by LR Potter
She opened the door quietly and stepped inside, turning to close it with equal quietness. When she turned back around, she found her father’s eyes on her impassively. She swallowed, not sure now what to say to him.
“Trinity,” he said in acknowledgement, as he pulled his dark-rimmed reading glasses off his face.
“Father.”
He stared at her silently for a long moment. “Was there something you needed?” His tone was somewhat dismissive.
She blinked rapidly. “How did my mother die?”
The space between his eyes wrinkled in consternation. He eyed her curiously as he tried to understand the nature of her question. “You know how she died. What’s this about?”
“Just tell me again.”
“She died from a sustained blow to her temple. Now, what’s this about?” he demanded.
His tone irritated her. He had no right to be angry about anything. “Did she really die?”
His head tilted to the side and his eyebrows rose. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know how to be any clearer,” she replied sarcastically.
“You were there. Of course she died,” he answered.
“Why didn’t you let me see her?”
With a heavy sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You were a very young girl and had already suffered so much. I thought it best if you didn’t see her that way.”
Harshly she said, “Suffered at your hand.”
Sighing heavily as if bored with their conversation, he asked, “What’s the point in dredging up all this past history, Trinity?”
“Mmm. I wonder. What would you say if I told you I know for a fact she’s alive?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You were there. You know that’s not true,” he said, as if he thought she was daft.
She eyed him for a long moment before saying quietly but emphatically. “She is alive.”
With a dismissive wave of his hand, he said, “Trinity, I went to the morgue to identify the body. I went to the funeral home and picked out her coffin. I saw them put her body in that coffin. I have a death certificate in my safe at home. She is dead,” he ended on a harsh note.
Tilting her chin up defiantly, she hissed, “And why would I believe anything you say? You have proven over and over that your word means nothing… less than nothing!”
Her father stood up abruptly, causing his chair to roll back from the force. “I don’t have to put up with this, young lady.”
Rising just as abruptly, Trinity dug into the Fed Ex envelope and pulled out the picture of her mother and thrust it in his face. “Tell me this isn’t my mother.”
He ran his tongue under his top lip in frustration before glancing down at the photograph. He paused for an instant. “Where did you get this?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter where I got it from. What matters is that my mother is alive and I think you knew it.”
With a dismissive wave of his hand, he said, “Trinity, I’m sorry to tell you this, but someone is playing an elaborately cruel hoax on you. Your mother is dead.”
She stared into his eyes looking for the truth, but just couldn’t tell. He’d lied so convincingly to her in the past. “I don’t believe you,” she said with a little less conviction.
“Honestly, I don’t care what you believe at this point,” he said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
She leaned forward and gripped the edge of his desk and met his eyes firmly before saying coldly, “You may not care right now, but I promise you this: if I find out you had anything to with keeping my mother away from me, I will shout it from the rooftops. The pristine reputation you’re so proud of will be smeared when people are told the truth about the Embassy Fund and the kidnapping!”
Exhaling deeply and sitting back down, Arthur folded his hands together and eyed her with forced calm. “Your mother is dead, Trinity. My only advice to you is to tread carefully here. Whoever sent you that picture did so for a reason. I’d examine that reason before I did anything rash.”
Shoving the picture back into the envelope, she once more tilted out her defiant chin. “I intend to find out the truth, and my advice to you is to pray the trail I follow doesn’t lead me back to you.” Spinning quickly on the balls of her feet, she moved rapidly to the door, and without glancing back, exited just as quietly as she’d entered it.
She stood for moment with her back pressed firmly against the door with her eyes closed and her chest heaving. It wasn’t until she opened them that she remembered she had an audience. Ms. Callie was watching her anxiously, while Alex seemed more on guard. She tried to give them both a reassuring smile, but it faltered.
“It was good to see you again,” Trinity said to Ms. Callie on her way out. She didn’t stop long enough to hear her response.
Trinity inhaled deeply to try and calm her frazzled senses. Her eyes stung with the need to cry, but she didn’t want to cry in front of Alex or in the middle of the courthouse. He waited until they were both seated in the SUV before asking, “Everything all right?”
She swallowed but only nodded.
Eyeing her speculatively, he asked. “Okay. Let me ask you another way. Is there anything for me to be concerned about?”
Again without speaking, she shook her head.
They’d barely pulled back into traffic when her cellphone rang. She dug it out of her purse and her stomach flopped over. It was Rush. She really didn’t… really couldn’t speak to him right now. She was still too emotionally raw from her run-in with her father. Wanting to appear normal in front of Alex, however, she swallowed and answered. “Hey,” she said more shakily than she wanted.
“Hey, baby. Everything okay? You sound upset,” he asked, concerned.
How’d he think she’d feel when she learned of his betrayal? Clearing her throat, she replied a little more smoothly, “No everything’s fine. Just out and about with Alex.”
There was a moment of silence as he tried to understand what was going on. “Trinity, what is it?”
“Nothing. Everything’s fine. How is your day?” she asked with forced enthusiasm.
He sighed heavily. “Things are progressing. I hope to be home before the weekend is over. How is Blake? Is he better?”
“He’s much better. Don’t worry about us. Stay as long as you need to,” she assured him – desperately wanting him to stay until she could unravel the situation with her mother.
“I miss you. I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to. I wish you and Blake were here with me now.”
“I know,” she replied wanly.
Silence met her words. “I wish you’d tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing. We’ll talk about it when you get home, all right?”
Silence once again met her words, then he exhaled deeply. “I hate being this far away from you,” he said quietly.
“You’ll be home soon.”
“I’m here if you need me. You know that, right? You can call me anytime. I’ll always take your call. I love you, Trinity. I want us to work… I need us to work.”
“I know. Everything’s fine,” she said almost tonelessly. Hurt filling her again at the cavalier way he’d totally dismissed finding her mother. How could he profess to love her when he knew how much this would mean to her? He was as big of a liar as her father. “I’ll talk to you soon, bye.”
She could feel Alex’s stare but she refused to look at him. This was none of his business. She needed to find out about her mother. The little girl deep down inside her turned away from the thought that leaving may have been her mother’s idea all along because she’d not wanted her. Maybe there was no real reason for her to disappear. But why would she move around so much?
Lost in thought, she jumped when Alex began to speak. It took a couple of seconds to realize he wasn’t talking to her, but to someone on his Bluetooth.
“Masters… Yes… Not yet… I don’t know… Yes, I believe so… Will do… Yes… Okay… Not at the moment… When I
can… Yep.”
Trinity stared at him for a moment after he’d finished his call before asking, “Rush calling to check up on me?”
Alex glanced at her but didn’t answer. Anger simmered through her. How dare Rush treat her like a child. She’d not allow it. She’d go back to her condo and face the vultures before she’d allow Rush to rule over her. He was not in charge of her life, only she was. She did not live under anyone’s thumb… not any longer. Maybe it was better for all this to come out before they were married. Yeah… like that was going to happen now anyway. She couldn’t keep her lips from trembling at the thought of life without Rush. But how could she possibly trust him?
A thought occurred to her as they drove towards Rush’s house. “Alex, I need to stop by my condo complex and pick up my car,” she said quietly.
He tilted his short-cropped, blonde head to the side, as if in contemplation of her request. Finally, he shifted his green eyes to meet her dark, pooling ones. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Furious now, she gritted her teeth. “I didn’t ask you if it was a good idea. I need to get my car. Either you can take me now, or I will call a taxi to take me when we get to Rush’s.” Her fists balled in her lap when he ignored her. Her fury was further stoked when she saw him push buttons on his console… he was calling Rush for permission. Her blood boiled.
“Ms. Grace is requesting to go by and get her vehicle from her condo… No… No… Will do.”
It wasn’t a full thirty seconds after Alex finished speaking that Trinity’s phone began to ring.
“I don’t need your damn permission to get my own damn car, from my own damn condo!” she said heatedly into her phone before Rush had an opportunity to speak.
“Trinity, calm down…” he began before she cut him off.
“Don’t tell me to calm down. You do not own me! I do not follow your commands. I want to get my car… NOW!” Her chest rose rapidly and her face flushed with anger.
“Baby, Alex or Radcliff can take you…”
“I am not a child. I don’t need anyone to take me anywhere. Do you understand? You are not my father. Are we clear?”
A deadly silence met her words, but she didn’t care… was past caring what he thought. “Trinity, I don’t know what’s going on, but acting irrationally isn’t going to help,” he said, his voice icy.
“I’m getting my car and I don’t need your permission to do so. So either have Alex take me now, or I’ll just go by myself later. Those are your only options. How is that for rational?” she said through clenched teeth.
She rankled when he threw out the same words her father had just used, “Tread carefully here, Trinity.”
Her line when dead, then she heard Alex speaking, “Yep… of course… all right… Yes, sir.”
She sent Alex a deadly glance. His jaw clenched but he said nothing.
She glanced up and down the street when Alex parked a couple of cars down from where her car was parked. She was relieved to not see anyone loitering around in front of her building. Digging her keys from her purse, she got out without speaking to Alex. She slipped into her silver compact car and immediately gasped at the heat encompassed inside the car from sitting so long in the sun. It didn’t take long for the air conditioner to cool off the interior. As she pulled out onto the street and glanced into her rearview mirror, she saw Alex pull out behind her. Of course he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. How was she supposed to find out about her mother without him following her? She sighed heavily. She didn’t really have any other option. It wasn’t as if Rush could stop her from going to El Paso. His only hold on her was Blake.
Now that her fury had ebbed away, her emotions swayed between to extremes: excitement at the prospect of what she was going towards – her mother; and despair of what she was leaving behind – Rush, and her life with him. A sliver of fear ran up her spine. Rush had power, prominence, and money on his side. If he so wanted, he could take Blake from her. Her heart clutched in her chest.
She pulled into Rush’s curved drive and parked. She went quickly into the house to check on Blake. She found Anna walking around the living room with him on her shoulder, bouncing him, trying to stop his small wails. She gave Anna an apologetic grimace and took him from her.
“Sorry. I’m sorry. I was longer than I expected,” she told her.
“No problem. He hasn’t been crying long,” Anna assured her.
Trinity took him into the nursery and began feed him. “I’m so sorry, baby. Mommy didn’t mean to be gone so long,” she cooed to him as he nursed.
She’d just finished feeding Blake and changed him when her cellphone rang. Her chest tightened at the thought it could be Rush, but it wasn’t, it was Sundra.
“Hey,” Trinity said with relief.
“Trinity,” came her best friend’s wobbly voice.
“Sundra? What’s the matter?”
“Can you come and get me?” Sundra said between sobs.
“Yes, of course. Where are you?” Trinity asked quickly.
There was a short silence before Sundra answered. On a sob, she replied, “The hospital.”
“Oh, my God! What happened? Are you all right?” Trinity asked as she began shoving stuff into Blake’s diaper bag.
“I’ll… I’ll explain everything when you get here. Trinity… please don’t tell anyone,” Sundra begged.
“No, I won’t. I’m on my way. Where are you in the hospital?” Trinity asked.
“The ER.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, okay?”
Trinity heard Sundra’s soft sobs. “Thanks, Trinity,” Sundra said before hanging up.
~*~
Trinity had Blake cradled in one arm and his diaper bag and her purse slung over one shoulder. She had just sat the car seat down beside the front door, and had her hand on the handle when Alex stepped out of the office.
He took in all of these things before saying calmly and emotionlessly, “Going somewhere?”
“Yes,” she said simply before turning the handle and pushing open the door.
“Would you like me to drive you?” Alex asked.
She bristled at his words, even though they were said with no inflection at all. “No, I can manage, thanks.”
“I don’t think it’s safe for you to be out on your own.”
“I’ll be fine,” she reiterated.
“Trinity, please let me do my job,” he said quietly.
“This is something I need to do on my own,” she said just as quietly.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to follow you. Boss’s orders.”
She stared at him for a long while. She didn’t want to tip her hand. She didn’t want Rush to know of her plan. She’d just have to find a way to shake Alex later. “Fine, you can follow,” she said as she bent and picked up the car seat.
By the time she had the seat buckled in and Blake safely ensconced within it, Alex was sitting behind the wheel of Rush’s SUV waiting on her. She saw him continuously in her rearview mirror. She pulled into the hospital parking lot. She removed Blake from the car seat and headed towards the ER. Alex followed her at a distance. She went to the emergency room’s front desk and asked for Sundra’s location. Once she received it, she glanced at Alex and he nodded his head toward the outside seating where he’d be until she returned. She gave him a quick nod in acknowledgement.
Trinity couldn’t contain the gasp which escaped her lips when she pushed aside the curtain which divided the beds in the Emergency Room triage. Sundra’s bottom lip was busted and swollen to twice its normal size. There were numerous other abrasions on her face and her eyes were beginning to blacken. Moving to her side, she sat on the edge of her bed. “Oh, my God! What happened? Were you in an accident?” Trinity asked her redheaded friend.
Lifting her sea-green eyes up as tears slid down, Sundra gave her a sad little smile. “No, at least not what you think. It was Anton,” she whispered.
Trinity studied her for
a moment, taking in what she’d said. “Anton Veretta beat you up? Ahh, Sundra, I’m so sorry,” Trinity said as she shifted Blake in her arms.
Sundra lowered her eyes to the fingers she had plucking at the blanket across her lap. “I don’t know what to do now. He won’t leave me alone… said he’d always find me.”
“What do you mean? We’ll call the police, they…” Trinity began.
Sundra shook her head. “They won’t do anything. His father is a diplomat… you know, diplomatic immunity.”
“I’m sorry, Sundra. Hunter told me Anton had a bad reputation with women, I just didn’t know he was abusive. What can I do?” Trinity asked as she rubbed her friend’s arm comfortingly.
Sundra lifted her teary eyes to Trinity’s. “I really need a place to hide out for a few days. I can’t face my roommates or my parents right now looking like this. Would it be all right if I stay at your condo for a little while?”
Trinity shifted Blake so she could wrap her arm around Sundra’s shaking frame. “Of course, whatever you need,” she murmured.
As Sundra cried in her arms, a thought began to swirl through Trinity’s mind.
Chapter Ten
In the end, it was relatively easy to solve her problem of being able to give Alex Masters the slip. Once Sundra had been released, they’d simply walked out through the hospital’s front entrance instead of the emergency room entrance. Trinity walked beside Sundra as she was being pushed in a wheelchair by a hospital attendant. Sundra complained as all people do about not needing a wheelchair, but hospital regulations had to be followed. The attendant did allow Sundra to leave the chair once they arrived in the hospital’s lobby. As the attendant left, Trinity pulled Sundra to the side where a grouping of overstuffed chairs sat.