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“I’ll kill you, do you hear me?” There’s a loud smack following my father’s threats, like he hit someone.What in the hell?My dad is the most non-violent person I’ve ever met. Did he get hit? Or throw something? I drop the sandwich, bringing the phone closer to try and hear anything else in the background. My other hand finds my hair, shoving it out of my face to rub at my temple.
“I swear I’m not with him, he’s keeping me safe. Doing the job you hired him for.” I draw in a stunned breath. It’s my mother’s voice, laced with tears. Surely my father didn’t strike her? There’s no way he’d ever hurt her. He was always harping about our safety. He’d say he’s a politician, holding an important position in our world, which unfortunately comes with its set of enemies.
“Mark my words, Melody. If I catch you with him again, I will bury you.” My teeth sink into my lower lip, biting down until a touch of metallic flavor hits my tastebuds. The recording goes on to play the slapping sound over and over for sixty seconds until I’m so mixed up in my emotions, I feel like I’m barely hanging onto the edge of a cliff. There’s a rocky ledge and everything’s about to fall, me included, getting sucked into darkness.
I have no way of knowing the context of any of the information I’ve been given, and it’s royally screwing with my head. My hand tightens in my hair, the sharp shock of pain shaking me out of my imminent spiraling. Releasing my lip, my tongue swipes out, licking away the sting as I get to my feet.
I have to do something; I can’t remain trapped in here while these people fuck with me time and time again. I begin to pace, yelling out to whoever’s listening. “Let me out of here! You wanted my attention, well now you’ve gotten it. Keeping me locked in here doesn’t mean I can confront my father, which I’m guessing is what you want. Right?”
The phone chimes, effectively pausing my footsteps.
Private:Confront him? Oh, no, Iris. We want you to see him for what he truly is. There’s so much more going on you’d never know about if it weren’t for us. Your father isn’t just a seedy governor, he’s the worst kind of man. It’s time you open your eyes to the snake whispering in your ear, making you believe he’s innocent in everything.
“I believe you. So, let me go confront him.”
Private:Remember Georgia?
My throat tightens at the second text.Of course, I remember Georgia.
Private:Cat got your tongue?
A new image comes through and when it loads it’s a picture of me, in a club, dancing on a bar top. I was in Georgia, and judging by the grainy image, I was on the road to being plastered.
“What does this have to do with anything?” I ask aloud, while silently wondering who in the fuck was there taking pictures of me. Chills crawl over my flesh, knowing I was being watched when I thought I was free. I knew this though; Beau has told me the society showed him a video of me that night.
Looking closer, I zoom in on a man in the background. A guy I recognize as one of my father’s right-hand men.
How did I miss him that night?
A video of me dancing comes through next, reminding me how I missed the obvious that night. I was swaying and tipsy. I watch Jordan slip something in my drink and brace myself for the shift of the video Beau told me he saw next.
My stomach churns as Jordan moves behind the bar so smoothly. His vile snake ways of taking advantage of people is easily hidden by his charisma. He’s a likeable person… or he was.
Knowing Beau took care of Jordan terrified me when I first heard him say it but watching this video of that night brings an entirely new respect for Beau. I watch in shock as Jordan moves me around the stockroom like a ragdoll. It was very obvious I was in no shape to be taken to the backroom with that guy. My father’s men were there… and should’ve stopped it.
Why didn’t they stop Jordan?
Goosebumps erupt all over my skin as the depth of just how horrible my father is comes to light. I shake my head in disbelief and confusion, trying to make sense of the obvious in front of my face. But there is no sense to be made. I can’t comprehend evil like that.
Who allows their daughter to be attacked? Did he set it up? Did he have it recorded? The questions come so fast, I can’t even try to answer one before five others flash through my mind.
Did my father do this to me? Or did his guys just allow it to happen? And why would they?
My mind fills with madness and just when I thought I couldn’t possibly handle another sliver of information, the screen lights up again.
It’s Beau again. He’s yelling out in anger and frustration. My heart shifts to worrying about him instead of stressing over what my father has done. Tears swell in my eyes before they begin to fall once again.
“What do you want from me? Please… I’ll do anything. Just let him go.”
Private:You have enough information to realize the truth. I’m going to ask you a few questions. If you are correct, you will receive another question. If you get them all right, you’ll gain access to a key. That key is your future.
“Okay. Yes, ask anything.”
Private:Did your father send you away to private school?
“Yes.” Tears continue and I don’t even try to stop them. The Society is going to make this painful.
Private:Did he have you followed after you left Paris?
