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The reporter seems surprised by the change and I curse under my breath. “What fucking relative?” Jordan growls. “I swear if my fuck-up of a brother did this…”
“He wouldn’t,” Layla starts to say and then frowns. She grabs her phone, her fingers flying across the screen. “Please, please. Don’t be a fuckwit today,” she whispers.
We’ve definitely corrupted Layla.
A new reporter pops up and Layla releases a breath. “He said he has no idea what I’m talking about and wants to know where I am. Nope,” she says, popping the ‘p’. “I’ll call him later,” she shrugs dismissively, powering off her phone.
If her father wasn’t such a clueless bastard, I’d feel bad for him.
“We are here in the sleepy little town of Farrelsville, Kentucky where Grant Williams has a statement to make. Lennon, lead singer ofThe Darkest Nightsgrew up here, and he is heartbroken over the events that have led to her being hospitalized.”
“Oh you bastard,” Derek breathes, paling. “Fuck no.”
I glance over at him before focusing on the television, having a feeling I’m about to be sucker punched.
“We are going to turn the camera over to him, as he has called a press conference to discuss the events of last night. He also has a plan to help others who may be struggling with their mental health in our own state.”
The camera turns to face a man that looks like a mirror image of Derek, only older. The man has cold blue eyes, the only difference between the two of them.
“Good people of Kentucky and beyond, Lennon has always been a quiet girl who kept to herself. She took care of her mama the best she could, went to school and went home. I don’t believe she went to parties or did drugs while in school, and can only blame the music industry for her sins,” Grant Williams explains.
Lennon has never been one to enjoy drug use, especially because she helped me get clean and stay sober with Turner. There’s no way she had drugs in her system that she knowingly ingested. I growl, unable to keep my anger to myself.
“Unfortunately, mental instability runs in Lennon’s family, as her own mother struggled with mania and depression before she passed away. Carrie O’Reilly seems to have passed her cross to bear on her daughter. She is currently in a private hospital, away from prying eyes, and receiving the best of care. However, my worry is for others in our state that are struggling with mental illness, and don’t have access to care, whether due to lack of insurance or lack of providers. I want to announce that I am running for governor, as it’s been a dream to continue to serve others, and it’s time for me to step into a new role. I want to make mental health services more accessible to the residents of Kentucky, along with state insurance for everyone.”
“Why Lennon?” Derek whispers under his breath, glaring at the television and his father.
“I have to ask that we respect Lennon’s privacy in this time of suffering, because she is very unwell. Delusions and hallucinations are very scary for the person afflicted, and I want everyone to know that she has the very best doctors,” Grant says, bowing his head in sincerity. I have to give it to him, he seems to honestly wish Lennon well, but I know enough about him to call bullshit.
“Turn it off,” Derek rasps. “I need to tell you about my trip to see him, because it’s related.”
I flick off the television, my eyes never leaving him.
“My father, as you saw, wants to run for governor. The man’s a shit human being. That person, the nice one? He doesn’t exist,” Derek says bitterly, crossing his arms over his chest. “My dad demanded my presence in Farrelsville so he could intimidate me into helping him. My mom hasn’t responded to a single text message, call, or email to me recently and it’s because she threatened to divorce my father,” he explains with a grimace.
“You see, you can’t run for office on a family platform if your wife wants to divorce you. However, youcandrop her in a mental institution that you’re bank rolling and claim she’s fucking crazy.” Derek chews on his lip, turning to look at Greg. “What do you know about the names Hidden Hills or Mr. Xav?” he asks.
Greg goes rigid, jawing dropping. “Care to repeat that, and where you know that name from?” He embodies the dangerous man Turner always alluded that he was. I’ve never seen Greg as anything but a loving husband and father, but this side of him makes sense if he really is a contract assassin.
Derek swallows but doesn’t back down. “My father told me my mother was admitted to Hidden Hills Institute, and refused to let me see her. He told me I needed to toe the line, help him with his campaign for governor when he needed me, and only then would he consider it. My mother has always been my rock, even though she moved away to live with her sister.
“On paper, my mom was loyal, still married to my father, and showed up for functions where her appearance was required. However, my aunt lived alone, and my mom always insisted she needed her more. My dad was having affairs, and was violent, so this is how my mother escaped. I never once blamed her for this,” he says, cracking his knuckles to release some of the tension. “I went for a run while I was at my dad’s because he made a comment that I should make sure I was seen while I was home. My father also stated that I should make an effort to keep my muscle tone.”
I snort in derision. “There’s no fat on your body,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Do you think maybe he just wanted you out of the house?”
“Yeah, I think that’s exactly what he wanted,” Derek agrees. “When I came home, the door was slightly opened, and he was talking about using his new mental health platform as a way to help the rich institutionalize family members and people who were problematic. Imagine the wife who wants to divorce you, or the gay son who is your heir that you need to disinherit… or perform conversion therapy in secret.”
I feel sick as I process this, swallowing back bile. I glance at Turner who is fisting his hand in anger, glass be damned.Who would I be if I didn’t love Turner?I even have feelings for Derek… who would I be if someone tried to wipe that away?
“Mr. Xav is a man who is helping my father. He is funding my father’s campaign, but I also got the feeling that my father is afraid of him. This man told my dad that he was completely behind his plan, but expected to be able to perform his own experiments on pain tolerance, torture techniques, and how far the mind could be bent. If that’s where my mom and Lennon are…” Derek’s hands tremble visibly and he shakes them as if that’ll help.
“Fuck me,” Greg groans. “Mr. Xav is part of a high branch in government intelligence that doesn’t exist on paper. He gets away with whatever he wants, protects dangerous people for his own ends, and kept me from protecting my own family once. Do you remember Tori’s stalker years ago, Turner?”
Turner nods, staring unblinkingly at Greg. “Am I finally gonna get answers as to why you couldn’t put that fucker down back then?” he growls.
I can tell Turner is itching to beat the shit out of someone, but Greg probably isn’t a good candidate.
“Turner, that’s all in the past,” I remind him. “The man has been dead for years.”
