Dallas and Mariel had found Jessica. When Dallas had come to Paige and Roger after, his face was a mix of bliss and confusion. “I’m an uncle,” he said with delight. “My niece’s name is Amanda, and she studies law at Stanford.”
Roger dropped into a chair, his hand raking through his hair. He had a daughter named Amanda.
Jessica had agreed to give Dallas her number, but had made them wait to call her. “She wanted to make sure Amanda wished to meet her father.” Not that there was much choice; they’d filled Jessica in on the leak that was going to happen. She and Amanda were about to be thrust into a spotlight they’d never asked for.
Roger had called Jessica immediately after. His sense of honor and duty couldn’t allow for Dallas to do all the dirty work there. Paige had been there for that call. It had been remarkably cathartic for Roger.
Jessica wasn’t angry at him, but she’d held a grudge against Walter and her parents for a long time. Apparently as soon as she’d told her parents, they’d gone to Walter. They were paid, and paid very well, for silence. All of them had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Jessica had been able to attend school despite the baby, graduating and going to college. Amanda had been set for life, with trust funds and all of her needs taken care of.
“We just had to swear never to contact you or the press.” Jessica’s primary concern was the NDA. “If this comes out, I’m not sure if it constitutes a break. We’d lose everything, Roger, and then some.”
He’d swore that wouldn’t be the case and promised her help. “I want to know her, Jess. I’m so terribly sorry this happened. I’m heartsick about this, but I swear I didn’t know.”
But Jessica had known that. “You were never the kind of man to run from a problem.”
“I don’t even view a daughter as a problem.”
“That’s because you’re a good man.” Then Paige had heard her giggle. “You know I voted for you. Both times.”
It had been a good phone call. Relief was etched in Roger’s features. That is until the next day, when it was time to call Amanda.
“I don’t know what to say.”
Paige had kissed him before exiting. “Sorry, babe. This is one speech we can’t write for you.”
So now she was outside of his office, nervous, chewing on a fingernail. Paige wanted to be prepared to sweep in if he needed her.
The sudden laughter, full of gusto, let her know that wasn’t needed. Relief spilled out of her chest, rushing through her veins. One challenge down, two more to go.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Thank you for meeting with me, Joan.” Joan Peters was a good journalist and Paige was thrilled Karen had picked her for Roger’s interview.
“You’re quite welcome, Senator Taylor. It’s an honor. Of course, I’m curious about this meeting. May I begin recording?”
Roger nodded and Joan placed a recorder on the table. She pressed a button and indicated it was recording.
“Joan, I’d love to get right to the point. I have an announcement, and I want you to help me share it with the country.”
Paige held her breath. Roger had been reluctant to follow through on this part of her plan. He wanted to protect Jessica and Amanda and had hoped she’d have a way to shield them from the fallout. It pained her because she knew how desperate he was not to involve them now that he had taken the first step to knowing his daughter.
The interview, though, was necessary.
“Last night I discovered I am a father.”
Joan gasped and her eyes lit up; Paige had known they would. A story like this was what made careers.
Roger paused, and then continued. “It is to my mutual joy and heartbreak to announce I have a daughter.”
Joan didn’t miss a beat. “Why those emotions?”
“I would think joy would be obvious-- I’m in my late thirties and have been thinking about family,” he gave Paige the briefest of looks but it set her heart on fire, “and to discover I already have one elates me. But I’m heartbroken because the decisions of my parents, and the mother’s parents, while probably made with the best intentions, stole my chance to play an active role in my child’s life.”
Here it was: The hook. Paige had practiced with Roger before the interview. It was important to throw out the accusation without being obvious or hateful; voters didn’t like spiteful candidates.
“What do you mean?” Joan asked.
“The mother and I were teenagers when she became pregnant.” Pause for effect. Well done, babe, Paige thought. “I think in an effort to make our lives easier, I was kept in the dark about the pregnancy, but my family supported the mother financially in whatever decision she made for the future of the baby. She decided to have it and raise it but there were constraints on my knowing about it.”
Now Joan was leaning forward in her chair, eating up every word. “What kind of constraints? Are you saying your father paid her off?”
He held up his hands in submission. “I don’t want to accuse anyone of anything. Now that I know I’m a parent, I’m suddenly realizing the lengths we’ll go to in order to protect a child. So no, I don’t want to label what my father did as anything specific.”
There it was. Roger looked every part the genuine, remorseful politician. Paige knew he hated that this was the first lie he’d made in his career. Because the truth was, Roger wanted to blast his father. Air all of the family’s dirty laundry. It had taken a lot of convincing from Paige and Dallas that it would only hurt his career at a time when he was primed to do the most good.
The fact was, while all of Roger’s personal drama was unraveling, he was still a Congressman. The pipeline that he’d been researching and maintaining a separate view on was up for vote. Roger’s vote was one of the few deciding ones. All of the oil company lobbyists, old cronies of Walter’s, had been courting Roger for months. Now Paige wondered how much of Walter was behind that.
Because of this, Roger was trusting Paige’s plan. Let the public lay the blame where they saw fit.
“Joan, I wanted to be the first to tell the public about this. It’s been overwhelming, to say the least, to discover that I’m a father. There aren’t words to describe how guilty and terrible I feel about missing the formative years of my daughter’s life. My only hope in bringing this to the attention of the public is to say this: I am working to remedy the situation. If I’m lucky, my daughter will choose to allow me into her life. I’ve spoken with her mother and there are no hard feelings. As I venture into this new journey of fatherhood, I hope and ask the press to respect the privacy of my daughter and her mother.”
He looked straight at the camera as he said this, all papa bear, and Paige couldn’t be prouder. It was perfection. Roger nailed it, and Joan’s face was proof. The woman was practically drooling, and who could blame her? Ridiculously handsome man owning up to his mistakes, and trying to protect his family? This was what people fell in love with.
Sure, there’d still be a backlash. Opponents of him would work hard to paint it in a bad light. But Paige felt certain that following the video that they filmed to accompany a print interview, Roger was going to be a politician rock star.
Roger and Joan finished up. They covered topics like sex education and then moved on to the pipeline debate, and he was in his element.
Paige leaned against a wall, relishing the dull ache as her still-tender skin pressed against it. They were going to do it. They were going to beat Walter at his game. Only one more step--
Her phone rang and she didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
“Oh, that was well played.” Simon. His voice was cool and low on the other end of the line. “But a dangerous move, Paige.”
Of course he knew already. It was unnerving to know that someone in the room was in Simon’s pocket. “It was the only move. You wouldn’t have showed me the information if you hadn’t considered this a possible outcome.”
She heard him snort. “Maybe. I’d hoped you would have picked t
he outcome that involved leaving that pompous asshole and dating me, instead. Now I’ll simply have to find another way to ruin Roger, and this time you won’t know it until it is far too late.”
Feeling a little high on winning, Paige pushed it. “Walter sends his regards.”
Silence.
“Simon?”
“You shouldn’t have spoken to him.” All of the joking had left Simon’s voice. It morphed to something tight and terrified. “You don’t know what he’s like.”
A pit grew in her stomach. “What did you think Roger would do once he knew? You make this sound like it is life or death. He’s their father, he’ll get over it. I can’t believe he hired you in the first place.”
“I have to go. Paige--” Simon hesitated. “Just be careful.”
He hung up and she was left feeling blindsided. Simon was a man who never backed down and was never afraid. Hell, he was the man who’d struck such fear into Ellen she chose suicide. On the phone Simon sounded scared of Walter.
What kind of man was Roger’s father?
~ ~ ~ ~
Just be careful.
That wasn’t easy, as she didn’t know how she wasn’t being careful. Simon’s warning about Walter played through her head. Roger and Dallas were busy making plans for speeches and press releases for after Joan put the story out.
Paige was trying to connect the remaining dots.
What did she know about Walter? She knew he had been Governor of Virginia for many years. Not always the favorite, he’d still managed to win all of his elections by a large margin. She took her pen from her mouth and jotted that down.
Wins elections despite being unpopular.
He was wealthy. Not the average American level of wealthy, but upper echelon wealthy. And he’d made that money while in office through investments. Everyone knew it had been suspicious, but nothing had been proven.
Billionaire from investments that appear too lucky.
Most important, though, was the kind of father he’d been to Roger and Dallas. This was a man who, instead of hugs and baseball games, gave lectures and went to debate matches. Put his sons into elite boarding schools. He’d trained them from birth to be what he’d wanted. Roger, the politician; and Dallas, the bulldog protector.
Didn’t want sons; wanted pawns.
Roger had often ranted about the kind of politics he’d been trained to participate in. Back door deals, bribery, and exchanging votes for favors-- practically everything illegal and dirty. Walter had emphasized the importance of favors, particularly, in creating a “fruitful” career.
Makes a lot of deals, caters to favors.
If Paige removed the political background and the family drama, she essentially had a mob boss. Someone who garnered favors, collected debts, saturated themselves with wealth from dubious sources, and paid for their position instead of earning it.
There’d been a time when she’d started to investigate mobsters as a journalist, and she’d learned just enough to back away quickly. While television and books glamorized the lifestyle, the little she’d dug up was enough to let her know that it wasn’t a joke. The kind of ruthless, cut throat mentality needed to secure a high position in the ‘family’ was the kind that wouldn’t think twice about eliminating a threat, no matter where the threat came from.
Chill bumps raised on her skin. It irritated her that Walter’s character was painfully obvious, but they’d all been blinded by him being a father. So many assumptions came with the role of father-- it never crossed her mind he’d be dangerous.
And they’d exposed his plans to his face and were in the process of thwarting them.
If his attempts to end Roger’s career through gossip and scandal didn’t work, Paige was beginning to wonder how far he’d go to get what he wanted. He wanted a son who played by his rules or… or no son at all?
She ran and grabbed Roger’s hand as soon as the interview concluded. “We have a serious problem and we need to deal with it now.”
Chapter Ten
Yet again they found themselves at Walter’s home. What surprised them was the dark SUV already parked there.
Simon came through the front door, stopping Paige and Roger. “Get in your car and go,” he commanded.
Roger stared at Simon. Paige knew this was hard for him, especially knowing what she’d told him in secret. The dynamic of their past relationship and the knowledge of Simon’s betrayal didn’t weaken his steel, though. After Paige had spilled her full plan to Roger, he’d rebuilt himself. Stronger and more resilient-- hard. He was still the kind, generous man she’d known. But the in-charge quality that she was smitten with had become something closer to rebellious and reckless. He felt dangerous, and it was good; they’d need it.
“Simon.” Roger nodded his head and started for the front door. Simon, his face pale and drawn, reached out and pushed him back.
Roger moved with a speed she’d only seen in the gym. His hand shot out and gripped Simon’s wrist, pulling it forward and catching the other man off guard. He then used that momentum to twist Simon’s arm behind him, pinning him.
To Simon’s credit, he didn’t cry out despite the pain he obviously felt.
“You don’t get to touch me, ‘S’,” Roger seethed. “I don’t know how you could have agreed to do what you’re doing to me, but consider any and all bridges between us burned.” He torqued the arm a little harder and Paige winced in empathy.
It didn’t phase Simon. Instead, he laughed, his chuckles barking. “You dumb fuck,” he giggled. “You burned those bridges long ago and it pisses me off that you don’t even know it!”
Roger released him, throwing his arms up in disbelief. “What are you even talking about?” He yelled.
“I loved her and you knew it!” Simon was shaking with rage. “We were best friends and I told you that I was in love with Jessica. You stole her from me, knocked her up and deserted her!” He dragged a hand through his dark hair, his blue eyes on fire. “You took the person I loved the most and you ruined her.”
“I’ve spoken with her—she was far from ruined. It sounds like she’s done well for herself, despite everything.”
“Oh, you arrogant asshole. Just like your father. You assume a little money flung in someone’s direction makes them okay.”
Ashen, Roger slumped. “I was fifteen. I was cocky and jealous of you. I never meant to hurt Jessica and you know I didn’t desert her.”
“What the fuck were you jealous of me for?” Simon was still angry, but Roger’s posture had him off guard.
“You weren’t beholden to my father in the same way. I was under his thumb my whole life, while you were free to do whatever.”
“Jesus, you really are dumb,” Simon’s shoulders relaxed. Paige saw the history of them in their body language. The people you love can hurt you the worst. She knew that from her recent heartache with Roger. She’d felt gut sick when she’d learned his past, but only because she loved him so much.
“You think I’m not beholden to him? I wanted a father and didn’t have one. I would have given anything for a dad like Walter. Instead he was just my fucking benefactor. I’m no freer than you are, Roger, but I know him better than you. Turn away now, please.”
Hearing Simon admit this clearly pained Roger; he drew into himself a bit, all of the things he wanted to say hovering, unspoken, between the three of them. It wasn’t the time. Paige needed to push them forward.
“Simon, we’ve got a plan. It… it involves you. But we’re going inside.”
Defeated, Simon shrugged. “It’s your funeral.” He sounded truly sorry. He opened the door for them. Trembling a little, they entered.
Walter was in his study. When they entered he didn’t even bother to look up. “You aren’t welcome in this house.”
Roger waited, though. Paige admired him more than ever, knowing he’d never let his father cow him. If anything, the events that were unfolding only solidified Roger’s desire to be his own man. Finally, Walter was f
orced to acknowledge them by meeting their eyes.
“What do you want,” he asked.
“To make a deal.”
Paige worried her lip with her teeth. She hoped she was wrong about Walter and she hoped the plan would work. Her gut told her she was wrong, and it terrified her.
“I thought you were too good for deals,” Walter sneered.
Roger went and sat, uninvited, in a large armchair. Despite being at a lower position, the way he relaxed back into the rich brown leather made him look powerful and in control. He was using it as a means to broadcast to Walter that he had all the cards.
It wasn’t entirely true; they just held the one and it needed to be powerful enough to weigh the odds in their favor.
“This is one I feel comfortable making.” Roger steepled his fingers. “It’s this: you are going to back the fuck off. You’re done trying to manipulate me. You never had control of me and no matter how you try, you cannot beat me. We’re done.”
Walter’s jaw dropped for only a moment before he caught himself. His lips pulled into a vicious smile. “You seem to have forgotten how deals work, son. You’ve offered me nothing to make it worth my while.”
“Ah, right. You are going to stop harassing me or I am going to leak that you had a child out of wedlock and kept him and your mistress in your home, under your wife’s nose. You might not be governor anymore, but I know how much you value your ‘connections’ and your ‘influence’--” Roger waited, letting it sink in. “So that’s the deal. Stop or I will ruin any last bits of influence you have. I will take your legacy and annihilate it.”
Walter wasn’t looking at Roger anymore, though. His eyes were glued to Simon’s. Simon’s, the same blue, the same emotional doorway as his brothers’. His whole body subsumed the Taylor traits; taller than average, wide and strong shoulders, and an inclination toward a Greek God’s physique. His face, currently twisted with understanding and confusion, had the same beautiful jaw line and sharp cheekbones. It was only his coloring, pale to Roger’s and Dallas’s tan and blue-black hair to their golden brown, which hid the truth.
The Corrupt Trilogy Page 18