by M. M. Koenig
I glanced at Ethan, more than terrified. He shook his head and coolly pointed out, “I already provided my statement and was released. What am I a suspect for?”
Officer Nedgo narrowed his eyes at Ethan’s condescending tone. “We have a witness claiming you murdered Harrison Reynolds.”
Ethan scoffed. “What witness?”
“Sean Fitzpatrick.”
My face fell as my pulse skyrocketed. Officer Nedgo approached the bed with his cuffs. Ethan kissed me passionately before hopping out of bed. “I’m going to get this straightened out. I love you.”
I cried as he read Ethan his Miranda rights while slapping on the cuffs. Ethan stared at me with so much love in his eyes that it broke me. Everything that had fractured in that garage completely shattered into fine pieces of glass. The tears flowed nonstop as my chest began to collapse with the weight of a broken heart. Before they walked out the door, my monitor went berserk with the agony attacking my entire body. Ethan requested another minute. Officer Nedgo sighed, but shuffled my way.
Ethan pressed his forehead to mine and whispered, “Calm down Mia. I’ll be fine.”
My lips crashed against his with so much desperation that we both pulled away, breathless.
“I love you so much. I’m so sorry. I hope someday you’ll forgive me,” I breathed.
Ethan stared at me for a minute before his eyes widened in alarm. Officer Nedgo towed him towards the door. “Don’t even think about it Mia!” Ethan shouted, struggling to get back to me.
I mouthed that I loved him. His anguished face shattered the last pieces of life holding me together. Ethan’s knees buckled as he yelled, “Don’t do it!”
Another cop joined Officer Nedgo to drag Ethan out. As they left, the room started to spin as my mind started to slip. I made a spectacle of myself as I ripped away all the cords. It got the godforsaken machine behind me to shut up. I slid to the edge of the bed and yanked out my IV.
“Ma’am what are you doing?” a frightened nurse asked.
“Discharging myself. Is there something I need to sign to get out of here without a discussion about it?” I snapped, wiping away my tears.
The petite nurse glowered. “Yes, but I strongly advise against it. Your body needs to heal.”
I gazed away. “No amount of time in this hospital will ever fix me. I’ll take the paperwork.”
She left the room and came back moments later with some forms and a bag full of my belongings. When my eyes caught the backpack intact, my body received a tiny break from its misery when an upsurge of relief drifted through me. I signed the forms and eased my arm out of the sling. My face more than told her she shouldn’t bother arguing with me. She let out a heavy sigh before leaving the room.
I hastily changed into my clothes before tossing on my jacket and the backpack. I poked my head out the door and down both sides of the hallway before stepping out. Seeing no sign of my friends, I hurried towards the stairs at the end of the hallway. I hustled down them and out the side door of the hospital. I scanned around the parking lot to find any car that looked familiar. Spotting Bri’s Audi, I scurried over to it. It was open so I hopped in, quickly hot-wired it, and headed for Ethan’s.
When I arrived, his place was empty, which was perfect. I didn’t want to deal with anyone. I picked the lock to get in and made my way towards his bathroom. After a quick shower to get rid of the horrid hospital smell, I stumbled into his bedroom and into the closet. I changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and then scanned around for the rest of my clothes. There wasn’t a surplus of them, but enough to get me by for a few days. I tossed everything into a suitcase and wheeled it to his office. I set the backpack and my jacket on his desk before taking a seat. I fumbled around in my pocket for the piece of paper Brody had given to me. Before going through everything we pulled from Harrison, I set up all the essentials to get him out of town.
I spent the next hour poring over every morsel of information we stole from Harrison. Though it was at a steep price, it gave me what I needed to keep anyone else from getting hurt. I never cared about myself through all of this – that hadn’t changed. I refused to let any more people suffer because of my twisted past. I made several copies of the data before destroying the laptops. I pulled open his top desk drawer and taped the USB drive to the top of it. I focused on the picture of Ethan and me that he had framed on his desk. My throat tightened as my chest pounded relentlessly. I steadied my breaths and picked up a pen to write my letters. I was almost finished with Bri’s when my cell phone rang. I pulled it out and groaned at the caller ID.
“What do you want, Chase?”
“You’ve lost your mind. The news has been going nonstop with reports of that company you work for being blown to smithereens. If people weren’t after you before, they sure as hell are now!”
“News flash, people have been after me for a while. If you weren’t such an asshole, I might have been able to prevent this. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself. You should’ve told me about my parents,” I snapped.
“Don’t you dare blame this on me! You’ve put us both in danger now. I warned you I’d step in. You’ve left me no choice!” Chase screamed.
“You’re so stupid. They could give two shits about you. They want me. And if you’re thinking about tracking down my mom, give her my regards. And be sure to thank her for royally fucking up my life!”
I hung up my phone, picked up my pen, and resumed writing. As I finished my letter to Ethan, the front door opened. I shoved Ethan’s letter into the same envelope as Bri’s and grabbed everything Jayden had left me, along with the two remaining copies of Harrison’s data. Before I had a chance to get out unnoticed, Olivia blocked my path to the door.
Shit. I was hoping to get out of here without a debate.
“Mia, what are you doing here?”
I tried to step by her but she was quick to cut me off. “I needed to take care of some things.”
Olivia huffed. “What things?”
“It’s better you don’t know. Where are Tristan and Dom?”
“They’re at the station waiting for Ethan’s hearing so they can bail him out.”
Fuck. I don’t have much time. Whether she likes it or not, she’s going to have to help me.
“I’m really sorry but I need one more favor from you.”
Olivia crossed her arms and said, “Are you nuts? I’m not doing anything for you until you tell me what the hell you’re up to.”
I sighed. “Olivia, you’d do anything for Tristan, wouldn’t you?”
She scrunched her eyebrows and relented, “Of course, I love him with all my heart. Where are you going with this Mia?”
I glanced at her with remorse and whispered, “I feel the same way about Ethan and my friends. Trust me, what I’m about to do is best for everyone.”
“I’m still lost over here,” Olivia stated, irritated.
“I’ll explain in the car. I need you to take me to a few places,” I said patiently.
Olivia tapped her foot and closed her eyes for a few seconds. She opened them and let me past her. I grabbed my suitcase and waited for her at the door. She grabbed Ethan’s keys before tossing on her coat. She gave me a hard look as we stepped out into the hallway and muttered, “Why do I have the feeling I’m going to regret doing this?”
I got teary-eyed and choked out, “I’m truly sorry for everything. I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for every ounce of pain that the last several days have brought you.”
Olivia tenderly wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Where are we off to first?”
I offered a small grin and smugly said, “We’re going to right a few wrongs.”
“This ought to be interesting,” Olivia mused, smiling.
After several minutes of pounding on the door and waiting in the blistering cold, it finally opened for me to face the one man that had the power I needed.
“If you’re here to talk about Brianna, you’re wasting your
time,” Senator McAndrews said curtly before trying to slam the door in my face.
I squeezed into the doorway with my eyes on edge. The side of the door hit my right arm. I almost screamed from the pain, but the heartless bastard staring back at me was more than enough motivation to fight through it. “Actually, I’m here to speak with you, and you definitely want to hear what I have to say,” I replied through clenched teeth.
He allowed me into the foyer and gestured towards the living room for us to take a seat. Knowing that this was an in-and-out operation I shook my head.
“What’s so important for me to hear?”
I pulled out one of the USB drives and flashed it in front of him. “Don’t get snide with me John. The laundry list of crimes I have on you is just the beginning.”
“I always knew you were trouble. I should’ve prohibited Brianna from ever being friends with you. Knowing you got her knocked up by a worthless boy from the South Side.”
My heart pounded harshly against with my chest as every part of me flared with outrage. I wanted to slap him so badly but refused to stoop to his level. “Seems you did your own time with someone from the South Side and managed to father a child. I know you’ve gone to great lengths to make sure no one knows the details about him, especially since you were slumming with a Fitzpatrick.”
John’s green eyes grew wide before he shook them into a cold stare. “You’re bluffing.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Am I? We’ll get back to Brody in a minute. You’ll want to know what he’s been up to lately.” I paused when his jaw dropped. He snapped it shut and tried to be indifferent. I gave him a knowing look and held up the USB. “This drive has a lot of information that would not only strip you of your senate seat, but put you behind bars for a very long time. I suggest you start playing nice.”
“What do you want from me?” John asked through gritted teeth.
I smiled cockily and said, “You’re going to do a few things for me. First and foremost, you’re going to fix things with Bri. You’re a selfish prick and don’t deserve her for a daughter, but she loves you. You will be there for her, and your grandchild.”
He opened his mouth to dispute, but I waved a hand across my throat. “It’s not negotiable. Second, you’re going to use your relationship with Sean Fitzpatrick for good.”
John crossed his arms and sniped, “You can’t prove I did or received anything illegal.”
I scoffed. “Do you really think this is just about you? This goes further back than your time in office. Your family has been in league with the mob for generations. You might want to just shut up and listen. We don’t have time for me to list the amount of crimes ranging from racketeering to extortion to murder – and that’s not even hitting all the political crimes you’ve committed in office.”
“How did you get your hands on this information?”
“A good journalist never reveals her source. Let’s just say I put a few things together and then siphoned it from someone that would’ve printed it without cutting you a deal. Speaking of which, I’m not finished with my list,” I answered, arching an eyebrow.
John huffed. “What do you want from Sean?”
“You’re going to get him to drop the murder charges against Ethan Fitzgerald. You’ll want to stay on his good side anyway, especially after what Brody did,” I demanded.
“You can’t prove Brody’s my son. I don’t have to do anything for him,” John contended.
“I have DNA results that say differently. You’re wasting our time by arguing with me every other minute,” I shot back.
“What did he do?” John snapped.
“Brody killed Sean’s sons. If Sean happened to find out, I’d say all bets are off when it comes to your relationship with him. I’m pretty sure that would put your political interests in a world of danger – not to mention your loved ones. Sean lives for retribution. I know that personally. If you want things to remain as they are, you’ll convince Sean to change his story about last night’s events,” I revealed snottily.
John pinched his nose and asked, “Is that all?”
I snickered. “No, this last one is for me.”
He looked at me condescendingly. “And what do you want?”
I pierced my eyes at him. “You’re going to use your vast affiliations in the underworld to get every mobster from here to the East Coast to leave my loved ones alone.”
John sized me up with a scowl. “You realize this is blackmail, don’t you?”
I taunted him with the USB drive before pulling out the envelope for Bri. “I’m not the one that got into bed with the mob – that was you. I’m playing with the hand life dealt me. So do we have a deal or not?”
I raised an eyebrow when he delayed answering me. His eyes flitted around the room before he centered them back to me. “How do you expect me to pull this off?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re a bright guy. I’m sure you have the resources to figure it out.”
John cursed under his breath before grabbing the envelope and USB from me. “Fine, I’ll help you, but you better not be lying.”
My hand reached behind me to open the door. A blast of cold air swept through the doorway as I shuffled out. “Trust me, you’ll be happy I cut you a deal. If you don’t do everything I ask, I’ll expose you without hesitation. I strongly recommend you get a move on with that list, starting with Bri.”
John grabbed the door with force and snapped, “I heard you. Now get out of my house.”
“Pleasure doing business with you John,” I said, waving tauntingly.
He slammed the door shut as I walked down the steps. A smug grin spread across my face as I strolled towards Ethan’s car. Olivia stared at me, more than confused. I opened the door and gestured for her to drive off.
“I’m not even going to ask. Where to next?”
I grabbed the slip of paper from Brody. “The bus station. I have to drop something off.”
Olivia breathed heavily as she started the car and pulled out of the driveway.
After I dropped off what Brody needed in the locker he gave me, I instructed Olivia to take me to the airport. Ethan and Tristan were blowing up our phones. I had to get on a flight before he could stop me. Olivia drove up to the ticketing area and swerved over for me to get out. Before I hopped out of the car, she pulled me in for a hug.
“I know you feel like you have to do this, but you’re breaking more than just Ethan’s heart by leaving. This is going to hurt all of us,” Olivia said in between sobs.
I wiggled out of her embrace with tears welling in my eyes. “It’s best if I leave town. There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind.”
She sniffled. “I know. I just don’t want you to go. I’m not sure Ethan will survive it.”
“If he truly believes in our love, he knows I’ll find a way back to him,” I said, with my tears spilling over.
Olivia gave me another quick hug. I grabbed my suitcase from the back and jumped out of the car before she tried to talk me out of leaving again. I proceeded into the airport without looking back. My chest bared an additional weight with each step towards the ticket counter. The ache inside of me was like nothing I’d ever experienced. It was as if I was cut open for everyone to see the parts of me that had been blown to tiny bits. Nothing would ever heal the damage. It was more than a line of bullshit that I just spewed to Olivia. I doubted I’d ever see Ethan or any of them ever again. My heart flip-flopped unevenly as I purchased a ticket for Atlantic City. It was time to face the assholes responsible for this nightmare.
My flight didn’t take off for another hour-and-a-half. My nerves became uneasy with the extra time. To eliminate anyone dragging me out of here without a ticket, I hustled over to the security line to proceed towards my terminal. The line was fairly short so I was able to make it to the front pretty fast. I handed my ID and ticket over to the TSA agent. He glanced at me before motioning me over to the line of people that get groped. I cooperated as he patt
ed me down while giving me strange looks. After everything checked out, he reluctantly waved me on my way. I collected my purse and suitcase before walking towards my flight’s terminal. Once there, I found a spot near the front. My gut screamed that something was off. My nerves continued to climb when the attendants at the desk stared me down.
Why is everyone looking at me like I’m about to commit a crime? They cleared me for travel for Christ’s sake.
I fidgeted with Ethan’s necklace to steer my emotions in another direction. The pain in my heart spread throughout my body. After a half-hour, the area started to fill up with other passengers. My stomach churned when the female flight attendant called my name over the loud speaker. I left my seat with my stuff and strode up to her desk.
“Mia Ryan?”
I nodded. “What’s this about?”
She motioned for another agent to come over to us. “I’ve been advised that TSA has a few questions for you before we can allow you to board your flight. This gentleman will escort you to a private room.”
A tall man in uniform was waiting for me with a stern face. “Miss, please come with me. We’ve been informed you’re on the no-fly list. You’re going to have to come with me until we can straighten things out.”
“I flew a couple of weeks ago without issue. What’s the problem?” I asked snottily.
He narrowed his eyes. “Lose the attitude miss. We’re just doing our jobs. Let’s go.”
I huffed, but followed him out of the terminal. There was no sense in trying to argue. This was probably Ethan out-doing himself to have that last shred of control over me. We walked through the airport until he steered us off to the right and into a holding area. He opened the door to a small room with a table and several chairs and gestured for me to sit down. I rolled my eyes and took a seat. He quickly shut the door without another word.
My nerves stood on-end as goose bumps crawled up my arms. Moments later, the door opened and I nearly fell out of my chair. Two FBI agents coasted through the door. My mom just happened to be one of them. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Staring at her gave me a pretty solid idea of what my forties would be like. She slid into the first available seat with a loving yet irritated look in her eyes.