before she reached us, glancing at the door before returning her gaze to us. The fire was gone, replaced with a deeper, rawer emotion I couldn't quite put my finger on, but her jaw remained taut.
“They’ll kill you for this,” Everett was fuming. “They’ve got eyes everywhere. You’ll be destroyed like the traitor you are. And YOU—” He ground his shoe on the back of my hand, causing a whimper to escape my mouth. “Your job is to stay quiet and look pretty. Stop asking questions. Now get up! We’re going home.”
He reached for my wrist and yanked me forcefully to my feet, my hand hanging lifelessly from his like it had been shattered inside. It probably had. I looked to Emmaline, hoping that the hatred she felt for Everett would be enough for her to rescue me. But she remained straight-faced, eyes fixed on the door.
Everett gave another hard tug on my injured hand, eliciting a cry of pain from my lips. I stumbled forward, crashing into the back of him. Then my body burned with pain all over as I was knocked backward again into the desk. Everett’s form collapsed to the floor, and just beyond him, like a raging knight in a black tie, stood Felix with a stun gun still held out in his trembling hands.
Rider stood in the doorway behind him, concern mixed with rage swirling in his steely eyes.
“It’s about time.” Emmaline crossed her arms over her chest.
Felix rushed over and dropped to his knees, cradling my cheek with his hand. “Are you hurt?” It was then that I realized I was crying.
“No. I’m not hurt.” I glanced nervously at Emmaline. Felix followed my gaze. One monster down, one to go. Thankfully I had backup now.
She moved toward us and I reflexively scooted back on the floor. A brief flash of hurt glimmered in her eye before she knelt down and extended her arm. “Let me see your hand.”
I paused, unsure of what to do next. I’d never been so confused, so unsure of anyone before in my life. There was no mistaking the look on her face when she’d confirmed my suspicions about the attacks, but now I was consumed by an overwhelming sense of concern. It felt like Emmaline actually cared about me.
“No. She’s fine,” Rider said, joining us near the desk. He looked down, brows knitted together in concern. I nodded that yes, I was fine, and he turned back to keep a watchful eye on Emmaline.
Felix helped me to my feet, lifting me gingerly under the arms so as not to disturb my injury. Emmaline stood as well, and the men stepped between us to form a physical boundary.
“Wait.” I pushed between them to study Emmaline’s expression. She seemed genuine. But she’d seemed genuine before, and that had only gotten me into traps. What were her intentions here?
“Claren, we have much to discuss. But first, we need to get Everett’s body secured. He won’t be out for long.”
Felix ran a hand through his hair, panic streaking his face. “Oh my goodness. What have I done?”
“You were saving the woman you love,” Emmaline said matter-of-factly. “Which is all well and good, but now we have to clean up the mess.”
Felix opened his mouth, but thought better of spe
aking and turned back to his father’s lifeless form on the floor.
Rider was already pulling zip ties from the pocket of his suit coat. It was just like him to be prepared for something like this. “I’ll get his hands.” He passed a few ties to Emmaline. “You get his feet.”
CHAPTER 27
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Felix’s eyes danced across my face, checking for injuries. “I should have insisted for you to come back with me when I was in Louisburg. I’m so sorry, Claren.” He rubbed his thumb tenderly across my cheek.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. You know I wouldn’t have listened, anyway.” We locked eyes, and he flashed me a boyish half-grin. I’d missed that smile.
“You two ready?” Rider stood and wiped sweat from his brow.
“Yeah. I’ll help you carry him.” Felix stood, but Emmaline held out a hand.
“I’ve got it,” she said. “I’ll grab his legs if Rider can get his torso. You stick with Claren.”
“Wait,” I said. “Where are you taking him?”
“Right now we’ll get him down the back stairs and into the parking lot. My car is around the corner, so I’ll bring it over for him.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. Again, it seemed like she was speaking the truth, but how could I be sure? If she sent us down there with Everett’s body and we got caught in the parking lot, we’d be executed.
“What about when he wakes up?” Felix’s grin was gone as he glared down at his father’s body.
“He’s gagged and tied. He won’t be much of an issue. And if he tries to put up a fight, we’ll stun him again.” Emmaline didn’t have a shred of worry.
“We can’t keep stunning him forever. And he’ll have us all executed when he comes around again. We should just finish him off now.”
“Felix!” I gasped. “We can’t kill him.”
Rider shrugged. “Why not? He’s got a point. We’re going to have to do it eventually.”
“Not yet,” Emmaline said. “We need him alive right now. We’ll drive him out to the airport and Charles will help us get him back to Louisburg. Claren, do you have a driver we can trust to not ask questions if Everett refuses to cooperate?”
“I have a driver I can trust, yes. But to be honest, I’m not convinced that I should trust you. Why are you doing this?”
Emmaline looked down at Everett and sighed. “Because I’m tired of people like him. You and I are more alike than you might think. I want to tell you everything, but right now, we have to get him out of here. There’s a key in the side pocket of my purse. Use it to unlock the top drawer of my desk and grab the notebook sitting inside. Then meet us down in the parking lot.”
She bent to lift Everett’s legs, and Rider moved to handle the front half of his body. He picked up Everett’s dead weight with ease, and they disappeared into the hall, the skirt of Emmaline’s gown swishing behind them.
“What do you think about all of this, Felix? Do you trust her?”
“I don’t think we have a choice.”
Emmaline’s small black satin clutch rested atop a chair in the corner of the office. Now that the excitement had died down, I recognized it as the same office I’d sat in to talk with Emmaline many times before. It was in this very same place that I’d agreed to help her capture Frank. I shouldn’t have trusted her then, and I probably shouldn’t trust her now. But Felix was right—we didn’t have many options.
A tiny silver key lay tucked away in the side pocket of the clutch, and I quickly slid it into the lock of her desk drawer. Sitting inside was a gorgeous leather-bound notebook. Its rich burgundy cover felt like butter in my hand. It was beautiful. And somehow it felt powerful, almost sacred. She didn’t need to tell me to keep it safe. Somehow, the book spoke of its importance all on its own.
I tucked the book safely under my arm and turned toward the door.
“Before we go down there, I feel like I need to explain about Georgia.” Felix looked down to his feet, but it didn’t hide the flush creeping up his cheeks.
“You don’t have to explain anything.” I tried to sound light and care-free, like the sight of him holding her hand didn’t feel like a knife to the gut, but my voice betrayed me.
“Claren, if it were up to me—”
I held up my hand. “Really. I know how the game works. I know you have to play along. And it’s none of my business how you feel about it. We’ll find a way to get you out when the time is right.”
His face twisted as he met my eyes. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get out of this one.”
“Then we’ll tear down the system that’s keeping you there.”
We stared at one another for a long minute. Somewhere, deep inside, I imagined Felix still had a glimmer of hope. But if he did, it was buried so far under his despair that I feared it might never see the light of day.
Eventually, he nodded and followed me out into the dimly lit hall. We stepped over the broken glass and sticky mess from Everett’s spilled drink and tiptoed toward the stairs. No one was around, but neither of us dared to speak until we made it into the stairwell.
“Thank you, by the way. I don’t know what would have happened if you and Rider hadn’t shown up when you did. How did you know where to find me?”
“I was watching you during the announcement. You looked so shocked. And when you left the ballroom, I worried you were upset. That you might never forgive me. I needed you to know that I did everything I could to stop the match from happening. I tried right up until the party started. I didn’t say anything before because I hoped I could still prevent all of this.” He laughed, but there was no humor in his voice.
My heart ached for him. Felix was strong, capable, and smart. He was commanding, but kind. He was everything a Leader should be. And yet, he held no power. Not really. He was just a title with a handsome face. And it was never more evident than now how powerless he truly was.
“Anyway, I searched for you as soon as I could step off the stage. I met up with Rider, and Edgar told us he saw you go to the bar with my father. The bartender directed us here. I would have come in for you right away, but Rider was afraid of what Emmaline might do, so we waited just outside the door, listening. But when I heard you cry out in pain, I couldn’t wait any longer.”
Emmaline. She knew they were there the whole time. She had to have known. That’s why she quit fighting and stared at the door. “Do you have any idea what she was talking about, or why she would be working against your dad?”
He shook his head. “No, Emmaline is a bit of a wild card. I don’t know what she’s up to, but it doesn’t surprise me that she hates my father. Most people do. I’m sure she has her reasons for wanting him out of the picture.”
He was probably right, but I’d make it a point to learn as much as I could. If everything worked out tonight, I would have some leverage over Emmaline. She was just as guilty in covering up this offense against Everett as we were. And she had more to lose.
“Well, I’m glad you came when you did. And you landed a great shot.”
He smiled, and it reached his eyes this time. “Thanks. I’ve been dreaming of doing that for the last five years. It felt better than I expected. I just wish you didn’t have to get hurt.” He stopped on the bottom landing and took both of my hands into his. “I will never let him hurt you again. I’ll kill him if I have to—and anyone else who tries to hurt you.” His eyes shifted to the door that led out to the parking lot where Emmaline was waiting.
“Thank you again, for all of it.” I squeezed his hands before letting go and grabbing the door handle. “Let’s get out there.”
The air was chilly outside, and it cut through the thin fabric of my dress, sending chill bumps down my legs. Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I made out the shadowy outline of Rider standing near the corner of the building. He was alone.
“Where’s Emmaline?” I asked once we reached him. Rider was too busy scouring the area to make eye contact with us.
“She’
s getting the car.”
My heart rate jumped. “How sure are you—”
Headlights flicked on across the street, and Rider moved toward the bushes bordering the outside wall of the building. The sounds of laughter rang out just down the street. A small group of guests from the party were leaving. More would be sure to follow.
“We have to hurry!”
Felix helped Rider slide Everett’s body out from under the bushes, and they tossed him onto the floorboard in the backseat of Emmaline’s small coupe with surprising speed as soon as she rolled to a stop near the curb. His body had to bend in uncomfortable angles to fit, and his head was pushed slightly under the back of Emmaline’s seat.
Once Everett was securely out of sight, Felix pulled open the passenger’s door for me to climb in. Rider hopped into the back, laying his long legs sideways across the seat so he wouldn’t step on Everett.
“Aren’t you coming?” I asked Felix.
“He can’t,” Emmaline said firmly. And one look at Felix told me he’d already come to the same conclusion.
I hated to leave him behind, forced to process everything that just happened on his own. But he stood tall and strong, unafraid for himself. Any concern or worry he felt was poured straight into me. He only cared about my well-being.
“I have to stay. Please keep her safe,” he said to Rider. Then, facing Emmaline, he said, “There is a crate at the airport. I know you’re in a hurry, but you cannot leave without getting it on the plane. It’s got to go out tonight. Charles knows what to do.”
Emmaline nodded without a trace of suspicion. “I’ll make sure your package arrives safely.”
Felix leaned in through the open window and placed a quick kiss on my cheek. “Be careful, Claren.” His gaze flicked briefly to Emmaline. “You know how to get in touch if you need me.”
“You be careful, too. We’ll talk soon.” There was more I wanted to say. So much more. But Emmaline was already driving away. Away from the party. Away from the Center. Away from the secrets of Classen City.