The Determining (23 page)

Are you going to let this bitch disrespect you?

Richard ignored the voice. “She entered her name in the Lottery, Margaret. They paired her before I—”

“Stop pretending you couldn’t have fixed it with the click of a button.” She leaned forward, sneering at him. “If you’d taken a moment and used your head, we wouldn’t be in this mess. You’ve been this way since I met you. Quick tempered without sparing a moment for thought.”

Richard’s hackles rose. “Don’t forget, I’m the one that made us what we are. Without me, you’d have nothing. You’d be nothing.”

She scoffed. “No. If it hadn’t been for the Council, Donovan would have remained the CEO of Grey Technology. Without them, you wouldn’t even be on the Council.
They
made us what we are.”

Don’t let her get away with this. Don’t let her be like Charlotte.

Richard rose to his feet, spurred on by his inner demon. “Donovan died by my hand. I did that, not the Council!”

“They needed your brother alive! You should know better than anyone that we can’t repair the damage he did to the program. The hundreds of programmers working for you still haven’t discovered all that he did. If he were still alive, we could have used him, forced him to fix it.”

“We don’t need him.” He barely managed to speak through his gritted teeth.

Margaret’s eyebrows arched with disbelief. “It’s been eighteen years since you killed Donovan. I’ve seen little progress.”

The voice bellowed and any control Richard had vanished. In an instant, he held Margaret up by the throat. He didn’t squeeze hard enough to cut her air off, just enough to make a point.

Cut her off! Squeeze harder!

Richard was tempted to obey, but denied the urge. He bent down until their faces were level. “Don’t ever disrespect me again. I beat Charlotte because she didn’t remember her place. Nothing will stop me from doing the same to you,” he spoke in a low, menacing growl.

Tears slipped from Margaret’s wide eyes, sliding down her cheeks. “You … wouldn’t,” she wheezed, her face turning red.

“Don’t bank on it.” Disgusted, Richard pushed her away. She landed in a heap on the floor. Her hands automatically went to her neck as she took a few labored breaths.

She crawled to her knees, taking a moment to catch her balance before rising to her feet. “Have you forgotten what I know?” she rasped, hands still on her neck, fear overwhelming her face.

His blood went cold at the reminder, but he managed to keep his face calm. He settled back into his chair, returning his attention to the tablet while he spoke. “You can go.” He dismissed her with a wave.

She glared at him but complied without question, her heels shuffling as she stumbled away.

You should have killed her.

Richard shook his head. “She’s my wife, I’ll do what I please with her.”

You’d do well to heed me
.

Richard heard the words, but his attention was focused on the video. He touched the screen and played it again.

No, he wouldn’t let Charlotte do this. No matter what he had to do or who he had to hurt, she would submit to him. He would make sure of it.

“You all know my position.” Nemo tried to keep his tone impartial. “Do any of you have concerns?”

He sat at a long table in the conference room. Six screens stood spaced evenly around the table. The faces of each Leader stared back at him from the displays. Their expressions varied from impassive to furious.

As expected, Drayton spoke first. “Marriage was not part of the original plan you presented.” His eyes narrowed.

“No, but it became a necessity.” Nemo let his gaze drift over the six screens. “A union between Grey and Novack would rip Charlotte from our grasp and strengthen the Council.
We
couldn’t afford to let it happen.”

Drayton started to protest but Samar interrupted, her voice crackling over the speakers. “Marriage aside, you did this without our approval.”

Nemo forced back a frustrated sigh. “There wasn’t time for a formal meeting. I did what was necessary under the circumstances.”

“I can attest to the need for quick action,” Slater piped up, pushing his glasses higher on his nose. “When I arrived to perform the marriage, I saw the extent of the girl’s injuries. If Nemo hadn’t acted quickly, I doubt she would have survived to play her part in this.”

Lisha, the Leader from New Florida, spoke in a small, high-pitched voice. “But she wasn’t harmed until after the pairing with Thayer, isn’t that right?”

Nemo shifted, trying to disguise his discomfort. “True, but with Grey it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.”

“You can’t know that,” Drayton scoffed.

Nelia huffed in annoyance. “We need to focus on where we go from here.”

“As far as I’m concerned, this all worked out better than the original plan,” Slater said with a confident grin.

“How’s that?” barked Drayton.

A look of disdain crossed Slater’s face. “Rather than integrating ourselves into her life slowly, we have someone right there. This pairing will work to our advantage.”

The faces on the monitors softened. A few even smiled.

“This will make it easier for another one of our members to befriend her.” Nemo looked at the glaring Drayton. “Everything worked out.”

Samar’s voice drew his attention. “Your actions may have pushed us further ahead of schedule, but they don’t excuse you. All future decisions need to be brought before the Leaders. We are not the Council.”

A chorus of voices muttered in agreement.

Nemo curled his fingers into fists. “I can’t promise that. If another situation arises that requires quick action, I’ll do what I deem necessary. In every other case, I’ll bring all matters before the Leaders.”

No one seemed thrilled by this, but none protested.

“If there is nothing else—” Nemo began.

“We can’t conclude this meeting yet.” On the screen, Samar shifted in her chair. “Thayer, you’ve said nothing. Seeing as you’ve married Miss Grey, I want to hear your opinion.”

Thayer had spent the meeting in silence, taking in the conversation around him. Now, he sat forward, choosing his words with care. “The pairing serves our needs. From what I’ve observed, I can assure you all that Charlotte will be invaluable to us.”

“Your relationship with her must be priority. Get her to trust you. Once you’ve established that connection, we can move forward,” Nemo commanded.

Thayer’s brows puckered in a frown. “Since the attack, I’ve been wondering whether a woman would be more successful in making a connection with her. She doesn’t seem to trust me or my brother.”

Nelia spoke up. “I may be able to form a bond with her. We’ve met before. My connection with your family will provide a cover for me to get closer to her.”

“Do it.” Nemo nodded. “We’re counting on the two of you.”

One by one the Leaders agreed. Seconds later, the screens blinked off, leaving Nemo alone.

The sound of a piano woke Charlie. Sleep still lingered at the edge of her mind, making her feel slow and stupid. She rolled onto her side and reached for the phone. Her bleary eyes made it difficult to focus on the screen but, after a moment of fussing, she managed to turn the alarm off. With the music silenced, she tried to let sleep claim her again.

Memories of the night before thrust her back to consciousness. Heaving a heavy sigh, she rolled out of bed and padded to the bathroom. She’d been too tired to change out of the blood-covered shirt from the night before. After pulling it over her head and slipping out of her sweatpants, she stepped into the shower to wash the nightmare from her skin.

She lingered under the warm spray, enjoying the feel of her muscles uncoiling. Her ribs throbbed as she reached up to scrub her hair. She focused her mind on Thayer instead of the pain. Remembering the sight of him bursting into her room made her cheeks glow with humiliation. She didn’t like appearing as though she couldn’t save herself. Unfortunately, it seemed like she’d been a damsel in distress since her coming-out. The previous night proved to be the icing on the cake.

She gingerly washed her face, flinching as the slight pressure caused her nose to ache in protest. Her frustration mounted. Even her body seemed determined to keep her helpless. She forced herself to move carefully as she rinsed the soap from her face and finished washing. She couldn’t wait until her injuries healed.

Not wanting to see the proof of her weakness, she avoided the mirror as she headed back to the bedroom in search of clean clothes. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a warm sweater. Heading down to the kitchen, she expected to find Thayer already eating, but an empty room greeted her.

It took Charlie a moment to spot the note propped up against a mug near the coffee pot. Seeing her name at the top of the paper, she picked it up and read.

Charlotte,

I have a meeting I can’t put off. Be back in a few hours.

-Thayer

From the little she knew about him, it seemed fitting that Thayer would leave her a handwritten note rather than sending a text. It felt wrong to waste the precious paper, so she slipped the note into her pocket.

After embarrassing herself the night before, she’d dreaded spending the day in Thayer’s company. Knowing that she’d have the apartment to herself for at least the morning sent relief racing through her. Not only could she attempt to put last night behind her, she’d have free reign to explore. She figured the best place to start her exploration would be the kitchen. But first, she needed breakfast.

With a smile on her face, she poured coffee into her mug, following it with a heaping spoonful of sugar and a splash of cream. She carried the mug with her, taking small sips as she opened every cabinet and drawer. She pulled out a loaf of bread and the butter dish, noting the location of other things she might need in the future.

Once she finished searching all the drawers and cabinets, she turned her attention to the fridge. Someone had stocked it with the basic necessities. She managed to find a jar of strawberry jam hidden in the back, which she grabbed.

A few minutes later she sat on one of the barstools with her breakfast. Before sitting down, she’d grabbed the newspaper she’d spotted the day before. Taking a bite of toast, she unfolded the paper and flipped through. She read a few articles but mostly just enjoyed the feel of paper and smell of ink.
I could get used to this.

The novelty of a real newspaper faded when she reached the entertainment section. A still frame from her wedding video showed the quick kiss between her and Thayer. She knew that video was one of the only things keeping her father at bay, but she still found it hard to be grateful when it popped up everywhere she looked. With a grimace, she closed the paper and shoved it away.

Needing a distraction more than before, she devoted herself to searching the apartment. Already familiar with the kitchen and living room, Charlie headed to the other rooms she hadn’t seen. Nothing interesting turned up until she reached the last door on the main floor.

Standing in front of Thayer’s office, her heart pounded erratically. If anything could shed some light on him, his office would be it. She reached out, grasping the silver doorknob. With a deep breath she twisted. Disappointment filled her when the knob didn’t yield.

Giving up on the first floor, she ascended the stairs. She passed by the door that led to her own room. The hall held two more doors. She stopped in front of Thayer’s room. Going inside would be an invasion of his privacy, but she desperately wanted to know more about her husband. In the end, curiosity won.

It surprised Charlie to find that Thayer’s room looked like a copy of hers. She’d expected the room to have personal touches in the décor. Instead, she found the same simple color scheme of gray and black, the same shelves, and the same futon.

Afraid to disturb anything, Charlie crept over to the shelves. One held a collection of works by Charles Dickens. She admired the precious books and wondered how much he’d spent on the treasures. The hardcover volumes smelled musty and old and, oddly, comforting. With hesitant movements, she ran a finger along the bindings and noted the lack of dust.
Does he actually read these often?
She took a minute to read the titles before moving on.

Another shelf held small pieces of art while the remaining shelves displayed pictures. Getting closer, she recognized a few faces. Both Logan and Cornelia Prescott appeared in a number of photos. In one, Cornelia stood center with Logan and Thayer on either side. The men wore classic black tuxes while Cornelia flaunted her figure in a form fitting, floor-length gold gown. All three sported easy smiles as they looked into the camera. She couldn’t help but notice the light that filled Thayer’s face when he smiled.

Charlie moved from photo to photo, noting familiar faces and trying to discern who was who until one frame in particular caught her eye. It showed a young man with his arm around a beautiful woman’s waist. He looked down at her with a tender smile while she smiled into the camera, oblivious to his adoring look. Behind them, Charlie could make out a rundown farmhouse. Weeds grew around the foundation and a number of the windows were boarded up.

She found herself wondering about the couple. How could two people be so in love? They couldn’t have been paired. No one looked that happy with their chip-approved match. She leaned closer, studying more of the detail.

“Those are my grandparents.”

Charlie jumped away from the picture, whirling around. Thayer stood a few feet away. He’d dressed up to go to the meeting but had un-tucked his shirt and loosed his tie since returning home. His features fixed into an amused smile.

“I didn’t mean to pry,” she said, feeling guilty.

“Yes, you did.” He didn’t look angry, but Charlie still felt like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“I shouldn’t have come in here without asking.”

“Charlotte, it’s fine. They’re just pictures.” He moved closer, reaching for the photo of his grandparents. “This was taken right after they were married.” He smiled fondly. “My grandfather used all his savings to buy that broken-down house. They spent years fixing it and eventually expanded so they would have room for my father and his siblings.”