In attempt to renew my good name, I arrange for a media day at the children’s hospital with my daughter. A single father helping others should be the perfect way to win back my supporters, especially the women. When Rowen walks in, I stand up and greet him anxiously. “So? What do you know?”
“The photographer was tipped off by an unknown source. The source said he knew for a fact that you would be in the penthouse and could be found in a compromising position.”
“And he believed this unknown source? He went to an awful lot of trouble to get the pictures, all on account of a nobody who could figure out how to dial a phone?” I say, feeling the rage build up inside of me.
“That’s what I asked him, and he assured me that it wasn’t just a nobody. He insisted his tip came from someone that knew your life history quite well and even suggested that he take an interest in your ex-wives’ accidental deaths. This source gave the reporter plenty of information to make both of them questionable.”
“Such as?” I ask, through my teeth.
“Such as the previous Mrs. Colletto was in love with your brother who happened to die with her. He was given a picture.” Rowen hands me the picture of Austin and Dace, provoking a long-buried hatred to resurface. “I think we both know there is only one person with that kind of information.” I nod simply since I am too enraged to form words. “What would you like me to do now?”
“Kill him. I don’t care how or where … just kill him. My baby brother is a nothing to most. He is barely even remembered in my early campaign. He’s just a gay fuck with a death wish that we intend to fulfill.”
“And what about his friend?”
I laugh. “Kill him first, and make Antony watch. A little payback will make me feel better.”
“Then, if you don’t mind, I think we should arrange a meeting with them. Singler has a mother. That’s the only person we can assume that has any contact with them. We have put a bug on her phone, but there have been no calls coming in or going out that seem to be her son or Antony.”
“Invite her to dinner then. Allow her to bring guests if she wishes.”
“Will do,” Rowen agrees.
Chapter 15
Austin
Watching the mass media’s coverage of our beloved governor’s legal troubles is enjoyable, especially with Michael’s usual psychopath smile turned into a bitter frown. The enjoyment only lasts so long however. It is soon reported that the woman Michael intended to rape has retracted her statement and says she was a willing participant in his fantasy game. While people are not impressed with Michael’s sexual fantasies, he is still not considered the criminal that he is.
“Hey, I have a surprise for you,” Dace says, walking into our bedroom in the modest, hole in the ground home.
“Can you believe this? He managed to pay off that poor girl or threaten her. Either way, he’s getting away with it again.”
“More than likely he did both. Take this money or someone you love will die,” he says, sitting down on the bed with me and putting his arms around me. “Don’t worry. It’s only an inning, not the whole game.”
“Baseball analogies? Really, Dace? Why not let me break into his home while he sleeps and shoot him dead in the face. It’s not like they would ever suspect me. I’m dead, right? And the dead have no motive.”
“Only because the dead are supposed to be at peace already. Your peace is still eluding you. Besides, I thought you wanted your life back, not to continue to run forever?”
“My ambitions are changing the longer he walks happy and free.”
“Don’t change your goals, Austin. Change your tactics.” I look at him and see a growing smile forming on his face. “I told you I have a surprise for you.” Dace stands up and holds out his hand to me. “Come with me.”
I follow him into the meeting room where the others are already gathered. They all begin to part from each other the moment I walk into the room, making way for me to see my brother standing there with that beautiful, goofy, Reed smile. “Hey Ausy Girl. Boy, have I missed you.” I run into my brother’s arms and hug him tight, feeling his arms squeeze me to the point I can barely breathe. I kiss his face and notice the tears in his eyes. “Damn, girl! You have gotten stronger. You’re making my eyes water.” He laughs his tears off as if no one would know better.
“What are you doing here, Aaron?”
“I should be asking you the same thing. If Michael finds out you’re here, there is no way you will make it back into hiding.”
“I don’t want to hide anymore,” I say defiantly. Aaron shakes his head. “You should know better.”
“Yeah, I should know better than to want my little sister to be safe.”
“Little? I was born seventeen minutes after you,” I remind him.
“See, you’re the youngest and should do what I say.” He turns to everyone with a wide smile like he is waiting for them to agree or something. Dace plays it smart and shakes his head with a tense expression, his eyes closed so he completely misses me smacking my brother in the back of the head. “Owe! Damn, you are stronger.”
An unknown woman walks up to me, laughing. “I don’t even know you yet, but I already like you.”
“Thanks. Who are you?”
“Oh Ausy, this is my new partner, Jessica Axon. She’s the biggest pain in the ass I have ever met, but she has the same goals we do, so I let her hang out with me.”
“What happened to Billy?”
“Billy is still on desk duty for a while, and I didn’t want to get him any more involved than necessary with this mess. After what he has been through, no sense in causing him any more pain or trouble. I was working on my own for a while until this pain in the ass requested to be my partner. I was against it until …”
“Until I talked to him about Michael causing my sister’s death and that I wanted to murder him,” Jessica steps in to say.
“No, I wasn’t going to say that at all. I was going to say I was against it until I met her and saw that she had a nice ass. The Michael thing was just a bonus,” Aaron admits.
“Is he always such a pig?” Jessica asks. I laugh to myself as my brother smiles all over himself, always the one to make friends in the most bizarre ways. His ex-partner, Billy, couldn’t stand him at first, mostly because Aaron would never leave him alone. From the moment they met, Aaron knew Billy was a great guy, and he told him they were going to be best friends, no matter how much Billy denied it. Aaron is loud and goofy and liable to say anything, Billy is quiet, reserved, and thinks before a word comes out of his mouth. To say they are opposites is an understatement. Nonetheless, Aaron annoyed Billy until he suddenly couldn’t live without him. They went to the academy together, became partners, and have been best friends since they met; although, Billy would say since Aaron ran off any other potential friends so he was left with no other choice than Aaron. As I stand and watch Jessica and Aaron banter back and forth, I realize this isn’t just a usual partnership. Aaron loves fighting with her and getting her all riled up. I am not sure Jessica realizes she is being lured in by a professional. “Oh my God, you have got to be the most … argh!” she screams, walking away from him and his obnoxious smile. He knows he’s winning.
“Why don’t you just pull her hair and get it over with, Aaron?” Dace says, apparently recognizing the truth about my brother.
“Huh?” Aaron answers him with a wink over his shoulder at me.
Dace approaches me laughing hysterically as he puts his arms around me. “Damn, your brother though. Here I was thinking mine was a mess, but yours … is the definition of a hot mess.”
“Hey! I take offense to that.” Antony says, walking away with a smirk.
“But no one ever answered me. Why is he here?” The panic takes over. “Aaron, what’s happened? Why are you here?”
“Austin, baby, it’s okay. He’s here to help and fill us in on his side of the plan,” Dace says, kissing the side of my face.
“Yeah, it wasn’t easy gettin
g here, but I thought it best to talk in person. There has been a new development in our little war on Michael Colletto. His recent arrest has caused some much unwanted attention on him. Nothing like making national news to awaken the federal government. My father received a call from someone in the White House asking for some information on our old friend. My father said he would do his best, but we all know that best is going to be less than minimal, which is only going to cause unwanted government attention to increase on himself.”
“Our father told you this?” I ask Aaron.
“No, with the help from your friends of the FBI here, I was able to bug his phone. Needless to say, he doesn’t operate sensibly under pressure. The old man is too scared to talk to Michael about it and too scared not to tell him, so instead, he is talking to everyone else about it and revealing quite a lot. For instance, we now know where Michael is laundering his money. Michael is, of course, smart enough to keep his distance from any direct criminal activity, so we need to catch someone that can link him and will be willing to testify. My partner and I have been doing some side work and making notes of all these people and hope that we can build enough against Michael that no one will be afraid of him. Then, I did something I never thought I would.” My brother, for the first time I have ever known him, looks troubled. “Yeah, so I got the number that called Dad from the White House, and I called back, mentioned the code my father was asked to use, and left a message to have someone call me. I think I waited fifteen minutes before they called back. I have never been so nervous in my life. My knees were shaking, and my voice cracked a couple of times. I guess it helps that the sitting president is in the opposing party of Michael’s because he is very interested in getting all the right information. Typical politician, right? Either way, I have been given the responsibility to get to the truth, and with that, they are willing to give me all the resources I need. So, what do we need? Because I would really like to move on to other bad guys eventually, so the sooner we take care of this asshole, the better.”
We all discuss our next move. Everyone has their own personal reasons for wanting to do this or that, but no one seems to be able to come to an agreement. All the while, all I can think about is that night—the night he and his friends broke into our home, raped and killed my mother, and threatened me. I didn’t know who he was then, but now, every time I recall that night, the mask on Michael’s face suddenly becomes invisible to me. While everyone else argues over what needs to be done, I begin to replay every word he ever said to me, every action he ever made in front of me, and every reaction he had to me and everyone else. The man’s entire being starts to form in my mind. I virtually attack him from one way or another, figuring out his weak spots, his vulnerability.
I catch Dace’s eyes on me. “I am scared to ask you this, but what is forming in your head?”
“Suicide,” I say simply. He sits back in his chair and sighs. “Listen to me, Dace. Michael is a man of pride, right?” He nods with hesitation. I lean into him and kiss him gently. “You know, as well as I do, that he won’t be able to stand to be the joke, to be someone else’s prisoner, or to be second to his baby brother.” I turn towards Antony and smile. “Don’t you think he would make a great senator?”
Antony looks up at us with fear in his eyes. “What?”
Dace sits back in his chair and nods. “Yeah, that is a great idea. Antony would be perfect.”
“No, no I wouldn’t. I don’t know what you are talking about, but stop looking at me because whatever you’re planning, I am not doing it.” Antony makes a stand, not that it sways us any.
The plan is now to get Aaron’s new contact to help make Antony the next, big, political giant. There is a senator seat up for grabs, and Antony needs to make a run at it. The one thing that would send Michael over the edge is if his baby brother is a bigger and more important name than he is. Not to mention, it means Michael can’t touch Antony during his political run, which is Dace’s favorite part. If anything should happen to Antony, the media coverage wouldn’t stop until the culprit was found, and Michael would look just a little too suspicious with all the deaths in his background. Antony didn’t want to do it at first, but the idea that he could compete against Michael, speak for Michael’s enemies, and help turn Michael’s biggest supporters against him, was too much to pass up.
“You say this is my opportunity to speak my mind against Michael? Where do I sign?” Antony smiles.
“First, we have to get you a political team to help you make the perfect debut. Aaron, looks like you’re the one to make that happen,” I say with Dace backing me up.
Aaron looks over at Antony who looks back at him. “So I’m going to help you become a senator,” Aaron says, and they both laugh hysterically. It may sound like a joke that the two biggest messes in our group would be our greatest hope for victory, but they both have the intelligence and the determination to bring Michael to his knees.
Chapter 16
Antony
Aaron came through and made the call. The next thing I know, I am in a big, empty office space by myself, laughing at the absurdity of it all. Then, one person shows up and then another and another, and before I know it, the big, empty office space becomes a filled, perfectly running, campaigning machine. I’ve never seen most of these people before, but they coach me on everything, even how to smile and when not to. I have to go through getting sized for suits and golf clothes. I’ve never played golf in my life. I try to explain that fact, but no one seems to be listening to me. I’m not happy about any of this. I hate politicians, and the last thing I want to do is be one. I’m about ready to start screaming at people when I feel someone touch my arm.
“Honey, calm down. They are doing the best they can at the last minute. Try to understand what mountains they are climbing for you. You should also keep in mind that, no matter what, I will be there at the end of each day for you. When you need to vent and take out your frustrations,” Preston says, still trying to keep his distance from me as if he shouldn’t be allowed in my life at this point.
I suddenly realize what needs to change, and it isn’t what I thought was important before. “Alright everyone! Listen up. I want to thank you for all your hard work, and I promise I am doing my best to follow your advice and expertise on everything; however, I want one thing to be known. This man right here”—I take Preston’s hand—“this man is the love of my life. I will not hide him, and I will not pretend he is anything other than my partner in everything. So, no matter what plans you have for me to do or say, understand that Preston needs to be included. Otherwise, none of this will work. I will not hide who I am, and I will not pretend.” I take my man in my arms and love him as he should be. We are interrupted by applause, and an older lady who comes running up to us and hugging us both.
“That was beautiful,” she says, resting her head against my lower abdomen because she is too short to reach our shoulders.
“Um, thanks? Who are you?” I ask as she finally let’s go, wiping away tears.
“Oh, I am your postal worker. I was just delivering your mail. Here you go.” She hands me some envelopes and walks away, still swiping at her eyes.
“Alright, Mr. Colletto. I think we have found your hook and your stance,” my new campaign manager says.
Preston smiles at me with a nod. “This going to work well.” I sigh, hoping he’s right.
It has only been a couple of weeks since this campaign wheel has gotten started, and already, I have to make an appearance in front of cameras to make my announcement. As I get dressed for my big statement, Preston admires me happily. “What are you smiling about?”
“You, you are so handsome, and I love the idea of dating a senator. Never thought I would ever say that. It’s actually a huge turn on.”
“Oh yeah? How huge?”
“Very.” I get a quick look at my watch and decide I have time. Stripping my tie from my neck, I lean over my man with hunger and excitement rising. My shirt is off in a second,
and his warm hands feel over my body while I find what I want. Respecting his body with a kiss to every inch of him, I hold him close to me, whispering my desires and needs to him. He does exactly what I want him to. With every exhale he makes, I get more excited and wanting of everything he has. Nothing but heated breaths against our skin, tender kisses against the lips, and loving hands keeping our bodies close until the end. Our time together fills me up with happiness and pure joy, and that’s when I realize what I need to do.
I would have never expected so many people to show up for my campaign announcement. At best, I assumed Preston, my supposed campaign manager, and a few hungry rats off the street. Since when do I have anything to offer the state or the country? My doubts and anxiety are swarming inside me.
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