“You won’t have to do any live interviews,” William says. “Any interviews you do will be scripted and recorded by our media team.”
“She could do some interviews at the house next week,” I say to William. “Rachel’s coming back to Connecticut with me.”
“I don’t know if we’ll need her to record anything just yet, but I think you should make a statement we could send out. I’ll tell Kiefer to get everything set up.”
“Kiefer?” Rachel turns to me. “You don’t mean Kiefer Douglas, do you?”
“Yes, the director. But he no longer works in Hollywood. He works for us, creating news footage and taping interviews and doing other odd jobs.”
“It’s another long story,” Garret says.
This is a lot for Rachel to take in, but I don’t have time to explain it all to her. William’s time is limited and we need to make decisions fast. We need to get this story to the media soon. Making Rachel’s story public will help ensure her safety. The organization would be putting themselves at risk of exposure if they did something to her once the story is out. If they killed her, reporters would dig into every possible cause, trying to find out if she’s really dead this time, and if so, who killed her.
“What about our fellow members?” I ask William.
“I’m not terribly concerned about them. The older members are the ones who would’ve threatened her, but the majority of them are dead now, with the exception of Leland. And the younger members have no reason to go after her.”
“That doesn’t mean they won’t. She knows about us. That alone is enough to put her at risk.”
“Yes, but she also values her life and therefore has reason to keep this a secret.”
Rachel tenses up and I rub her arm again. “William, perhaps you could soften your language.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you, Rachel. I assumed you knew the risks.”
“I do,” she says. “Please continue. So you’re saying you think I’m safe? That none of them will bother me?”
“Yes, but I do need to know if you and Pearce plan to remarry, because that could be an issue.”
“Why? What does that—”
I interrupt her. “We’ll be getting married. What deal will I have to make in order for that to happen?”
“I’m not sure yet. You’ll need to appear at a meeting and we’ll discuss some options.”
Rachel looks at me. “What deal? Pearce, I don’t want you making deals with them. If that’s the case, then we won’t get married. We’ll just live together.”
“We’re getting married,” I say forcefully. “I’m not letting the organization stop you from being my wife. I’ll do what I have to do.”
“Dad, are you sure about this?” Garret sounds as worried as Rachel did.
“Everyone relax,” William says. “They won’t cause physical harm to him. If you’ll remember, harming another member is against the rules. This deal will most likely affect your bank account, Pearce, or the company.”
“That’s fine. But I need more assurance that the members will leave Rachel alone.”
“I will send an official warning to the lower level members telling them that she is not to be harmed. The warning will be read at the meeting that will be held to inform everyone of Rachel’s return. But honestly, Pearce, I think the only member you need to be concerned about is Leland. He needs to be taken care of soon, before he tries to recruit someone to his cause.”
William’s right. Leland can be quite persuasive, and when he finds out about Rachel, he’ll try to convince one of the other members to help him kill her, saying she shouldn’t be with me and how she should’ve been killed years ago.
Leland needs to be killed, and fast.
“I’ll get to work on this,” William says. “Pearce, shall we have our private discussion now?”
“Yes. Rachel. Garret. If you wouldn’t mind, I need a few minutes with William.”
Garret gets up. “Mom, let’s go outside. Jade’s playing with Abi out on the patio.”
Rachel looks at me, concern in her eyes. She doesn’t want me killing Leland. She doesn’t want William doing it either. But Leland has to die. If he doesn’t, she’ll be the one dying. Leland will make sure of it.
“Go ahead, sweetheart,” I say.
She turns to William. “Thank you for helping us with this.”
“You’re very welcome.” He smiles at her.
She leaves with Garret, and once they’re gone I say to William, “I’m thinking a plane crash would be most appropriate.”
He rubs his jaw as he thinks. “I suppose that would work. It’s obvious, yet perhaps that’s the message you want to send. The other members will suspect you killed Leland, but they won’t be able to prove it. Everyone knows small planes are dangerous and they also know Leland takes fastidious care in checking his plane before he takes off. When it crashes, the members will assume he either failed to notice something during the inspection of his plane or that you rigged the plane to go down. If they assume the latter, they’ll be impressed that you were able to rig Leland’s plane without his knowledge, and that will make them fear you even more.”
I smile. “And fear is power.”
“And so it is.” He smiles back.
“And I won’t be punished because the cause of the crash will be undetermined.”
“Correct. So shall I take care of this for you?”
“No. I don’t expect you to. I’ll get to work on it when I get back next week.”
“That’s too late. This could take some time. The steps need to begin now. The sooner, the better. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, absolutely. I just feel I’m overstepping boundaries making you do this for me.”
He shakes his head. “I’m happy to do it. Over the years, you have shown nothing but kindness to my family, despite all that my brother put you through. I will always be grateful to you for checking in on my mother the way you did after my father died. And you’ve always looked out for Jade. So I owe you many favors. Consider this one of them.”
“Thank you, William. If you need any assistance, please contact me.”
“I will.” He stands up. “I need to be going, but first I need to stop by and say hello to Mother.”
“I believe she’s outside. I think I just heard her voice.”
We walk out to the patio and see Grace, Jade, Garret, and Rachel sitting at the table. Abigail is on Rachel’s lap.
“William.” Grace gets up as he approaches her. She hugs him. “How have you been?”
“Good, Mother.”
She steps back. “You’re staying for lunch, I assume.”
“I’m afraid not. I need to get back to New York.”
“William Sinclair,” she scolds. “You do not come all the way out here and then turn around and go home. You will eat lunch with your mother.”
Everyone laughs, including William.
“Yes, Mother.”
She looks him up and down. “You’re too thin. Why aren’t you eating?”
He laughs again. “I thought I was, but perhaps I missed a meal or two.”
Grace is always this way. Always worried about everyone, including me. She’s become like a mother to me, more so than my own mother, who still shows little care or concern for me. I’ve come to accept that. She is who she is and that’s fine. I receive plenty of love and affection from the people who are with me right now. My family now includes people I truly love and who love me back. Except the past fifteen years, someone was missing. But now she’s not. Now that Rachel has returned, my family is complete.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
29
RACHEL
I’ve been back in the U.S. for a little over a week now, but it seems like much longer than that. Italy seems like a lifetime ago. I wrote Celia a letter telling her I’m okay and sent her the money she gave me, but other than that, I put all memories of Italy aside. My focus has been here, with my family, and the life I’m reb
uilding with them.
Pearce and I have spent every day over at Jade and Garret’s house, swimming, or sitting out by the pool and talking. I’m slowly learning more about what went on while I was gone, including the story of how Garret met Jade, and the struggles they went through to be together. After hearing their story, it’s amazing that everything worked out for them. I could say the same for Pearce for me, except our story isn’t finished. We’re hoping it will have a happy ending, but we still have a ways to go before we get there. We have to reintroduce me to the public and deal with the organization.
The story we’re planning to feed the media has already been crafted and written up, and Pearce and I approved it yesterday. I’ve been memorizing scripted phrases to use in case I’m hounded by reporters after the story comes out. The story will be released next week, when I’m safely locked away in Pearce’s Connecticut mansion. I’m hoping the story won’t generate a lot of interest, but I really don’t know what the response will be.
Pearce has been talking to William a lot this week, but he doesn’t let me listen in on the calls. I assume they’re discussing their plan for Leland. It’s probably best if I don’t know the details. I don’t want to think about Pearce plotting someone’s murder, but I know it has to be done.
The more I learn about Pearce’s world, the more I realize how dangerous it can be. I’m not just referring to the organization, but also criminals who might target him because of his money. Pearce is wealthier and more well-known than he was fifteen years ago. Back then, he lived a fairly normal life, living in a normal house and a normal neighborhood. We didn’t flaunt our wealth or draw attention to ourselves. But since then, Pearce has become known as a billionaire CEO of a very large corporation, and that can attract bad people. People who might come after him—or me, once they find out I’m alive.
I’ve realized that if I’m going to be with Pearce, I need to learn how to protect myself. When I’m with him I feel safe, but he can’t be with me all the time and I don’t want to be afraid every time I go somewhere alone. For years, I lived in fear, knowing those masked men were watching me, and might kill me. I’m not going to live that way again. If anyone threatens me or comes after me, I’m going to protect myself.
That’s why I asked Pearce to take me here today. We’re at an indoor shooting range. I want to learn how to shoot a gun. I’ll probably never need to use one, but if I ever do, I need to know how to hold it and how to shoot it.
When I told Pearce I wanted to do this, he was shocked. He knows I don’t like guns. But I explained to him that I refuse to be a helpless victim, and that I want him to teach me not only how to use a gun, but anything else that will help me protect myself. He smiled when I said that, because it just proved my commitment to be with him. I know his world can be dangerous, but I still want to be part of it.
“Widen your stance a little.” Pearce is standing behind me, assessing my form.
I move my feet, repositioning myself. “Like this?”
“Yes, that’s good.”
“Now hold the gun up, but don’t shoot it yet. Get a feel for the weight of it in your hand. Hold it firmly, but don’t tense your body. If you’re too tense, your muscles will shake and it’ll affect your aim.”
I do as he says, aiming the gun at the paper target in front of me. I’ve shot a gun before, but it was back when I lived on the farm, and it was a hunting rifle, not a handgun. My dad used to hunt, and although I never went hunting with him, I shot at targets in the yard and got to be pretty good at it.
“Now aim at the target and fire off a shot.”
I hold the gun steady and shoot. I hit too high, landing above the target’s head.
“I’m going to adjust your arms.” Pearce steps up behind me and puts his hands on my arms, lowering them. “You were aiming too high. That’s normal when you’re learning.”
Once my arms are in the right position, he steps back. “Okay, try again.”
There’s nobody else in here but Pearce and me, which is good. It would be hard to concentrate with people next to me.
I aim the gun and shoot, and this time I hit the target’s chest.
“Excellent,” I hear Pearce say.
“That’s only because you lined me up properly.”
“Yes, but now you know how to position yourself in relation to the gun. Try a couple more.”
I shoot and hit the target’s head. I shoot again and hit his shoulder.
“That’s good, Rachel. A lot of beginners can’t even hit the target.”
He continues to give me tips, and after a while, I hit the target almost every time.
“I think that’s enough for today,” I say. “My arm’s getting tired.”
“I’m going to do a few rounds before we go.”
I step aside and Pearce takes my place. He uses a different gun. A bigger, heavier one. He replaces the target, then aims and shoots, several times in a row. Every shot hits the target’s chest, right over the heart. He continues, each shot perfect.
“You’ve obviously practiced a lot,” I say, as we’re driving back to the hotel.
“Yes, but it’s much more difficult when your target is moving. That’s why you have to practice. If we have time, we’ll do this again when we’re in Connecticut. I’ll rent out the range so it will just be us.”
“Because you think someone you know might be there?”
“All the members practice target shooting. It’s required.”
“What else is required?”
He reaches over for my hand. “Let’s not discuss this.”
So we don’t. I’ve decided I don’t need to know everything about the organization. Pearce can’t tell me anyway so it’s no use asking him questions, but sometimes one slips out.
Back in our hotel room, we’re barely in the door when Pearce captures me around my waist and kisses me.
“Pearce, we need to get over to Garret’s house. Dinner’s in less than an hour.”
“That’s plenty of time.”
“We need to clean up. Take a shower.”
He smiles at me. “Good idea. We haven’t done it in the shower for two days.”
“Maybe we should slow down.” I say that, and yet I’m kissing him while undoing his belt.
“Why would we slow down?” He lifts my shirt up and over my head, then yanks off his own. “You just said we had to be at dinner in an hour.”
“I mean, not do this so much. We’ve done it a lot this week.”
“And you find that to be a problem?” He undoes my jeans while kissing me and backing me up toward the bathroom.
“No.” I smile against his lips. “It’s not a problem.”
We’re in the bathroom now and he reaches in the shower and turns it on, his lips not leaving mine.
“Fifteen years, Rachel,” he says, as we race to strip the clothes off our lower halves. “And watching you shoot that gun turned me on like you wouldn’t believe.” He backs me against the sink.
“I was thinking the same thing about you,” I say, breathing hard.
“Is that so?” He lifts me up on the marble counter.
“Yes.” I look him in the eye while stroking him with my hand. “I couldn’t wait to get you back here so we could do this.”
His fingers tangle in my hair and he tilts my head back to meet his mouth, giving me hot, urgent kisses.
“Rachel,” he breathes out. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“Let’s go in the shower,” I whisper.
But instead, he grips my backside, pulling me into him with commanding force. I wrap my legs around him and we do it right there on the counter, the hot shower steaming up the room.
We’ve been like this all week and I love it. We won’t be able to keep this up when we’re in Connecticut. Pearce will have to return to work and we’ll be living with his daughter. We’re leaving tomorrow, so this is our last day to be free to do whatever we want with no one around.
Later, as we�
�re driving to Garret’s house, I check the clock and notice we’re ten minutes late.
“Pearce, we should’ve left sooner. The kids are waiting for us. I don’t want them thinking we were doing…certain things.”
He chuckles. “They know we’re doing those things.”
“How do you know that?”
“Well, for one, they’ve noticed we can’t take our hands off each other.” He softly rubs my hand, which he’s holding. “And two, our daughter-in-law has informed our son that she is quite concerned I will get you pregnant.”
I laugh. “Garret told you that?”
“Yes. Just the other day. He couldn’t stop laughing, then he patted me on the back and said he’s hoping for a brother.”
I shake my head, smiling. “Did you tell him that’s not possible?”
“No. I just talked about something else. But then he asked why we never had more children. He asked if it was because I knew they’d have to be part of the organization. I just told him that was the reason. I didn’t tell him what happened to you during the delivery. I wasn’t sure if you wanted him to know.”
“I’d rather he not know. But Pearce, is the real reason you didn’t want more children because you were worried about their future?”
“Yes, but I was also concerned about your health. I didn’t want you having another child after what you went through with Garret.”
“If you were worried about the organization, then why did you agree to have Garret?”
“Because I wanted us to have a child. And I thought I could get him out of his obligation to be a member, which I did. But if the organization didn’t exist, and if your health hadn’t been a concern, I would’ve wanted more children.”
“How many?”
“Probably three.”
“I wanted three too.” I smile. “Or maybe four. I love children.”
He squeezes my hand. “I know you do. And you’re an excellent mother.”
We arrive at the house and Jade and Garret have dinner waiting.
“What took you guys so long?” Garret asks. He’s smiling. He knows the answer.
“We got caught up in traffic,” Pearce says as he pulls my chair out for me.
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