”
It was a good enough answer for now. It was galling to think about buying back something that was supposed to be his already, but she was n’ t wrong about Clair e’ s willingness to do what he told her to. It had driven a wedge between himself and Olivia already, and he did n’ t think for one moment that would get easier. He might do just as well to have her as an ally; few people seemed to detest Olivia as much as he did. That would be useful.
Before he said anything, there was a chirping sound. Cind y’ s eyes darkened suddenly, and her hand shook as she sai d“ Excuse me , ” and reached for a phone. Not the smart phone h e’ d seen in her hand a few times since sh e’ d arrived. An old flip phone, the type that were paid for in cash. Deliberately.
She flipped it open, and read whatever message sh e’ d just received. Alex watched as the color flooded out of her pale cheeks. Her hand, with its perfect manicure, fluttered up to her mouth, covering it. Her eyes squeezed closed in obvious pain, then flashed open again. Tears glittered on her lashes, but she kept her eyes wide, presumably to keep them from spilling over.
He waited as long as he could stand, and then gently reached out, touching her knee with one light finger .“ Ms. Walden ? ” She did n’ t say anything to him. Her eyes did n’ t move, and her hand did n’ t stop its furious trembling .“ Cindy ? ”
She shook her head furiously, closed her eyes for another moment, then opened them. She was clearly struggling for control; her eyes could barely focus on one thing, and her hands shook like something deep inside of her was grinding against itself. And maybe it was .“ Thalia , ” she whispered.
A chill stole over him .“ The half-sister ? ” He was aware that he did n’ t refer to the woman as his half-sister. It hurt too much to do so, no matter what it made anyone think of him.
She nodded.
“ Wha t’ s happened ? ”
Cindy snapped the phone shut with a nervous little motion .“ Sh e’ s dead , ” the woman said .“ Let me out . ”
“ No , ” Alex said .“ We need to go to the police . ” He hit the intercom .“ David ? ”
“ No , ” Cindy snapped back. She moved towards his hand, and he held her off without any real effort.
“ Yes , ” he said to her .“ David, I need you to take us to 1 Police Plaza, please . ”
“ Absolutely , ” David said. No change in his calm, even tone. There was a slight sway of the car as he changed lanes with the kind of force necessary for a driver in New York, and then the simple surge of motion. Alex flipped the intercom off again.
Cindy stared at him with eyes that flashed betrayal and anger .“ You ca n’ t do this to us. You think sh e’ ll kill us any slower if the police get involved ? ”
“ There have been two deaths in twenty four hours , ” he said, using the same calm voice h e’ d learned when his father had bullied him into the board room under the guise of teaching him to be a better businessman. Really, his father had only ever intended to cow Alex into being his little copy. It had worked far better than h e’ d ever intended; h e’ d created a savvy businessman who refused to take someone els e’ s word for something he was capable of researching himself .“ We are aware of a connection between them that the police are not. We need to let them take over. You need protection . ”
Cindy shook her head, a kind of quiet sadness playing over her features .“ You do n’ t understand , ” she said quietly .“ Your family owns everything. If Olivia wants us dead, i t’ ll happen. I was a fool to even come to you . ” She laughed, but there was no humor in the sound .“ I would n’ t care, if it were n’ t for the twins. The y’ re just babies. Do what you can to protect them, all right ? ”
“ Stop this , ” Alex said .“ I ca n’ t protect them by myself .
It was a good enough answer for now. It was galling to think about buying back something that was supposed to be his already, but she was n’ t wrong about Clair e’ s willingness to do what he told her to. It had driven a wedge between himself and Olivia already, and he did n’ t think for one moment that would get easier. He might do just as well to have her as an ally; few people seemed to detest Olivia as much as he did. That would be useful.
Before he said anything, there was a chirping sound. Cind y’ s eyes darkened suddenly, and her hand shook as she sai d“ Excuse me , ” and reached for a phone. Not the smart phone h e’ d seen in her hand a few times since sh e’ d arrived. An old flip phone, the type that were paid for in cash. Deliberately.
She flipped it open, and read whatever message sh e’ d just received. Alex watched as the color flooded out of her pale cheeks. Her hand, with its perfect manicure, fluttered up to her mouth, covering it. Her eyes squeezed closed in obvious pain, then flashed open again. Tears glittered on her lashes, but she kept her eyes wide, presumably to keep them from spilling over.
He waited as long as he could stand, and then gently reached out, touching her knee with one light finger .“ Ms. Walden ? ” She did n’ t say anything to him. Her eyes did n’ t move, and her hand did n’ t stop its furious trembling .“ Cindy ? ”
She shook her head furiously, closed her eyes for another moment, then opened them. She was clearly struggling for control; her eyes could barely focus on one thing, and her hands shook like something deep inside of her was grinding against itself. And maybe it was .“ Thalia , ” she whispered.
A chill stole over him .“ The half-sister ? ” He was aware that he did n’ t refer to the woman as his half-sister. It hurt too much to do so, no matter what it made anyone think of him.
She nodded.
“ Wha t’ s happened ? ”
Cindy snapped the phone shut with a nervous little motion .“ Sh e’ s dead , ” the woman said .“ Let me out . ”
“ No , ” Alex said .“ We need to go to the police . ” He hit the intercom .“ David ? ”
“ No , ” Cindy snapped back. She moved towards his hand, and he held her off without any real effort.
“ Yes , ” he said to her .“ David, I need you to take us to 1 Police Plaza, please . ”
“ Absolutely , ” David said. No change in his calm, even tone. There was a slight sway of the car as he changed lanes with the kind of force necessary for a driver in New York, and then the simple surge of motion. Alex flipped the intercom off again.
Cindy stared at him with eyes that flashed betrayal and anger .“ You ca n’ t do this to us. You think sh e’ ll kill us any slower if the police get involved ? ”
“ There have been two deaths in twenty four hours , ” he said, using the same calm voice h e’ d learned when his father had bullied him into the board room under the guise of teaching him to be a better businessman. Really, his father had only ever intended to cow Alex into being his little copy. It had worked far better than h e’ d ever intended; h e’ d created a savvy businessman who refused to take someone els e’ s word for something he was capable of researching himself .“ We are aware of a connection between them that the police are not. We need to let them take over. You need protection . ”
Cindy shook her head, a kind of quiet sadness playing over her features .“ You do n’ t understand , ” she said quietly .“ Your family owns everything. If Olivia wants us dead, i t’ ll happen. I was a fool to even come to you . ” She laughed, but there was no humor in the sound .“ I would n’ t care, if it were n’ t for the twins. The y’ re just babies. Do what you can to protect them, all right ? ”
“ Stop this , ” Alex said .“ I ca n’ t protect them by myself .
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