Enemies and Playmates (34 page)
Read Enemies and Playmates Online
Authors: Darcia Helle
Lauren twisted her ring. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I was enraged. Heartbroken, really. But I had no idea how to deal with it. She is of age. I couldn’t forbid her from seeing him. You know how far that would get me with Gina.”
Bob sighed, a sound of hopeless exhaustion. “I considered confronting your father,” he said. “Truthfully, I wanted to slam his head against a wall, which is why I stayed away. The days passed while I kept trying to find a way to talk to my daughter.
“When Gina told Sandy and me that she is pregnant, of course I immediately knew who the father was.” Bob shook his head. His gaze dropped to his desk. “It was killing me because I knew he wasn’t going to be there for her. I know what kind of man he is.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Lauren said.
“I’m not telling you this because I expect you to have answers. I’m simply hoping you can understand the state of mind I was in. She’s my little girl. What he’d done to her… I couldn’t stand it. When she told me it had been going on for years, I was horrified. Years. She’d been a child.”
“I know. I mean, I didn’t know then. I…”
“And now he’s threatening her, trying to force her into an abortion. Making her out to be a whore.”
Lauren’s stomach was turning itself inside out. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Lauren, I’m the person who shot your father the other day.”
“Oh God,” Lauren muttered.
Bob took his glasses off and rubbed his watery eyes. “I had to clear the air with you. He’s your father, after all. I had no right… It doesn’t matter what he did, I had no right.”
“I understand.”
Bob looked a Lauren a moment. His eyes were sad. “I haven’t told Gina yet,” he said. “I just haven’t been able to bring myself to do it.”
“Then don’t,” Lauren said. “She doesn’t need to know.”
“She’ll find out regardless,” Bob said. “And I want her to hear it from me. The truth of it. What I was feeling and why. So I plan to tell her tonight. I’ll be turning myself in to the police afterward.”
“Why?”
Bob slipped his glasses back on. He met Lauren’s eyes. “I can’t live with myself. With what I did.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Lauren said. “There’s no evidence that you were involved.”
“I expected you to be furious, to scream at me. Yet you don’t even seem upset with what I did.”
“I understand why you reacted the way you did,” Lauren said. “And, honestly, I wish you had killed him.”
“Dear Lord. Things are that bad at home?”
“Don’t turn yourself in. No one will ever know.”
“I know, Lauren. But I have to do what’s right.”
A tear slid down Lauren’s cheek. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”
“Oh honey, I’m supposed to be saying that to you.”
Knowing that the news about Bob Kent would likely break that night, Lauren drove straight from his office to Marc’s condo. She told her mother everything about her father and Gina, the pregnancy, and the shooting. Her mother’s expression had gone from disbelief, to shock, to horror.
Then Lauren told her about the conflict between her father and Jesse, how Alex had threatened to kill Jesse, and the case Jesse was currently building to have Alex put away.
None of it had been easy to say. Lauren and her mother both shed a lot of tears. But at least there were no more secrets. They were no longer keeping the silence that had protected Alex Covington for so many years.
Now Lauren sat at her work desk, within the petitioned area that was her cubicle. Conversation buzzed around her. She leaned forward, fingers on her keyboard, peering intently at her computer monitor. Anyone watching would think she was engrossed in her work. The truth was that she hadn’t done a thing in the forty-five minutes since arriving there. She kept flashing back to her mother’s horrified expression. She thought of Bob Kent’s apologetic confession and how his and his family’s life would never be the same. So much destruction. All because of one man.
“Hey babe.”
Lauren’s heart leapt into her throat. She gasped and spun around, then smiled when she realized it was Jesse standing beside her. “What a great surprise,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
Jesse pulled a chair up beside Lauren and sat straddling it backwards. “I just dropped in to say hello.”
“You have that devilish grin,” Lauren said. “What’s going on?”
“I met with Eldridge about an hour ago.”
“What about? I thought he booted you out.”
“Yeah, things change quickly when he needs me,” Jesse said. “Forenzi cut a deal, so he’ll be talking. Surprised the hell out of me. He says he’s a dead man anyway, so he’s going to take them all down with him. Last thing I expected from the guy but I’m sure as hell not complaining.”
“So that’s the end of it? I mean, you’re done? They have everything they need?”
“They should have an arrest warrant soon. The process won’t take as long with Forenzi talking.”
Lauren wrapped her arms around Jesse and melted with relief. “So it’s finally over?”
“In some ways it’s just beginning.”
“What do you mean?”
“Trials take a long time. You know how the system works. Stuff will come up. Your family will probably take a lot of heat from the press.” Jesse grinned, glanced around him. “Maybe they’ll cut you some slack on that here.”
“At least you’re safe now, right?” Lauren said. “My father won’t be sending anyone after you. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“I got your message about Gina’s father. I’m really sorry.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I made some calls. They’re considering statutory rape charges on your father. Gina’s father might be able to get off with probation and mandatory counseling.”
“That would be great.”
“I thought that would make you feel better.”
“But you still haven’t answered my question.”
Jesse drummed his fingers against the back of the chair. “I’m not going to lie to you. I honestly don’t know how your father will react to this. I don’t know what to expect.”
“Won’t they keep him in jail?”
“He’ll probably get bail. I don’t know. Don’t worry about that now.”
Lauren wanted it all to end. She also knew it was all way beyond both of their control now. She said, “I had to tell my mom about Gina today.”
“I figured. How did it go?”
“Awful. No one would want to hear that stuff about someone they were married to. She was devastated.”
“I’m sorry. You’ve had a shitty day, haven’t you?”
“I guess,” Lauren said. “How was yours?”
“Perfect. Now I’ll leave you to your work before I get you in trouble.”
Jesse stood and his right leg buckled under the pressure. He grimaced and grabbed on to the back of the chair.
“What’s wrong?” Lauren asked.
“Nothing,” Jesse said. “Just a cramp.”
“You’re a lousy liar.”
Jesse waved her off. “It’s nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, then tell me.”
“I had a little accident. Work related. I’m fine.”
“Out with it, Jesse.”
“You’re working,” Jesse said. “We’ll talk later.”
“Jesse, don’t do that. What happened?”
Jesse frowned, shook his head. “Okay, but no freaking out. I caught a bullet on my thigh. Went right through, doesn’t require surgery. I’m fine.”
Lauren was out of her chair, her heart frantically thumping. “You were shot?”
“Sorta, yeah.”
“Sort of? No one can be sort of shot. What happened? Who shot you?”
Jesse glanced around the busy room. He reluctantly sat back on the chair. “You need to keep your voice down,” he said. “We don’t want to make this news.”
Lauren sat and took a few deep breaths. “I’m calm now. Tell me what happened.”
Jesse gave Lauren a condensed version of the earlier events. She could barely believe what he was saying. Her father had actually gone through with it. He’d tried to have Jesse murdered.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Lauren said. “You were almost killed. Again.”
“But I wasn’t,” Jesse said. “So relax, okay?”
“Relax? How can I relax?”
“You need to get back to work. I can handle this. Really.”
“Did you report any of this?”
“No. Which is why it needs to stay very quiet.”
Lauren lowered her voice to a soft whisper. “Was someone badly hurt today? Did something more happen than what you’ve told me?”
Jesse simply looked at her. His expression was all she needed. She said, “You left a lot out of that story.”
“This isn’t the place.”
“Jesse…”
“Please trust me on this.” He pulled her close to him and very quietly said, “This all went down before Forenzi flipped. You know the connections your father has. He already wants me to go down for shooting him. I didn’t have a lot of options.”
Lauren had a feeling the man who shot Jesse didn’t walk away. Thankfully Jesse had. She held on to that thought. “You’ll tell me everything later?”
“Everything.”
“And you’re sure you’re okay? You don’t need to see a doctor?”
“I’m fine,” Jesse said. “What time do you get off work tonight?”
“Eight.”
“I’m going to try to get some work done. I’ll call you later.”
Jesse gave Lauren a quick kiss. He walked away favoring his right leg. Lauren took a long slow breath, fighting back tears. This was all too crazy for her to even comprehend.
***
Lauren was stumbling her way through her last hour at work when Paul Stosh, her boss, approached her desk. “Lauren, could I see you in my office,” he said.
That too familiar knot tightened in Lauren’s stomach as she followed Paul to his corner office. She sat in the chair he motioned to and waited. She wanted to believe his somber expression was nothing more than a reflection of a busy day. Yet she felt her world was about to crash in around her. If it hadn’t already.
Paul closed his door, walked to his desk, and paced behind it. He didn’t look at Lauren when he spoke. “This is really hard for me,” he said. “I’ll get straight to the point. We received information today, a tip, and the facts appear to check out. We’re going to run with the story.”
Paul flicked a glance at Lauren. His cheeks reddened. “This may be rough for you. I don’t know if you’re aware of what’s going on…”
“Are you talking about my father?” Lauren said.
“I’m afraid so.” Paul sat down, still not quite meeting Lauren’s eyes. “We just got word that the D.A.’s office is putting a case together and may soon make an arrest.”
“I know. And it’s correct.”
“Raymond’s been assigned to the story.” Paul’s tone was almost apologetic. His eyes darted around the room, landing everywhere except Lauren’s face. “I realize this must be hard on you and your family and that this puts you in a difficult position here at the office, but you know, of course, that we have to print the story…”
“You don’t have to worry about me,” Lauren said. “My father is guilty and it’s about time everyone knew.”
Paul’s gaze finally landed on Lauren, his eyes full of surprise. Lauren realized the weight of what she’d said. She didn’t regret her words. She only regretted not having spoken them much sooner.
“You honestly feel that way?” Paul said.
“Yes. I know all about the charges. They’re all true. Probably much more.”
“Would you be willing to work with Raymond?”
“On the article?”
