The Consequences Series Box Set

by Aleatha Romig

  Congratulations

  Claire feared she’d faint. Tony assessed the package.

  They both knew it was a threat, not only aimed at Claire, but at their baby, yet the benign nature gave them nothing they could take to the police.

  Tony grabbed Claire’s purse and phone and immediately walked her from the condominium to his rental car. “We’re going to the airport. Whatever you want that doesn’t make this move can be sent later. I don’t want you here another minute.”

  Claire broke down in the passenger’s seat, no longer able to contain her tears. She didn’t know what the future held, only that she needed to get away from California.

  Once they were safely in the air and flying east, Claire’s anxiety began to lessen. Lying on the long white leather sofa with her head on Tony’s lap, she closed her eyes. The hum of the engines pacified as he smoothed her long hair away from her wounded face. His words surprised her.

  “Claire, this whole mess is my fault. I’m so sorry.”

  She sat up. He looked older, less confident, perhaps even frightened. “What do you mean it’s your fault?”

  “That man, Patrick Chester. He attacked you because of me.”

  “That’s not your fault. It’s because of your money. That’s not your fault.” She touched his cheek. “I know you were overbearingly controlling before, but I get it. I think about our baby. If I could, I’d never let him or her leave the estate. There are too many crazy people out there.”

  “I’ll hire you security. For the time being, I don’t want you going anywhere without them.”

  Claire nodded. “I don’t like it, but I’ll do it. Also…” She looked him in the eye. “I will come and go as I please, or I’m leaving.”

  His back straightened, and he reached for her chin. “Remember what you just said about our child?”

  “I’m not a child, and I will not risk my life or our child’s.” She exhaled. “I can see why informing you of my activities is important, but I’m not asking permission.”

  He closed his eyes and exhaled. “You will have someone with you.”

  She noticed it wasn’t a question. “Yes, Tony. I will take whomever you hire as a bodyguard with me, but does this person have to be with me on the estate?”

  He released her chin. “I don’t know. This is all new to me.” He gently squeezed her hand. “We can feel it out together.”

  Claire nodded and laid her head back on his lap.

  Tony asked, “Can I tell you a story?”

  She looked up at his face. He wasn’t looking down at her, but staring away to another time and another place. Claire replied, “Yes.”

  “There was this man—young man, actually. He didn’t have the greatest role models growing up. The positive traits he saw in people and what he learned to respect were power, unbridled control over those around him, veracity, and ambition, the belief that nothing was beyond his reach. Nothing, meaning the acquiring of a company, money, or even people, and reliability. Once a promise was made, no matter what it was, it was kept.”

  Claire listened as Tony spoke about this young man who emulated his grandfather. In his own way, he’d made his grandfather into the person everyone would want to be. Few people truly knew the grandfather. Of those that did, most disliked him; however, they respected him and his abilities. That was until some decisions he made and people he trusted turned on him. The young man’s father helped in the family demise. The only support this young man believed he had was from his grandfather and his grandfather’s new wife.

  Claire followed along until this point. Nathaniel had a new wife? She remembered reading where Sharron Rawls died years before his arrest. Why hadn’t she seen anything about another wife? She wanted to ask, but never before had Tony shared. She remained silent, hoping he’d reveal more.

  Tony went on explaining, “Emotions were high, threats and promises were made. The new wife and this young man’s parents didn’t get along. One night, there was an incident.” Tony looked down into Claire’s eyes; he rephrased, “There was an accident. It wasn’t intentional, but things got out of control. The young man wasn’t there. He’d arrived too late to help his parents. Since they were beyond help, he chose to help the woman that his grandfather loved. The only person who could refute the premise of murder-suicide was a neighbor. That neighbor, like everyone else, had a price. For over twenty years, the young man worked to shield the woman he promised his grandfather he would protect.”

  Tony’s eyes once again met Claire’s. “When I changed my name, I hoped to distance myself from the Rawls’ sins. I’m not sure how or why Patrick Chester made the connection from Anton Rawls to Anthony Rawlings, but I’m so sorry he did.”

  Claire sat up. “It’s my fault.”

  His eyes refocused. “What? How?”

  “We found his name on a police report. Your parents’ injuries weren’t consistent with murder-suicide. Patrick Chester lived in a very nice neighborhood with very nice cars. His lifestyle didn’t match his profession or income. He had an annual installment that continued to grow. We suspected the annual payments were payoffs for silence. In the original report, he mentioned a woman in a blue Honda. The woman was never mentioned again. A month or more ago, I went to his house.”

  Tony’s regret changed to hostility before her eyes. “You did what?”

  Claire couldn’t justify her behavior. She melted against the soft cushions. “I know. It was stupid.”

  His hands were on her shoulders. “Why would you even think…?”

  She allowed the tears to fall. “It wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I’m the one who put our baby at risk.” His arms surrounded her. With her face pressed against his chest, she asked, “The woman, she wasn’t your aunt, was she?” Claire felt Tony shaking his head. “She was your grandmother?”

  He shrugged. “I guess. I’ve never really thought of her that way. My parents successfully petitioned her and Nathaniel’s marriage to be voided. She wasn’t legally able to maintain the name Rawls.”

  “You’ve been paying for her freedom for all these years. Do you ever see her?”

  “I do, but she doesn’t want to be identified.”

  Claire nodded. She didn’t blame the lady. There was no statute of limitations on murder in California; the less people that knew, the better. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”

  He pushed her away and looked into her eyes. “No more detective work.” This again wasn’t a question. Claire agreed and settled against his chest. Inhaling his cologne and listening to the beat of his heart, Claire closed her eyes. She didn’t want to ponder the new information. She wanted it all to go away.

  Claire awoke as the plane touched down in Iowa.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn’t. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you—and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you!

  —John Irving

  Over the next few weeks, Claire settled into an old, yet unfamiliar, pattern on Tony’s estate. Things were different, yet the same. She had her iPhone and iPad. Tony even bought her a new laptop. Her old one was still missing. Apparently, the police found Patrick Chester’s van and hotel room. Unfortunately, the laptop was in neither place. His house in Santa Monica was also thoroughly searched. Nothing was there either. His wife and daughter were shocked. They had no idea why a loving husband and father would decide to kidnap someone. Repeatedly, they told the police and press, “This wasn’t like him at all. We don’t understand what drove him to such behavior.”

  The missing laptop led everyone to assume there might be an undetected accomplice. For that reason, Claire was more than content to stay behind the large iron gates. She rarely left the estate. When she did, it was usually to attend functions with Tony. The first few dates on their prearranged schedule were missed due to her appearance. Claire didn’t want the press taking pictures of her with
the remnants of Patrick Chester’s handiwork around her eye or on her cheeks. During those first few weeks, she called friends and family. Courtney and Sue made multiple visits. She even told them about the baby.

  One afternoon, Claire led Courtney out to the gardens. They settled onto the same bench that Catherine had told Claire was visibly accessible to the cameras, but not audibly. Claire explained her change of heart to her dear friend. Courtney told Claire about Brent’s research. Derek Burke was related to Jonathon Burke, but not directly, and Brent couldn’t find anything remotely negative regarding him or his wife. The news fortified Claire. With all of her heart she wanted to believe Tony’s vendetta was done.

  The two women embraced. Courtney promised to always be there for Claire, if Claire promised to be honest. With tears in her eyes, Claire said, “I refuse to be anything else, and Tony knows that.”

  Courtney smiled and hugged her again. “If this is really what you want, I’m happy for you. I want you to be happy.”

  “I’m not sure about forever, but right now, Tony is what I want.”

  Courtney smiled. “You know I love babies?”

  “Good, I think ours is in need of an aunt. Emily isn’t very happy with me.”

  Tony hired a bodyguard, Clay, an ex-secret service agent. As long as Claire stayed on the estate, he stayed behind the scenes; however, if she and Tony left the grounds, he rode shotgun with Eric. If Claire left by herself, he drove. If Tony chose to drive somewhere with Claire, Clay followed closely behind. He was much more intrusive than Phil had ever been. She almost asked for Phil; at least he’d be familiar. Sometimes, Claire wondered what happened to him.

  Claire never moved back to the second floor suite. The first night she arrived at the estate, she stayed in Tony’s room. After that, all of her new and old things were moved there. The technology, which once barred her from his suite, was no longer an issue. Besides, once their baby was born, neither one wanted to maintain separate rooms. The underutilized room beside Tony’s suite was in the midst of renovation. It would be a lovely nursery, accessible from their suite and the corridor.

  By early August, Claire’s baby bump was visible, especially when wearing a bathing suit. Although it made her self-conscious, Tony complimented her changing anatomy. Her midsection wasn’t the only part of her growing. Her new doctor in Iowa City maintained everything was progressing well. Somehow, they’d managed to keep the pregnancy from the press. This was amazing since the media seemed to know almost everything else including Claire’s change of address. Thankfully, nothing was ever printed about the threatening packages she’d received. The name Rawls never appeared in print or on the internet.

  Living within their secure bubble, Claire began to relax and enjoy her life again. She would spend days sunbathing at the pool or hiking to her lake and listening to the waves lap the shore. When she closed her eyes, the sound of the water upon the pebbles continued to remind her of the sound of their baby’s heartbeat at that first ultrasound. As their little one grew, the heart rate increased. It was too early to learn the baby’s sex, but the doctor said the faster the heart rate the better the chance of a girl. When he said that, Tony squeezed Claire’s hand and whispered, “I bet she has your eyes too.”

  Claire smiled and shook her head. It never ceased to amaze her how Tony managed to get his way.

  Memories of Patrick Chester’s attack kept Claire content within the safety of Tony’s estate. Catherine’s presence helped Claire fight the feeling of isolation. Catherine’s ongoing support was therapeutic as their relationship moved beyond anything it had ever been. Nonetheless, when Claire asked, Catherine wouldn’t reveal any more about Tony’s past. Claire believed Catherine wanted her and Tony back together. She’d achieved her goal.

  On a warm and breezy day in late August, Claire’s bubble burst. She might never have realized it, if she hadn’t decided to come in early from the pool. From the sun porch, she heard loud voices coming from Tony’s office. Claire quietly walked down the marble corridor to investigate. She heard Tony, but she couldn’t tell who he was talking to—yelling at would be a more accurate description.

  Nearing the closed grand doors, Claire recognized the significant change in their relationship. Never in the past would she have willingly walked toward his voice holding the threatening brash tones she currently heard. Most significantly, she no longer feared opening the doors and learning the reason for his tirade.

  Not wanting to interrupt, she gently opened the door and slid inside the office. Immediately, she realized she was standing in a bathing suit, flip flops, and a cover-up while Tony wore a suit. Obviously, he’d come straight from the office. His eyes flickered toward her. She saw the darkness she’d heard in his voice. The office was full. Facing Tony, she recognized the backs of Eric, Catherine, and Clay. When she entered, Clay was speaking. She heard the end of his statement: “…no, sir. We’ve intercepted the others. This is the first one to make it onto the estate.”

  Claire panned the room. Sitting on Tony’s desk was an open package. She wanted to know what was in the package, and most importantly, if it were addressed to her. Tony’s eyes were now solely on her, and soon everyone turned her direction.

  “You’re all very loud. Is this about me?” Claire asked.

  “Claire, please don’t worry about this. I’m taking care of it.” Tony’s voice strained in an attempt to modulate his tone from the one he’d been using on everyone else.

  She stepped toward him. His eyes went to Catherine. “Catherine, if you could please help Ms. Claire, she may need some assistance.”

  Claire stopped. Yes, there were others in the room, but if this were about her and her baby, she had the right to know. “Clay, what others have you intercepted?”

  “Ma’am, nothing that concerns you.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  Catherine approached Claire with her arm out. “Claire, let’s get you something to drink. It’s very hot outside.” Claire heard Catherine’s voice from the hall; she’d been loud too. Something was happening.

  “I’m not leaving.”

  “Claire.” The finality in Tony’s tone, the way he said her name, the one syllable, could easily be translated: Not now Claire. I’m handling this. Leave now.

  Claire shot Catherine a don’t you dare touch me look and walked to the other side of the desk. She didn’t intend to make a scene in front of everyone, but she wasn’t leaving without answers. Standing beside Tony, she said, “Catherine, Eric, and Clay, could you please excuse us for a minute. Mr. Rawlings and I need to speak privately. I would assume he’s not done with you, so please stay close. This won’t take long.”

  Everyone in the room turned to Tony. The tension was palpable. Finally, through clenched teeth, Tony proclaimed, “Do not go far. I’m not done. Clay, make some calls. After Ms. Claire and I have finished, I want answers.”

  Everyone hurried from Tony’s office as Claire turned toward her ex-husband. She’d seen the intensity of his eyes before; however, she knew the blackness was meant for someone else. She wanted to know who. “What’s happening?”

  “How did you hear? You were at the pool.”

  “How could I not hear? Everyone in a three mile radius could hear you. Tell me, what’s so important to bring you home early from work? The sooner I know, the sooner you can continue your meeting.”

  “Damn it, Claire! I don’t want you worrying.” He paced to the window and back. “Besides, who in their right mind would come in here while I’m teetering on the edge of sanity? Did you see how fast they all left?”

  Claire smiled as she placed her hands on lapels of his dark suit. “No one. Just ask my family, I’m definitely not in my right mind, and if I’m correct, the only thing that can get you this worked up is something about me.” She turned and picked up the package. It was addressed to Claire Nichols Rawls with the estate’s street address. “So, I don’t get to open my own mail anymore?”

  “Seriously, some asshole fo
und you here, knows our address, and you want to complain about opening mail?”

  She turned and faced him. With her spine straight and chin up, she kept her voice calm. “No, it scares the hell out of me, but anyone can learn this address; it’s public record. The stupid press has told anyone who wants to listen that I’m living here.” She lifted the box. “What was in it? And how many packages or letters have come that I don’t know about?”

  “It was a silver baby rattle—engraved.”

  “Where is it?”

  “Clay bagged it. He’s having it processed for finger prints. Hopefully the asshole touched it.”

  “Engraved… what did it say?”

  He seized her shoulders and pulled her close. “Claire, let me handle this. Show me you have faith in me.”

  Her face tilted upward. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” She kissed him. “What did it say?”

  “Baby Nichols-Rawls.”

  “That isn’t so bad, considering the way it was addressed. Why didn’t you want me to know that?”

  He directed her to his large leather chair. She obediently bent her knees, and he said, “That wasn’t all. Under the name it read: R.I.P.”

  She couldn’t hide the shock or fear suddenly flowing through her. Protectively, her hand covered her midsection as her body began to tremble. “Oh my God, Tony…”

  He knelt before her, his voice now soft, “I told you once before, too much information isn’t good for you. Will you please learn to trust me and enjoy the bliss I’m trying so hard to provide?”

  “But… that has to be considered a threat. Can’t you take it to the police?”

  “We are, but what will they do that we aren’t already doing?”

  When his arms encircled her, she lost her fight with tears and took comfort in his lingering embrace. When a semblance of calm prevailed, she said, “I’m going to lie down. Will you please come to our room when you’re done with the others? Or are you going back to work?”