AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How have you been?” she asked him after they’d been walking in silence for ten minutes.
He squeezed her hand and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve been getting more sleep like I promised, but I’m still at a loss about what happened with our surveillance of the Remingtons.”
“It’s not your fault. We should’ve known that they’re smarter than we gave them credit for.”
“Yes, we should. I should. It is my fault, but I appreciate your words.”
Sienna could tell that there was nothing she could say that would change his mind, which was why she decided to change the subject, hoping to get a bit of weight off his shoulders. “How’s your rock painting going?”
His lips curved up in a smile that brightened his face. He turned toward her with excitement in his eyes that she didn’t see in a long time. The Remingtons took so much from them, but she wouldn’t let them take more.
“I didn’t have much time to do it, but I came up with a new idea that I’m very excited about and already got some people on board,” Xavier told her, his voice full of life as he continued, “You know that I’ve never wanted to be in the family business and lucky for me, Jensen is the oldest. I’ve talked to some cancer foundations on how to help kids stay in the hospital easier. I told them my idea and they liked it.”
“What is it?” Sienna urged impatiently after he paused to build the tension.
“I’m going to paint Pokémon on the rocks and then we will come up with a system for the kids to get them, evolve them and get their badges in the hospitals,” he said excitedly, then added, “I’ve already got the special permission from the license owners too.”
“Xavier! That’s amazing! When do you start?”
“When things settle down,” he said wistfully. “I didn’t have much time for painting lately or even collecting rocks. I’m sort of running out of materials.”
“It’s an incredible opportunity and you can’t let it slip away. It’s your dream job, Xavier,” she told him, then looked around the forest, an idea coming to her. “Why don’t we find some rocks here and get you started? That way when you come home, you’ll be able to start painting.”
“But the Remingtons—”
“We have enough people to take care of the surveillance for you, not to mention that with Thornes on our side, we get a better in through their internet security software, which automatically means that you don’t need to do it anymore,” she assured him. “Go do your thing. I need to see someone doing what they love. Please.”
Xavier looked at her for a moment, then nodded and smiled. “I promise I’ll start as soon as we get back, but if things change, I’ll be back on the war matter.”
“Deal!” Sienna exclaimed and threw her arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him into a hug, inhaling his strawberry scent.
They spent the next hour collecting rocks, laughing, and joking about the most meaningless things. It had been a while since Sienna had last been so relaxed, discussing topics that had nothing to do with the war. Despite all the fun she was having, she’d be the last person to admit that this camping trip wasn’t such a bad idea.
They hiked for almost two miles, going past the series of 19 waterfalls and up over 800 stone steps.
“It’s beautiful,” Xavier whispered, looking around.
Sienna had to admit he was right as she took their breathtaking surroundings in herself. They walked on the little trail between the two cliffs with a clear view of the waterfall. The air was a bit chilly but not cold. There were other people on the trail, but it was as if everyone kept their voices down in awe of nature’s beauty.
When they returned to the camp, they had over thirty rocks between the two of them. Sienna’s mood had lifted, but she still didn’t want to stay overnight. Brian had set up their tents and was already preparing the food on the cooker they’d brought with them. Xavier took the rocks from her to put them away, giving her the perfect opportunity to slip away to talk to Emyr.
Sienna found the governor of Maryland by the lake, cleaning the fish he’d caught earlier. Homesick and tired, she was beyond caring if she was seen talking to him, which was why she approached him without trying to disguise herself. His back stiffened as he noted her presence, but he didn’t say anything and continued to clean the fish.
“What do you have there? Trout and salmon?” she asked, trying to make small talk.
“That and northern pike,” he announced proudly, then lowered his voice. “What do you want?”
“I need your help,” she told him, eager to get it over with and move on. But his reply not only surprised her but also fueled her anger.
“I don’t want anything to do with the likes of you,” he hissed, giving her a stink eye. “Do you really think that a man in my position would be stupid enough to support a spoiled girl and her sex toys?”
“M-my sex toys?” Sienna stammered, caught off-guard by his words, but her face turned darker as her eyes narrowed at him.
“You and the Carrington bastards can go fuck yourselves somewhere else and leave the big world problems to the people who actually know how the world works,” he said, pulling himself up to full height, looming threateningly over her.
Fire burned in Sienna’s eyes and before she could stop herself or think about her next words, she took a step towards the governor and lifted her head to face him. Her fists clenched, her nails burying in her palms to keep her arm from causing him physical injuries.
“You mean the world working in a way that Russia pulls the strings of the US governor, bribing him into rigging presidential elections?” Sienna asked with a calm and quiet voice that made her sound deadlier than ever.
