by Jillian Neal
There was a reason he hadn’t signed them the last four times they’d come across his desk. He didn’t want to put his name, his signature, on another death warrant.
Stephen’s mind raced as he stared Daniel Vindico down. He wondered where the years had gone. Dan used to hang out at the farmhouse with Will and Garrett, constantly. He was a pompous but polite kid. He loved Lillian’s cooking, the Governor recalled. He’d certainly walked through hell with all that he’d lost.
What disturbed Stephen, more than all that had been taken from Dan, was his determination to live by the sword of vengeance. It had consumed his entire being and shaped every single thing about Daniel Vindico.
“Then Garrett comes back on the Elite team and on the taskforce,” Stephen commanded. Dan looked surprised, but not disapproving.
“Sure, yeah, I’ll take all the help I can get!” he agreed immediately, but then turned to Governor Willow, as he would have to approve the addition. He was the Governor over all of Iodex and all of the Iodex branches throughout the United States.
“Fine by me, Dan. You have budgeted money in ample supply,” Mason agreed. He studied Dan as concern formed quickly on his features. He glanced at Arthur and then back to Dan.
“And if you send out Rainer and Logan, you send Garrett with them every single time,” Stephen continued his negotiations.
“You got it, sir,” Dan agreed.
As his stomach churned in painful jarring twists, Stephen tried to draw a full breath as he signed his name to the documents. It wouldn’t have hurt any worse if he’d slit his own hand and signed them in his own blood.
Dan wanted Logan and Rainer desperately, Stephen knew. He felt that both Logan and Rainer had scores to settle, as well. Between Cal and Rainer’s parents, he felt he could light the fire in them to go after, and take down, Dominic Wretchkinsides and his entire criminal organization.
Rainer and Logan had talked of nothing else but joining Iodex since they’d been kids. Stephen had the ominous feeling that he was watching two full-steam locomotives collide on a one-way track in very slow motion.
“They’re coming home today, aren’t they, Stephen?” Mason soothed. He’d obviously noted the frightened, weary demeanor on Stephen’s face.
“Yeah, they should be on their way soon.” With a sigh, he knew he was overly anxious to have all of the kids back home safely on the farm.
The run-ins with two members of the Interfeci, so soon after Rainer had received his inheritance, had terror and fury surging through him on a regular basis.
He hadn’t slept well since he’d watched his baby girl walk out the door on Rainer’s arm after graduation. Stephen admitted to himself that this was at least partially because he knew perfectly well just what Rainer Lawson was planning on doing to his baby girl, once he got her off the farm. Stephen shuddered slightly and turned back to Dan. He narrowed his eyes.
“Do you plan on telling them about Amelia when they start?” Stephen quizzed hesitantly. One never knew how Daniel Vindico might react when Amelia’s name was brought up.
“They don’t know?”
“Rainer and Logan were eleven when that happened. It wasn’t something we talked about over dinner. Joe didn’t want Rainer to know that the men who killed Maggie were still at large and gaining power.”
“Then, yes, I’m going to tell them, at least some of it,” Dan came right back as he glared at Stephen.
“Just how much danger is my baby girl in?” Stephen demanded suddenly. Nervous glances moved quickly around the room. Dan drew a deep breath and hemmed.
“Rainer just acquired the Lawson fortune, sir. He’s a multi-millionaire, and the press does a hell of a job of letting everyone know where he is at any given moment.” Dan shook his head. “It’s obvious to anyone just how much he adores her. So, I will make it abundantly apparent to Rainer, and Logan as well, that she is to be watched closely and constantly. I won’t let Rainer Lawson live with all of the shit I’ve lived with.”
No one spoke as Stephen nodded his acceptance of the situation.
“I’ll talk to him when they get back.”
“That’s probably a good idea.”
“Anything else I need to know before I go consume several bottles of antacids?”
Dan smirked. He was trying not to chuckle. “Only because you asked me to tell you everything I knew about their trip.”
Stephen studied Dan speculatively as he pulled a copy of one of the Gifted gossip magazines out of his folder.
“This is being widely circulated. They’ve gone back for a second printing.” Dan handed the article to the Governor.
Stephen’s eyes goggled. He felt sick. There was a shot of Rainer and Emily as they excited a lingerie shop, of all places.
Then, to ice the incensed poison that surged through his veins, there were pictures, along with prices of all of the nighties and rather skimpy panties that Rainer had purchased for Emily, while in the store.
Stephen tried to rid his mind of a three-year-old Emily, with her hair up in curled pigtails, climbing up in his lap after dinner and laying her head on his shoulder.
She couldn’t buy panties like that. She was barely out of diapers.
A New Day
~Rainer Lawson~
After shaking his head in an effort to clear it, Rainer stood and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Panic washed over him.
“Emily!” he called.
He heard someone moaning near his feet. A second later, he remembered where he was, and why Emily wasn’t with him.
“Fergus,” he spat.
“Hmm,” Fergus attempted to answer. A knock shook the front door. Rainer glanced at his watch and yawned. It was just a little after six.
“Who is it?” he groaned and moved to the door.
“It’s me; let me in,” Logan ordered.
Rainer swung the door open to allow Logan in, and then slammed it back. The press had rallied in the early morning, with talk that he and Emily were fighting.
“What are you doing back here?”
“Garrett’s on his way,” Logan warned. Rainer’s eyes flashed as he turned his head back to Fergus, who was still moaning in the floor.
“He’s bringing some girl up for the weekend, because Mom said we were leaving today. So, I thought he could make a stop by here and maybe scare the shit out of our little Fergus there.”
He gestured to Fergus lying in the floor.
“Where’re Em and Adeline?” Rainer was still having trouble sorting everything out, after barely sleeping.
“They stayed at the beach house to wash the sheets and stuff. I casted it. No one’s getting in, but you might want to call Em and Dad, because I have a feeling I know where they’re going.”
He pointed out the window to several photographers who hopped into SUVs and drove away.
Rainer fumed. He wasn’t certain who he was angrier with, the press or Fergus. After he’d telephoned Governor Haydenshire and explained why he wasn’t with Emily, and that the press would likely be camped out in front of the beach house unless the Governor stopped them, he called Emily to apologize.
“Dad just texted. He sent several officers to the house.”
“I’m sorry, Em. I don’t know what they’re hoping to see.” Rainer wondered how many times he’d made that same statement.
“It’s ok, but I miss you. I don’t want to go home, and I’m furious with Fergus!”
“I know. I’m so sorry. I just didn’t know what else to do. He still isn’t up,” he offered as he watched Logan prod Fergus’s ribs with his flip-flop.
“No, you were right to stay with him. I can only imagine what the headlines will be today.”
Rainer decided quickly that if he told her the kinds of questions he’d been asked on his way back in the house in the middle of the night, that it wouldn’t do anything to quell her frustration, so he offered an “I love you so much, Em,” instead.
Logan rolled his eyes, which made Rainer chuc
kle as she responded with an “I love you, too.”
“Let us get Fergus up and wait on Garrett to get here. Then I’ll come get you.”
“Ok,” she sighed. They knew that if Garrett was on his way, then their time at the beach house was over. “Can we come back next weekend?”
“Maybe, we’ll have to see. Don’t you have tryouts, and then we have to be at the Senate once you become the newest Arlington Angel?”
She gasped. “Oh, my gosh! I cannot believe I forgot about my tryouts. I‘m telling you, I can’t sleep without you anymore.” He smiled at that information. “And don’t say that. What if I don’t make it?” Rainer scoffed at that. She was going to make it, he just knew.
“Go get everything ready. Logan and I will be there in a little while.” Rainer ended the call.
He turned back to Logan. “So Garrett’s not gonna...” Rainer grimaced as Logan moved Fergus’s face and drool puddled on the carpet.
“Ugh,” they shuddered as Logan dropped Fergus’s face back to the floor, with a disgusted scowl.
“Fergus, get up!” Logan ordered furiously.
Fergus managed to pull himself into a seated position as he wiped his face with his hands. Logan and Rainer gagged.
“Ugh, what happened to me?”
After rolling their eyes simultaneously, Logan began his explanation.
“Well, let’s see here. You were a freaking idiot, and picked up some altered Ecstasy from some douche on the boardwalk. Then you took it all week long. You invited the press to a party, and said some unforgivable things in front of Adeline and Emily. Rainer destroyed the Ecstasy, and then stayed with you all night, even though he should have left your sorry ass to deal with all of this yourself,” his voice was pleasant, despite the words issuing forth from his mouth.
“Uh...sorry,” Fergus offered hopefully. Rainer rolled his eyes again. He was still infuriated.
“Oh, and now Garrett is on his way here,” Logan added spitefully.
Fergus stood. “Why is Garrett coming here?”
“He wants to hear about the guy you bought it off of, and probably scare you to death so that you won’t ever do this again,” Logan informed him.
Fergus swallowed hard and nodded.
“I feel really weird.” He fell into a nearby chair.
“Imagine that,” Rainer quipped.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to....” he hemmed and looked like he was going to cry.
“Drugs are not cool man. We went over this in fifth grade,” Logan quipped.
“I know; I swear I thought it was just herbal or something.”
“What do you remember from last night?”
“I remember you hit me.”
Logan scowled. “Yeah, I hit you. I should’ve done a whole lot more, but I’m a nice guy.”
“Ugh, I think I’m gonna be sick!” Fergus choked, and then stumbled down the hall into the bathroom. Logan and Rainer grimaced.
“I thought people used Ecstasy just before they were gonna play.” Logan shook his head in confusion.
Rainer shrugged and shuddered. The noises from the bathroom threatened to make him sick, as well.
“I guess Fergus did whatever the guy told him to do. I don’t know. I kind of like not being in some drug-induced haze when I get to play.” He temporarily forgot that the person he did that with was Logan’s little sister.
Logan tried not to scowl, but found the task just a little too tough.
Fergus returned a few minutes later. He looked whiter than a sheet. Rainer fixed him another glass of water.
“You need to eat,” he opened the Shermans’ refrigerator and withdrew a dozen eggs. He scrambled the whole dozen and divided them amongst him, Logan, and Fergus. After devouring the eggs, Fergus began to look and sound more himself.
“I’m sorry. I was an idiot. The guy said, you know...” Fergus shrugged.
“What?” Rainer urged.
Fergus sighed dejectedly as he forced another bite of eggs into his mouth, and swallowed before he continued. “That it would help me relax and get girls.”
As they finally began feeling sorry for their friend, instead of furious with him, Rainer and Logan shared a frustrated glance.
A knock on the door had Logan moving quickly. Garrett was reattaching the doorknocker. “Where is he?” He demanded.
Logan and Rainer pointed to the kitchen and followed Garrett.
Their mouths hung open, as they watched none other than, Arlington Angels famed captain, Chloe Sawyer, walk ahead of them. She was even prettier in person than in the dozens of posters Emily had of the team in her room. She was tall, blonde, and stacked in all the right places.
“Oh, sorry,” Garrett shook his head and put his arm around her. “This is Chloe Sawyer,” he smiled as he introduced Chloe to Logan and Rainer.
“Nice to meet you.”
Garrett tended to have girls fighting over him on a regular basis. He never stuck with one for any length of time.
“I think I met you at the Academy when I came to watch Emily challenge, didn’t I?” Chloe quizzed sweetly.
“Uh, yeah,” Rainer nodded.
“I’m excited to see her tryouts. I have a great feeling about her.”
“She’s thrilled to be trying out,” Rainer hoped that was an appropriate response.
To be asked to try out for the Arlington Angels, one of five of the summation teams in the Northeast league, had been Emily’s dream since childhood. She’d been so nervous when Chloe and Sasha Cohen, from the Angels, had come to see her challenge, that she’d hardly been able to eat or speak for days before.
The Angels were the only all-female Summation team in the American Realm. They led the charge in enforcing the law that all Realm summation teams devoted hours of service to give back to the Realms of the world. Twenty percent of the team’s profits went to help women and children in poorer Realms.
Emily had wanted to be a part of the Angels organization desperately, and she was an outstanding Receiver. Rainer couldn’t imagine her not making the team. He was thrilled to see her dream come true.
“So what kind of stuff did he buy?” Garrett asked quietly as he came within the view of Fergus, seated at the kitchen table, with his head in his hands.
“Altered Ecstasy,” Logan informed. “And he’s been taking it for four days straight.”
Rainer shook himself from his exhausted reverie as he stared down at Fergus.
Garrett’s eyes goggled. “Why the hell would you take that for four days unless you have a girl?”
Logan and Rainer shrugged. “He put some in a drink he tried to give to Em,” Logan tattled. Rainer wasn’t certain adding that was a good idea.
“I threw it out. She didn’t drink it,” Rainer vowed. He knew that Chloe Sawyer being under the impression that Emily had been given Ecstasy wasn’t really the image Emily wanted to give her future team captain.
“I’ll kill him!” Garrett growled furiously as he turned and stomped into the kitchen.
“No,” Logan urged. “Just scare him; don’t kill him...” he paused, and then added “yet.”
Of all of the Haydenshire brothers, Garrett was the tallest; he stood a few inches over the rest. He worked out religiously, in order to be in top shape for his job as an Iodex officer. He was ripped and covered in tattoos.
As Rainer watched him stalk towards Fergus, he shuddered slightly. Garrett’s large biceps flexed seemingly of their own accord.
“What the hell, man?” Garrett took a kitchen chair and spun it around. He seated himself right beside Fergus with his chest against the back of the chair. He was glaring furiously. “You wanna go to Felsink? ‘Cause I can make that happen.”
“I didn’t know it was Ecstasy...honest,” Fergus pled. He looked terrified.
“Why would you take that for almost a week? Most people use it before they’re looking to get a little action. That could’ve killed you,” Garrett lowered his voice slightly, but still looked furious with Fergus.
“The guy said I could take it several times a day. You know, to help me relax a little.” Fergus was trying hard to appear both knowledgeable and cool, and was failing at both tasks badly.
Garrett rolled his eyes. “Uh, yeah, he said that so you’d do that, and then come back to him to buy more.”
Fergus shook his head spastically. “No, he said he wouldn’t be in town long, that he had to head out on business.”
With a dramatic eye-roll, Garret spun an incredulous look at Logan. “Yeah, he’s a drug dealer, Sherman. So, I’m gonna guess telling the truth is probably not high on his priority list.”
Fergus nodded his defeat. “I really am sorry. Are you uh...” he choked hesitantly with his face drawn in a deep plea. “Going to...you know...arrest me?”
Garrett glared at him again then glanced at Logan. “I’ll tell you what, Sherman; because you’re Logan and Rainer’s friend, I’ll let it slide this time if you give me a really good description of the guy you got that off of, and tell me a little more about what he said, and what he gave you, but...” Garrett leaned in and narrowed his eyes, “if I ever, ever find out you put something else in my baby sister’s drink, after Rainer beats the shit out of you, I’ll be next in line.”
Fergus nodded his understanding.
“So, what’d this guy say?” Garrett reached and took Chloe’s hand. He turned in his chair so she could sit in his lap. She beamed at him as he winked at her.
“That it was like a vitamin,” Fergus began as Logan, Rainer, and Garrett all rolled their eyes. “And that it would help me, you know, relax...and get more women...and know what women want.” Fergus glanced uncomfortably at Chloe.
“Uh, huh,” Garrett nodded. “You want to know what women want, Sherman? They want a guy with a job, who isn’t high, and can get it up because he hasn’t been using drugs for so long it’s shriveled to the size of a dime. Oh, and who isn’t in prison. I hear those conjugal visits are a bitch!”
Logan and Rainer shuddered, though the rather crude lecture didn’t seem to bother Chloe.
Fergus nodded dejectedly.
“So what’d this guy look like?” Garrett continued.
“Tall, really ripped, brown hair, tattoos,” Fergus informed readily.