Honest Betrayal

by Girard, Dara

  She cried and he let her, gently brushing away tears, freeing her to lift off the weight of her mask. He pulled the couch throw over them and she snuggled in his arm. He tightened his hold and lowered his arm to her waist.

  “I’m so happy,” she said.

  Hunter absently stroked her thigh. “Just wait until the Randolphs hear about this.”

  Brenna turned to him and saw a look on his face that worried her. “Why should we care what the Randolphs’ think?”

  His eyes met hers filled with a darkness that paralyzed her with fear. “Because I plan to make them care.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Brenna’s fears were realized a month later when she glanced over to the other side of the room and noticed Hunter in the corner reading a series of papers. For the first time she noticed how his weight loss had given him a hard, edgy look she didn’t like. “What are you doing?”

  He glanced up. “Randolph Medical is in trouble. Their sales are low and they’ve overextended themselves. They are prime for a takeover.” He flashed a cruel grin.

  She inwardly shivered at his expression. “I hate when you smile like that.”

  “I thought you liked my smile.”

  “I do. Just not that one.”

  “Why?”

  Because she thought he looked like Orson. “Never mind. So what are you going to do about it?”

  “About what?”

  “Saving the company.”

  He frowned. “I’m not planning to save the company.”

  “You’re not going to let it fall, are you? This is your family legacy and a lot of people depend on its survival. I’m sure you’ll try to save it.”

  Hunter looked down at his papers. “You’ve made a poor assumption,” he said in a quiet tone.

  “What assumption?”

  His eyes met hers. “You’re assuming that I am a kind man.”

  Brenna licked her lower lip, choosing her words carefully. “I know they betrayed you, but destroying the company isn’t going to make it right.”

  Hunter stared at her amazed. “Why are you defending him?” He gestured to the couch. “Do you remember what he did to you? Trust me, this is about much more than betrayal.”

  “I know what he did to me was wrong, but—”

  He narrowed his eyes. “There are no buts. Your loyalty lies with me.”

  “It is.”

  “Then don’t get in my way.”

  “Hunter, please listen to me. Your revenge won’t just hurt him, but everyone else. Think of your grandmother.”

  He shrugged nonchalant. “She’s lived a long life.”

  Brenna paused at his cold disregard. “Let me help you get what you want, but—”

  His eyes darkened as his voice turned to acid. “I will settle for nothing less than the sight of his blood dripping on my hands.”

  Brenna stared back at him, although it took all her courage to do so. She could feel his anger and his need for revenge, but she knew that what he was thinking of could destroy him too. “I won’t let you.”

  “You can’t stop me.”

  “Then I’ll fight you.”

  Hunter stared at her as a cool anger began to gather in his mind. It was an anger he’d never felt before. It didn’t grip or seize him, but whispered calmly. Quiet thoughts he could never utter aloud. For a moment he wondered if he had inherited his mother’s madness, because as he looked at his wife he felt a dangerous anger fill him. An anger that her loyalty meant everything to him, that her opinion mattered and that gave her a certain power over him.

  “Don’t get in my way, Brenna.”

  “I will if I have to.”

  “You know they say I killed my brother.”

  “I don’t believe that. When I have time again I’ll find your mother.”

  He threw down the paper and stood. “You can’t because she’s dead.”

  “Did they tell you that too?”

  “Ruby wouldn’t lie to me.”

  Brenna shook her head and looked at him in sympathy. “I wish I could believe that.”

  “It doesn’t matter anyway.” He turned to the window. “They’ll all get what they deserve.”

  Brenna came up behind him and wrapped her arm around his. “He made us both suffer. Are you any better if you make others suffer because of the actions of one man?”

  “At this very moment I don’t care about being moral or decent. To Orson power is all that matters.”

  “That may be so but Orson possesses something a lot more important than his power, which is why he has been able to succeed all these years and destroy and control people’s lives including yours. Hunter, true vengeance is discovering a man’s weaknesses, not trying to take away his greatest strength.”

  Hunter reluctantly listened. “Go on.”

  “What does Orson value more than his money, his power, his position? What is the one thing you’re willing to protect with your life?”

  He looked down at her for a long moment then glance away. “Orson isn’t like me.” He removed her arm. “This is my fight and I’ll do it alone.”

  ***

  Byron nearly swallowed his tongue when Hunter burst into his office like an avenging warrior. He held up his hands in surrender. “Whatever you think I did, I didn’t,” he said.

  Hunter raised a brow.

  “Okay, so I asked her to run away with me, but she decided not to. That’s all, nothing happened. I swear.”

  Hunter sat, looking suddenly amused. “Yes, I know.”

  Byron let his hands fall, relieved. “Then why are you here?”

  “Are you still in the mood for a little revenge?”

  Byron began to smile. “Keep talking.”

  “Orson was responsible for putting Brenna in the hospital. I have decided that I would like to thank him personally.”

  Byron stilled, a look as dangerous as Hunter’s, coming into his eyes. “So would I. If you want to destroy his company I have just the information you need.”

  “I already know it.”

  Byron’s face fell. “You do?”

  “Yes. However, I could still use your services.”

  “Fine. So do you know everything?”

  “Yes, the embezzlement scheme of my father is no secret to me.”

  “Do you know about Victor Erickson?”

  “No, who is he?”

  Byron rubbed his hands together. “Our winning card.”

  ***

  Orson sat in his study trying to figure out the best way to get Randolph back on track. He glanced up when he heard a knock on the door. “Come in.”

  Two officers entered the room. “Orson Randolph?”

  “Yes.”

  “Please stand.”

  He casually did so. “Why?”

  “You’re under arrest for the assault and battery of Brenna Randolph.”

  “What! There must be a mistake. That bastard.” He called out his wife’s name. “Audrey! You get my lawyer on the phone now. You can’t do this to me. Do you know who I am?”

  “Yes, sir.” They ushered him towards the front door.

  “I’ll have your jobs.”

  “You have the right to remain silent…”

  ***

  Orson returned home hours later. He marched into the sitting room and poured himself a drink. He turned to Audrey who sat on the couch. “That boy has gone too far.” He took a long swallow then set the glass down. “He thinks he can play the game, my game, but I’m bigger than he is. He’ll find out. Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Curtis called.”

  “So what?”

  “He needs to see you at the office.”

  “I don’t care. He’ll see me tomorrow.”

  “He said it was urgent. Apparently there are two men who want to invest in your company.”

  Orson’s interest peaked. “Fine. I’ll change and get over there right away.”

  ***

  He would deal with Hunter later. If that
boy thought a little jail time would rattle him, he was dead wrong. He chuckled to himself as he strode down the hall to his office. Here he was in the company he’d made. Created on his own. Nobody could defeat him. He opened the door to his office and halted. Hunter sat at his desk. He glanced at his son and the two other men in the room.

  He slammed the door. “If you value your life, you’ll get up out of my chair.”

  Hunter clasped his hands. “If you value yours, you’ll take a seat.”

  Orson looked at Hunter with contempt. “I don’t listen to orders I don’t give.”

  Byron pushed him into a chair. “Think of it as a suggestion.”

  Orson glanced at Curtis who stood near the wall like the weak, coward he was. “You knew about all this?”

  “No, he didn’t.”

  “Don’t blame him,” Hunter said. “He called you under our direction.”

  “Why are you here?” Orson said.

  “To do a little negotiation.”

  He began to smile. “What do you have to offer me?”

  “Your reputation.”

  “I already have one.”

  “Yes, but you could lose it. Think of how it would look if it were known that the president of Randolph Medical Supply attacked not only the spokeswoman for the company, but a disabled individual, who has used his products for years, causing her to be hospitalized.”

  “I didn’t attack anyone.”

  “You made her fall.”

  Orson looked bored. “She tripped. Her cane got caught on something and she fell.”

  “She said you took her cane.”

  “That’s because she’s a liar. You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do? You’re trying to frame me for something I didn’t do. Too bad you can’t prove this little story of yours. It’s her word against mine.”

  “You lying son of a bitch.” Hunter leaped from his seat; Miles grabbed him before he lunged at Orson. “She nearly lost her leg because of you, and you’re not even man enough to admit it.”

  Miles patted him on the back. “Don’t let him get to you.”

  Hunter sat, his eyes filled with rage.

  Byron tugged on the cuffs of his jacket. “In reality, the truth of what happened is immaterial, it’s what we can get the public to believe or more importantly the press. They would love a story like this. I am sure it would sell a lot of papers, but I doubt it would do you much good.”

  “I can pay them to keep quiet.”

  “I’ll pay them even more to speak,” Hunter countered. “Imagine if this went viral.”

  Orson felt perspiration rise on his top lip. “What do you want?”

  Hunter spread his hands on the desk. “Right now I’m sitting where I want to be.” He shoved a paper across the table. “I know you’re an old man, but I hope you still know how to spell your name.”

  Curtis suddenly laughed. “You can’t get rid of us that easy.”

  Byron folded his arms. “Do you know a man by the name of Victor Erickson?”

  He blinked. “No.”

  “Of course you do,” he urged. “You’ve been paying his mortgage for over twenty years.”

  Curtis glanced at his father, nervous. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “That’s why you’ve been embezzling money from the company, right? You needed the extra cash to keep your friend satisfied.”

  “That’s my business not yours.”

  “So you admit it’s true?”

  Curtis just stared back mute.

  “Why don’t you just live with him?”

  Orson pounded the arm of his chair. “Because it’s against nature.”

  Curtis jerked his head in Orson’s direction. “Because of him,” he said with feeling. “He’s made me feel like a freak my entire life. Like there was something wrong with me. No matter what I did he treated me like a dog.” He glared at Hunter. “Then you came along and he pushed me aside.”

  “But I’m your son.”

  “I don’t have a son.”

  “What?”

  “You’re not my son.” Curtis glanced at Orson. “You’re his.”

  Hunter sat frozen. “I don’t understand.”

  “What’s not to understand? I’m not your real father.”

  Hunter stared at Orson. “Is it true?”

  Orson leaned back his face impassive. “Is it true that your mother was a whore? Yes.”

  “She wasn’t a whore,” Curtis said.

  “How would you know? Did you ever get a chance to find out what she was like?”

  Curtis’ mouth twisted into a cynical grin. “You seduced her and you’re still proud of it. Why don’t you tell Hunter everything? Go on Dad, tell him how you took her from me. Tell him how you shamed me. You want to talk about unnatural? What about a father that sleeps with his son’s wife?”

  “That’s because she wanted a real man.”

  “I tried to change, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t give her a baby, so you did that for me. Twice.” He looked at Hunter. “I hated you the first time I saw you. Every day you reminded me of the control Dad had over my life. When Lionel came…” Curtis briefly held his hands over his eyes. His voice lowered with regret. “I didn’t mean to do what I did. He just wouldn’t stop crying and I lost my temper. I shook him hard. He stopped crying.

  “It didn’t take me long to realize what I had done. All I thought about at that time was that I didn’t want to go to prison. So I staged a scene. I used a child—you. I wrapped a scarf tight around Lionel’s neck and told you to hold your brother. You liked to hold your brother while Lionel slept. But when Ruby and Marlene came into the room they knew right away.”

  “Ruby was there?” Hunter said.

  “Yes, she was your nanny. She knew everything, but kept it quiet. We covered up the incident, but your mother couldn’t take the pressure and tried to kill herself. You probably don’t remember this but you found her and thought she was tired from painting. Blood soaked your pants and shirts as you hugged her. But she never recovered completely.

  “I blamed Dad for everything and that’s when I started stealing money over the years. I threatened to come out if he said anything. I wanted him to pay for making me keep my secret and his too. I wanted him to pay for the life he forced me to lead.” Curtis sighed. “I know none of this was your fault, but I still can’t stop myself from hating you. From seeing you become everything I tried my whole life to become. I envied you. You had your mother’s love, and your father’s respect. Orson wanted to groom you to replace him, he saw himself in you.”

  Hunter looked at Orson. “Pity.”

  Orson leaned forward. “It’s true you know. You have a lot of me in you. That’s what gives you that fire. We could work together,” he said in a coaxing tone. “We are of the same mind and the same blood. Think of what we could create. How much we could dominate. Wives are just ornaments, I’ll pay for whatever damages you’ve suffered, but don’t let her stop you. No man should be too dependent on a woman. They’re fickle, flighty creatures. But you can depend on me. I know people. I can make you great.”

  Hunter came from around the desk and held out a pen, experiencing no feeling towards the man he now knew was his father. “It’s too late.”

  Orson whipped out a gun and pointed it at him. “It’s never too late.” He grinned. “You should have known better than to try to beat me.”

  Curtis moved forward. “Dad, don’t.”

  “Stay where you are. I’ve covered up murder before and this won’t be any different. I’m finally going to do what you should have done years ago.” He aimed and fired. Curtis rushed in front of Hunter then fell back as the bullet made impact. He crumpled to the ground. Hunter dashed over to him and cradled him in his arms. He put pressure on his chest but blood continued to seep through. “Dad, you’ve got to be strong now.”

  Curtis slowly shook his head. “But I’m not—”

  “Yes, you are. You’re the only father I’ve know
n.”

  His breathing grew more labored. “All this time I thought I hated you, but what I hated was me. I’m sorry.”

  “I forgive you Dad,” Hunter said, holding him close although he could feel the life quickly leaving his father’s body. “Do you hear me? I forgive you. You have to hang on.” He squeezed his eyes shut but tears slipped from underneath his lids. “I forgive you please. Please, Dad don’t leave me.”

  “He’s gone,” Orson said.

  Hunter slowly turned his heated gaze to him. “You killed him.”

  “Pity. I wasn’t aiming for him.” Orson lifted his gun again then his head seemed to explode and his body fell to the ground. The men stood stunned then noticed Orson’s wife Audrey standing in the doorway. She lowered her weapon then fell to her knees and sobbed. “God forgive me, but it’s all over now.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Hunter walked along a strip mall as the summer wind howled through the alleyways hinting at the coming of autumn. Although four months had passed, the confrontation with his grandfather—he still couldn’t call him his father—and his father continued to replay in his mind. He now worked with his Uncle Walter, who he’d appointed president, and Doran to help restructure the company. He didn’t care if Doran eventually became CEO; he no longer desired the position. He enjoyed being a consultant with FreedomWear and investing in other companies and working on new inventions. He and Brenna had looked at possible new homes, but weren’t eager to move. He’d accomplished a goal he didn’t even realize he had. He now had someone to come home to. Someone who cared whether he came home or not. It was a satisfying feeling.

  He was about to turn around when a carousel horse in a gift shop window caught his eye. He went inside and stood in front of the display case. He turned when he saw wispy brown hair in the corner of his eye. “Pauline?”

  She turned with a welcoming smile. It fell when she saw him. “Yes?”

  He pointed to the display case. “Which one do you think I should choose? The horse or the carousel?”