by Blue Saffire
“Amelia, let’s go.” My father holds his palm out to me like we’re on good terms. I step away from him and I walk to Ethan’s side silently. Ethan pulls me into him. I look up at him and his gaze is locked on me. His expression is serious and resolute.
It’s the first time his guard has been down in weeks. Something tells me that none of his behavior has been because of me. In a split second, I make a decision.
“I’m not a child anymore, father, this time I stand with him.” My throat tightens. My father looks at me with revulsion.
“You’ve always been the stupid child. You may look perfect, but you’re a slut just like your mother,” he spits.
Ethan goes to charge forward, but I place a hand on his chest. I know I have to do this on my own, once and for all. I face my father and square my shoulders.
“I honestly would rather be a slut like my mother than a cold, soulless, evil person like you. You rendered her powerless; you made her weak. You tried to do the same to me.” I look at him and I’m filled with disgust and pity. “I feel sorry for you, you never knew what love or true power felt like. Leave, don’t make this more difficult.” I hold my breath as he turns and storms out.
The room falls silent. I, for one, need to find my bearings. I’ve never spoken to my father like that. To be honest, it feels damn good.
Turning back to Ethan, I find him grinding his teeth as he glares after my father. There’s so much hate in his eyes. And still, he doesn’t know how much hate he has a right to.
“What do we do now?” I ask.
“Come with me.”
I follow him and Jalyn wondering what I’m getting myself into. I’m still pissed at Ethan, but I can’t shake the feeling that something more is going on. If I do nothing else, I’m going to get answers.
Ethan
With each moment that passes, I remember why I fell for Red in the first place. She stood up for me in times when there was no one else willing to do so. Yes, Jalyn and Soren are there for me, but Red takes it to a whole different level. She’s fierce, resilient and loyal.
Old feelings have crept up, or maybe my feelings for her never died. Maybe they were only lying dormant. I’m still trying to decipher what exactly they are.
With all the shit with my mom, I’ve shut down. It’s too much of the past all at once. Things have been spiraling and I’m fighting to snap it all back into control. Now this.
“Jay are you coming with me?” I say when we reach the parking lot.
“No, I have my car. Meet you back at the hotel. Amelia, I’ll see you there,” she says with a pointed smile before heading for her car.
It’s clear that Jalyn still likes Red. It’s something I bank to consider later. First, I have my own shit to sort through.
“Olivia is coming to pick me up,” Red says.
“Text her that you have a ride. We need to have that talk.” I turn and I walk to my car. Opening the passenger side door, I wait for her to get in and close it once she’s inside.
Moving to the driver’s seat, I start the engine and we’re off. I don’t want to dive into any of the shit I have going on or what just happened back there. For once, I want to put my guard down with Red. I want to be us.
Conversation, that’s what I should do. I should start a conversation.
“Do you still like the fried chicken and corn dogs from Hubbard’s?” I ask. She loved them when we were teenagers.
She laughs. “Oh my god, yes I do. They still have the lemon meringue pie that you liked.” I glance at her and she has a smirk on her lips, her eyes are full of mirth.
I remember taking her there once on a date. It was an unforgettable night. We ate a whole lemon meringue pie together.
“Do you wanna go there for lunch? Use the old drive thru slots to eat.”
She looks at me in shock. “I would love that.”
I nod as I drive us to Hubbard’s. Soon, I’m biting into my double cheeseburger and drinking a soda. It’s just like old times as we sit in my car. Only different, I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to pay for our date.
“Wow, Ethan, you should’ve just told me what was going on with you,” Red says. “I’m glad you got your mom into a program. Wow, a little brother. If there’s anything I can do for you, let me know.”
“I appreciate that, Red, but we’ve got it covered.”
We’ve been taking care of Keegan while my mother is in rehab. It’s been a major adjustment, but we’re making it through. I look at Red and try to reconcile the girl that broke my heart with this woman that has been ready to come to my rescue, not once but twice today.
It does add up.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I honestly don’t know. This is blowing up like wildfire,” I say, sending another call to voicemail.
“We can’t let him win. Not again,” she says before clamping her mouth shut.
I narrow my eyes as she looks away. There it is again. The truth she’s holding back from me. I don’t know if it pisses me off or if I just want to know what’s she hiding more.
I get lost in thought as I think of all the things that could’ve happened back then. I loved Red and I know in my heart despite the things she said, she loved me too. So what the fuck happened?
“Can I ask you a question, Eth?”
I swallow, sensing that she has something serious to say. “Shoot.”
“With all the things that happened between us, do you wish we never met?” she asks, her gaze traces my face searching for the answer.
I wrap my burger up and drink my soda, giving myself time to find the answer. “No, I don’t wish we never met.”
Her tense shoulders relaxed. She looks down in her lap and starts to pick at her chicken.
“How about you, Red?”
Looking back at me, her eyes brim with sincerity. She replies, “I wish our beginning was different. More peaceful.”
I nod, but I understand what she means. “However, I believe people come into your life for a reason and a season. Everyone is meant to be there.”
“How can you believe that?” she asks, turning her body toward me more.
“I may not have been as rich if your father wasn’t a bastard.”
She nods. “You have a point. A lot could’ve been different. Maybe you would’ve stayed if I’d kept the baby.”
The car became somber. “I know you’re not ready to tell me the truth… I know you’re hiding something from me. However, a lot of things would’ve been different if you did.”
Her eyes water and she gives a small humorless chuckle. “Maybe if I didn’t walk into Litchfield that night, we would’ve never met each other.”
I smirk. “Maybe, and then I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you.”
We both stare at each other, I, for one, realizing, a lot has changed between us. I get the feeling there’s more to come. Somehow, it’s been happening from the start, no matter how hard I’ve tried to fight it.
Each time she climbs into my car, filling it with her scent. Whenever she leans into me at an event. Every time I hear her laughter from across the room. It all sucks me in just a little more, warping my mission and my determination to keep my distance as I seek my revenge.
“I loved you too, Ethan.” She whispers. She says the word loved and it feels like a punch to the gut. However, I shake it off.
“I wouldn’t change anything from our past, it made us stronger for the future.” I pick up her hand and kiss the back of it. She blushes. “Thank you for standing up for me today.”
I have to tell her that much. Despite everything else. That meant more than she could ever know. It’s what I wish she’d done all those years ago. Choose me.
She clears her throat. “It’s nothing. Besides, Tuffet is annoying as hell.”
I rub the back of her hand and stare into her eyes. “Thank you, nonetheless.”
Her blush deepens and she pulls her hand away. “I’m full. Ready to go meet Jay?”
I observe her for a moment as I let this all sink in. A gate has been opened here. It’s clear this conservation isn’t over, but she’s right we need to leave. Jay is waiting at the hotel and so is the shit storm that Huntsman and my stepfather started.
My rage reignites. “Right.”
I gather our trash and toss it in the bin outside the car and we’re off to the hotel.
Chapter 11
Mouths of Babes
Ethan
I don’t know who I want to kill first, Jimbo or Amelia’s father. They’ve been like a stick in my craw for years. Everything I want they try to take away.
I stand rigid, staring out of the large window. My penthouse suite in the Penndel Hotel buzzes with conversation from my campaign managers and volunteers. Each trying to find a solution to an ever-growing problem.
The report I read states that Jimbo was picked up by the police not long after we left Penndel Hall. They were ready to throw the book at him, but not before he did a little more singing about my past. I guess he thought he could use me to get his ass out of those cuffs, but they had him on several counts of drug distribution, domestic violence, and possession of a firearm.
That is until some lawyer showed up out of nowhere and got them to release Jimbo on a technicality. A lawyer I know for damn sure Jimbo could never afford. I’m certain Huntsman is behind this.
First, I’ll deal with Jimbo. Huntsman is a delicate situation. Amelia may be upset with him now, but she still loves her father.
Another reason I should have kept my distance. Her feelings matter to me and that’s guiding my decisions. Oh, I’m still going after Huntsman.
I’m going to hit where I know it will sting most. I will take Draco, his flag ship company, strip it of its identity and rebrand it as my own.
“Are you okay?” a little voice breaks through my thoughts.
I turn to Keegan. He really does look like Soren. He even has the same demeanor, calm, silent, smart. He’s a good kid.
“No.”
“What happened?” he asks.
I have only grown to love this boy, watching him try to act grown up. Maybe in a way he is. I wonder what things he has seen at our old home.
I stoop to reach his level. “Some people are saying mean things about me.”
His forehead scrunches as he processes what I’ve said. “What are you going to do?”
“What do you think I should do?”
He rubs his chin like he’s seriously considering the matter. “Mama says don’t matter the situation, tell the truth.”
Out of the mouth of fucking babies, the kid is right. I stand and hold out my hand for his. He clasps his small one in mine.
“Can I have your attention,” I boom into the room grabbing everyone’s focus. “Set a press conference up at Penndel Hall for six tonight.”
The room erupts and Amelia walks over to me. I can tell this day has worn her down. “Ethan, what are you going to do?”
I look down at Keegan. “I was advised to tell the truth.”
I have never seen a kid beam with so much pride. Jalyn made the call right, we’re the ones that should keep him. I ruffle his hair and his smile grows.
“I need you to do one more thing. It may seem like a lot,” I say to Amelia.
“Anything,” she says softly. Her voice full of determination.
“Throw a party this evening and invite at least sixty people. I need to be seen.”
Her brows draw and her gaze searches my face. I don’t know what she finds, but conviction fills those brown eyes. “Okay, I will.”
Chapter 12
I Am Change
Amelia
“Is he crazy?” Piper whispers next to me as we stand on a stage along with Soren and Jay. We’re standing in support of Ethan as he steps down from running for mayor. The crazy part is, he isn’t denying the allegations. He’s telling the truth.
“I did sell drugs for Mr. Stone in my teens and I did steal bricks of cocaine and ran away with my siblings,” Ethan says to the crowd with remorse and confidence.
“I did it to leave the life of Lower Penndel behind. After leaving, police did arrest me months later. I paid for my crime.” He tightens his hands on the podium. “Unfortunately, I do believe that part of my past may have corroded your minds toward me. Hence, it’s with a heavy heart that I’m withdrawing my nomination.”
The crowd murmur among each other, but he continues. “However, I do believe, as great as Mayor Huntsman has been, it’s time for some change.”
The crowd applauds. “Is he sure that he doesn’t want to run for Mayor?” Piper whispers again.
“The Electoral board of Penndel Heights states that if a candidate drops out of the race, before election, anyone can take his place and run.”
My heart speeds up because I know with all I am, I’m about to shift the tides. Change is necessary and change is here.
The microphone in the aisle of the audience releases a high-pitched squeal. My father now stands with the mic. “Let us not be persuaded by the sweet yet poisonous words of Mr. Wulf.” He walks forward toward the stage. “It has been nothing but a pleasure being the Mayor of Penndel. Serving you has been my life’s duty.”
I walk up to Ethan and move him aside from the podium. “However, as Angela Davis said, I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
I inhale and look over the vast crowd of Penndel. “I can’t accept the poverty-stricken Lower Penndel, I can’t accept the negligent of the elderly, I can’t accept the high taxes.” I survey the audience. “I can’t accept the stagnancy that has blanketed Penndel. For that reason, I am here to help us make that change. My name is Amelia Huntsman and I am running for Mayor 2019.”
Oh my god, what did I just do?
Ethan
Sipping on my Jack on the rocks, I take in my surroundings. The party is in full swing in Amelia’s backyard. People have come up to me to offer their thoughts on me conceding the election. Some sad, others disappointed. Nonetheless, what we all agree on is Amelia becoming the next mayor. She may just win.
Proud. That’s how I feel while I watch Amelia talk to the town’s people in her home. The music is blasting, people are eating and drinking. I have no idea how she pulled this party off. All I know is that it’s elegant and beyond my expectation.
“You ready?” Soren asks. I nod and he disappears.
A few moments go by and I make my way through the crowd with a smile. I laugh with a few people and tell a few jokes. Subtly, I make my way into the house and head to Amelia’s library.
I make my way to the window and push it up. Ensuring that no one is outside of the house, I climb out the window, walking through the small side garden quietly.
A matte black 1989 Dodge 350 Ram wagon comes into view. How the hell did Soren get an 80’s kidnapping van? Sliding the door open, I jump in and start to change out of my suit into black pants and sweater.
“Wear the cap so your hair doesn’t show,” Soren says. “I have one more person to pick up.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? Stick to the plan,” I bite out. He ignores me. The van lurches to a stop and Sheriff Jack jumps in. “Soren, what the fuck, man?”
Jack smiles as he pulls a black mask down over his face. “I’m with you at the party. I need that scum off the streets too. Best I help.”
I shake my head. “Look, Sheriff. I don’t know what—”
“You’re going to need an alibi. What better than you and Sheriff Jack went to the library to talk?”
He stumps me there. I glare at him with his mask. He’s serious about this.
“Fine, let’s do this. Where is he, Soren?”
“At the Red Dahlia Strip Joint, one of the girls there is a friend of mine.”
Jack snickers. “I bet she is.”
Soren looks away from the road to toss him the side-eye. He turns back to the road and mutters to himself. “She’s keeping
him busy ‘til we get there.”
It doesn’t take long before we park behind the club. I look around the parking lot of the seedy joint. The back door opens, causing me to narrow my eyes to see who’s exiting. Jimbo stumbles out with a dark-skinned woman with long legs.
“Right on time,” Soren hisses.
We pull our masks down and jump out of the van. Using the darkness as cover we move into the shadows. She leans him against the wall and starts to kiss his neck.
“You better suck my dick the way you’re teasing my neck,” Jimbo drawls.
The gun clicks as I cock it and place it right against his temple. “You better not shit yourself before you die.”
The lady slinks away from Jimbo, stopping to touch Soren’s chest. “Talk to you later, baby.”
Soren nods. I grab Jimbo’s arm and Jack grabs his other side. We drag him to the van.
“You motherfuckers have no idea who the hell you’re dealing with,” he bellows.
Jack pats Jimbo down and pulls a Beretta from his waist. He then finds a pen-knife and seven mini bags of a white substance. Jimbo starts to scream out, but Soren hits him in the head with the butt of his gun. That knocks him out. Handcuffed and blindfolded, we throw him into the back end of the van.
We drive to an abandoned warehouse deep in the forest. Old butcher’s warehouse is perfect for what I have in mind. I bought the property months ago just for this purpose. It’s far enough out, no one will hear him scream, and it still has old rusty hooks. I have plans for those.
The windows of the warehouse are broken. Vines growing in and out of them. It smells like mold and decomposing leaves.
The three of us grab Jimbo and place him on a meat hook that hangs in the middle of the room. Under a single beam of moonlight, Jimbo starts to stir. He twists his hands to try to get out of the handcuffs. His body rocks, causing the hook to make a squeaking sound against the chain.
I sit in the shadows watching him, remembering all the times he sent my mother to the hospital with broken jaws, sometimes even near dead. Remembering the times, he tried to sneak into Jalyn’s bed. I remember the time he had Soren counting his bags of drugs in our trap trailer.