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She’s speaking outwardly about Michael’s attempt to get her to come home, but there’s an underlying tension I’m sure she picks up on. I see her scan Hannah’s face for a moment, trying to decide what she knows. Little does she know, we know fucking everything.
“You and Michael used to be so close. He cares about you.”
“Yes, well, it seems you don’t always know people as well as you thought.”
“Dinner will be starting soon,” June says, attempting to change the subject. “We’re having salmon. One of your favorites.”
“I hate salmon,” Hannah replies coldly and pride swells in my chest at the venom in her tone.
That’s my fucking girl.
“Well, you’ll learn to love it.”
“Have you found my sister?”
“Now is not the time,” she bites and June scans the crowd around us. Luckily for them, people are making their way to their dinner seats, not paying an ounce of attention to the verbal standoff in center of the room.
“No. Only when it’s convenient for the polls, right?”
“Come, Laura. Your speech will be starting soon.”
Hannah’s mother stares at her for a moment and she stares back. I’m prepared to step in if needed, but she needs to do this. It’s the only way she’ll ever break free from Laura Gaines’ clutches.
“So, it seems,” Laura murmurs coldly, and I have a feeling she’s not speaking to June.
She steers June away, but not before shooting one long glance at me. I return it, matching the same cold clarity that shines in her eyes, hoping she can read the thought echoing over and over in my head.
I’m going to kill you.
She must see something that scares her because her eye twitches again. Then she leaves.
“I hate fish,” Hannah grumbles, picking at the food on her plate. “And asparagus. It makes your pee smell weird.”
I chuckle, though I’m starting to get that itch to get the fuck out of here. Fortunately, we were sat at a random table and not with her mother and Michael. I’m not sure her knife would have stayed on her plate, should we be forced to dine with them.
Guess we have Prince to thank for that.
Not that I blame her. Hell, I might even reward her for it, but that’s provided I could get her home after the cops arrest her for murder.
“I’ll make you a cheeseburger when we get home,” I murmur quietly and she relaxes, placing her fork on her plate.
The room quiets and before she can respond, her mother takes the center stage, as everyone looks on. It’s moments like these where I wonder why the hell we listen to people like Laura Gaines. A woman who’s involved with the cartel. Who traffics young women and men. Facilitates their rape, murder, and torture. All for her political gain.
She beat her kids. Subjected them to years of psychological abuse, yet, we still vote for her because wethinkshe’s a good person.
People are different behind closed doors. I don’t care what anyone says. No one’s good one hundred percent of the time.
We’ve all got a little evil in us. Just . . . how much?
“I want to thank everyone for coming tonight,” Laura says into the microphone and the whole room quiets. “You know, I’ll admit, I never knew how big of a problem human trafficking was until I took office. I thought, oh, there’s no way it could happen here.”
Hannah squeezes my hand tightly under the table, so I squeeze back, shooting her a look.
It’ll be over soon.
“So, imagine my surprise when I found out it was right there. Right in my backyard.” Laura Gaines looks around the room, her eyes landing on Hannah. “I have twobeautifuldaughters and I couldn’t imagine what I would do if they were taken from me.”
I stiffen. A threat is still a threat, even if it’s said in front of a thousand people.
