Every Action (The Gifted Realm Book 3)

by Jillian Neal

  “The two worst weeks of my entire life were while you were in London, and yes that includes the two I spent in the hospital.” She shuddered dejectedly. Every time she pointed this out, it cut Rainer to the core; though, he refused to ask her to stop.

  He’d broken up with her and left. He deserved the pain.

  “I know, baby, but that was entirely different. First of all, I was a seventeen year old, idiotic prick, and we’ll be able to talk and text, which we couldn’t do then. And we won’t be broken up.” He still found the memory repulsive to this day.

  “I know.” She laid her head in the crook of his neck and let him soothe her.

  By the time they carried the platters of potatoes into her mother’s kitchen, Emily was overwrought.

  “Emily,” her mother had swooned as soon as she’d seen Emily blink back tears. She’d tried to console her as well; though, nothing really seemed to help. Nana had taken in the situation and moved to the table. She’d unzipped a garment bag to distract Emily with the first of several bridesmaids’ dresses that she’d completed, so that Mrs. Haydenshire wouldn’t have to sew them.

  “Oh, Nana, that’s perfect. Thank you.” She threw her arms around her grandmother. Mrs. Anderson was holding up a deep purple, strapless dress with a low v-neckline. It would fit tightly to the waist and then had a loose chiffon draping skirt that would hit above the knee.

  Rainer was thrilled that something had brought a smile to Emily’s face.

  “Now I’ll just need to try it on you and make sure I got all the measurements correct, sweetheart.” Nana Anderson had put her arm around Adeline who’d immediately blushed violently. Logan chuckled and shook his head at her adoringly.

  “And all of the other girls as well.” Nana had prodded Emily.

  “I know Nana. I just have to pick them.” Emily bit her lip nervously.

  “Well it’s almost November, sweetheart. If we’re getting married in April, we have to get everything done.” Nana insisted again. Her reminder that it was almost November had Emily’s smile fading fast.

  “Now my sweet Emily…” Nana had wrapped her hands on Emily’s shoulders. “Don’t waste the time while you’re here wishing you didn’t have to leave. You know, right after Paps and I got married, he had to go to Fort Rucker for six weeks.” She fixed Emily a cup of tea and handed it to her. She guided her down to the kitchen table without Emily truly being aware she was being given a lecture. “I was nineteen years old, living in a one bedroom apartment by myself in Washington D.C., and my husband was eight hundred and fifty miles away. I didn’t know another soul in the entire city, and Paps was only allowed to call on Sunday afternoons, for fifteen minutes.” Emily looked both appalled and fascinated.

  “What did you do?” She urged her grandmother, who was drawing a long sip of tea. Rainer smiled and listened in as well.

  “Well, I sat myself down on the only chair that we owned, at the time, and I made myself a cup of the same tea that we’re drinking, my sweet Emily Anne.” She touched the rim of Emily’s mug as Emily grinned. “And I had myself one good cry.” Nana informed them. “And then I got up and figured out how to walk myself to the market. I took in some extra sewing for something to do. When Paps sent his paychecks home on Friday, I took the $28.76 stipend that he earned and made us a home.” She smiled at the recollection.

  “Wow,” Emily stunned at the very small income Paps made in his Gifted Army days. Nana beamed at Paps.

  “And I’ll tell you this, my sweet girl…” Nana drawled. “Your mama was born nine months to the day that Paps got home from his training.” Nana and Emily both laughed heartily. Mrs. Haydenshire shook her head, and the Governor grimaced.

  “Yes, well, I think we could just skip over that little part of the story, Anne.”

  “Oh, now Stephen, that’s the very best part.” Emily and Rainer laughed harder. “So,” Nana squeezed Emily’s hand. “You enjoy Rainer while you’re home, and you miss him real good when you’re gone. Then it’ll make your coming back sweeter than ever.” She winked at Emily who nodded and wrapped her arms around Rainer’s waist. He cuddled her closely and kissed her forehead.

  Levi did indeed provide the family with some of the most delicious steaks Rainer had ever tasted, and the side dishes everyone brought were devoured. The Haydenshires seemed very pleased, but Rainer noted them holding hands under the table. He suspected that, as the Governor hadn’t been home in almost two weeks, they were also looking forward to all of their grown children heading to their own homes.

  Nana provided several apple pies from apples off of the trees in she and Paps small orchard, and the Governor pulled two of the homemade vanilla ice creams made over the summer from the freezer. He helped his mother-in-law serve bowl after bowl of dessert.

  Worth a Thousand Words

  A knock sounded firmly on the door as everyone began dessert. Garrett, Logan, and Rainer, shared ominous glances as they all stood to answer. Garrett made it to the door ahead of Logan and Rainer.

  “Who’s there?” He called.

  “It’s Stella. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I really need to speak to the Governor. We have a problem.” She insisted.

  Garrett pulled open the door to reveal Stella McKesnick, the Governor’s Press Secretary, and Judy Young, the Governor’s campaign manager. Mrs. Haydenshire smiled kindly as she and the Governor stood.

  “Judy, Stella, come in and have some pie.” Mrs. Haydenshire urged.

  “Oh, Mrs. Haydenshire, I don’t know what happened, but this didn’t happen.” Judy looked pale and horrified by whatever she’d come to tell the Governor.

  “What didn’t happen?” Governor Haydenshire demanded.

  “Mrs. Haydenshire I would never… and he would never ever….” She gestured to the Governor.

  “Ok,” Mrs. Haydenshire now looked extremely concerned. Stella was carrying a wide, manila file folder. She stared at it as if it were a bomb set to explode at any moment.

  The Governor seized the folder.

  “May I?” He was growing impatient rapidly. Stella nodded hesitantly, and Governor Haydenshire flipped open the folder. He gasped as his eyes bugged and his mouth fell open in shock.

  “What is it?” Emily edged closer.

  “But how? This never? When did?” The Governor couldn’t seem to make a coherent statement. Mrs. Haydenshire pulled the folder from her husband’s hands. She looked equally as stunned.

  “Would you care to explain this?” She demanded of her husband and then of Judy. Emily became impatient and took the folder from her mother. She showed it to Rainer and her brothers.

  Everyone stared in utter disbelief at a newspaper heading of “Governor Haydenshire says his wife handles everything with grace and dignity. Wonder how she’ll handle this?” The full-page, color picture was of the Governor leaning out of, what appeared to be, a hotel room door. He was in boxers and a bathrobe, and Judy looked quite pleased as she walked towards him in what appeared to be very short silk shorts and a very skimpy tank top. Judy began to sob in earnest.

  “Mrs. Haydenshire, you have to believe me. I would never ever cheat on Darren, and he would never ever cheat on you.” She gestured to Governor Haydenshire.

  “That was taken while we were in Portland.” He shook his head in utter disgust.

  “Judy came to my room, very late that night. Something had happened?” He furrowed his brow. Judy nodded.

  “Yes, that was the night that I got that call from Warren that something was wrong with one of the campaign accounts. I had to get one of the security codes from you to get the banners printed for the rally the next morning.” She recalled.

  The Governor nodded his agreement. He still looked utterly disgusted.

  “His room was just down the hall from mine, and I was exhausted. I just ran across to get the codes. I tried calling but he’d turned the ringer off on his cell.”

  “I was exhausted. I was trying to sleep.”

  “But Mrs. Haydenshire, Darren went w
ith us to Portland. He was in my hotel room. You have to believe me.” Judy begged.

  “I do.” Mrs. Haydenshire agreed, but the pain etched on her face was quite clear, and tears were waging war against her. Her emotions appeared to be winning out over her repose. She shook her head, spun quickly, and flew up the stairs. Everyone was silent for the length of one heartbeat as they heard the master bedroom door close firmly and the lock turn.

  “Lillian,” Governor Haydenshire pled. Abhorrent pain casted his entire being as he raced up the stairs after her.

  Everyone sat in stunned silence as Henry’s sweet face turned terrified. His bottom lip protruded heavily as tears formed in his eyes. Emily began to cry as well, and Rainer wasn’t certain what to do.

  “Here, you hold her. I’ve got him.” Garrett scooped Henry from his highchair. He casted his shield firmly around Henry; he calmed immediately.

  “Maybe you all should go on.” Nana Anderson soothed. “Rainer, would you and Emily mind keeping the boys at the guest house tonight?” She began planning. Rainer agreed, but Will stood and shook his head.

  “No, Nana, we’re not walking out.” He commanded firmly. “Dad didn’t do anything, and he would never ever have done what they’re accusing him of. So, we’re all going to stay right here and fight this because this entire damn election has gone far enough. They’ve both always been there for all of us no matter what we’ve ever done. They’ve never walked away, and we’re standing beside him now.” He huffed furiously.

  “Well, you can stay here if you want.” Garrett argued. “But we’re…” he gestured his head to Logan and Rainer “flying to Portland. We’ll be back in just a little while.” He informed everyone.

  Logan furrowed his brow.

  “Why are we going to Portland?”

  “Look at those pictures.” Garrett commanded. He gestured his head to the offending folder that was now in the middle of the dining room table.

  “I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you.” Logan came right back with a disgusted shudder. Garrett shook his head indignantly.

  “Stop thinking like a bratty kid, and start thinking like an Elite Iodex officer.” He demanded of Logan. “Someone had to take the photos, right?” He turned to Judy who was sobbing quietly in the corner of the vast Haydenshire dining room. “I’m betting there wasn’t a photographer in the hallway.” Judy shook her head and tried to wipe away her tears.

  “No, I mean, I wouldn’t have cared if there was. Like I said, I would never even think of that.” She gestured to the folder. She seemed incapable of keeping her chin from trembling.

  “Ok,” Garrett nodded as he picked up the folder. “Look! The photos were taken from overhead. That means the camera is hidden either on top of a door, or in an exit sign, or something like that.” He explained as everyone began considering who had done this. “I’d bet my next several paychecks on the fact that someone cloned Buffet’s phone, as well, and called you to inform you of a problem that didn’t actually exist. They knew you’d probably have to go talk to Dad about it as soon as you hung up. A rapid camera probably took pictures constantly until they caught one that they could use, but setting up a camera with that kind of capability takes a little finesse, and I’m just betting that they haven’t retrieved the camera. This was too well executed. They waited a full week and a half to release this. I doubt they planned to get caught and blow the whole thing by removing the camera. They wanted it out just before the election.”

  Rainer felt hopefulness permeate the space where battered pain had just occupied. He knew how Emily, and all of her brothers must feel. He’d felt his world fracture like someone was trying to forcefully remove a part of his very being as he listened to Governor Haydenshire plead with his wife to let him in their room to let him comfort her. The door had remained locked.

  In Rainer’s mind and in all of their children’s view, the Haydenshires had been an unshakeable rock, a strong foundation. Trying to chip away at the very house that had raised them all cut each child deeply in a place where wounds may heal but scars remained forever.

  “This is tomorrow’s front page?” Garrett interrogated Stella. She nodded and looked horrified. She was already trying to determine the best way to combat something like this with photographic evidence.

  “Lillian, please!” They all heard the Governor beg, and Emily sobbed. She knotted Rainer’s shirt in her fists. She could feel her father’s pain and her mother’s horrifying fear. It was too much.

  With a determined nod, Garrett moved away from the table.

  “Then we have all night.” He pulled his phone from his pocket.

  Rainer forced himself to think logistically. Thinking with any emotion at all, in that moment, was simply too painful.

  “Ok, but if the camera is still working, then as soon as we enter they’ll know.” He pointed out.

  “Yeah,” Logan agreed. “And I’m not really looking to take on half of the Interfeci. We need to get that camera out unharmed and prove what Peterson’s done.” Garrett nodded as he scrolled down the contact list of his phone.

  “Yeah Dan’s going with us, and we could probably get most of Elite as well. Not sure if you’ve ever seen Vindico fight…” Garrett scoffed “but he’s a little better than decent I’d say.” Everyone forced a chuckle at the understatement.

  “Rainer, you have to go. You have to prove that Daddy didn’t do this.” Emily pulled Rainer away from the rest of her family.

  “Do you think you can really prove that?” Judy’s voice shook with desperate hope.

  “I sure as hell am gonna try.” Garrett assured her. He grabbed his holster and his jacket after dialing Portwood’s number. Vindico was meeting them at the Senate after he scrambled a jet. Rainer nodded his agreement as Emily pulled him towards her and whispered.

  “Rainer, I have to tell mom about the Tantra.” She begged.

  “What? Why?” Rainer felt his stomach sink even further into his gut.

  “Because, Rainer, she knows Daddy didn’t do that.” She gestured back to the folder on the table. “She’s hurt because he made her have to think about something like that, and I know exactly what that feels like.” Despite every fiber of his being telling him not to let her tell her mother that he’d been to a strip club, Rainer agreed.

  A moment later he was kissing Emily good-bye and climbing into the recently repaired Highlander as Garrett drove like a bat out of hell, all the way to the Senate.

  Rainer had been given a list of numbers of papers and news organizations from Stella. He was to phone as soon as they located something. If they were going to beat the trumped-up, infidelity charges to the papers, the press would have to be alerted instantly.

  Deeds Never Done

  Elite Iodex boarded a plane. They were all sporting the same signature, military drive and scowl. Garrett handed the folder to Vindico.

  After flipping it open, he shook his head.

  “He’s a sick bastard.” Vindico huffed as he shut the folder quickly. Ericcson picked up the folder.

  “Who would believe this? Anyone who’s ever met the Governor would know he’d never cheat. I doubt he even fantasizes about other women.”

  “Uh, dude, that’s my dad.” Logan’s shudder made everyone laugh. The plane, with a full battery of pilots and coolant officers took off, and an hour and half later they were exiting and loading into SUVs that Vindico had arranged.

  It was getting late, and the airport was relatively quiet. Vindico had called Mr. Buffet’s house phone to inform him that they suspected his cell had been cloned. He’d assured Vindico that he’d never phoned Judy, and that, to his knowledge, there had been no problems with the Governor’s campaign accounts. He was standing by ready to be interviewed by the press.

  Judy’s husband, Darren, had shown up at the farmhouse, while they were in the air. Emily had texted Rainer. He’d told anyone that would listen that Judy had only been gone from their room a few minutes and had immediately returned and phoned what
she’d thought was Buffet’s cell to give him the numbers he’d requested.

  There was some worry over whether or not money had been stolen from the account via the passing of security codes, but Vindico called it when he explained that if they’d removed money from the account before they broke the scandal that it would have alerted someone.

  Timing, in this case, was everything. He and Buffett had already decided to remove the money in the account; however, as Vindico pointed out that those responsible probably intended to take the money while the Haydenshires reeled from the scandal.

  “All right, when we enter, keep a close watch on anyone that tries to make a quick escape.” Vindico ordered. “Someone in that hotel knows what took place, and we can’t have anyone tampering with the camera. The way to prove the Governor’s innocence is to use the time stamp on Mrs. Young’s cell phone and the time stamp on the photos.” Vindico explained.

  With that, the large black Escalade pulled into the parking lot of the mid-range hotel in downtown Portland.

  “Turn off the ringers on your phones. No distractions.” Vindico ordered. Everyone followed suit. As it was four hours earlier in Portland, the streets were more crowded than the ones in Arlington had been when they’d left.

  Vindico threw open the double doors in the entryway of the hotel. Badges were held high by every Elite Iodex officer as they entered.

  “Police! I just need everyone to stay right where they are.” Vindico menaced.

  There was a man dressed in a polyester suit standing near the front desk. His hotel nametag that declared him to be Steve stated that guests should ‘ask him if you need any assistance.’ He moved towards the hallway that led to the elevators. Vindico had him by the scruff of his collar in a moment’s notice.

  “Steve,” Vindico sneered. “Just the man I was looking for.” Vindico spun him so he was staring into his infuriated eyes. He drove his index finger into Steve’s badge. Steve winced as the metal bludgeoned his skin. Vindico pretended to read the badge.