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30
GENEVIEVE
Ican’t tell if Anton can see us sitting here or if the lights are too bright. But by the way, he is purposely not looking in this direction at all. I’d say it’s a fifty-fifty chance he knows.
The second company is called up, and their speech is pretty much a handshake and thanks you with a few more words sprinkled in. And then MorningStar Industries is being called up on stage.
My stomach flips as I stand. I kiss Miya softly on the mouth while the crowd claps, and I step up on the stage. One last glance at Abel tells me he’s ready. I nod and then smile as I wave into the crowd.
I approach Anton with my hand out to him. He either shakes my hand or snubs me in front of all his friends. He keeps it brief, but he squeezes it as if warning me.
“Good evening, everyone. What a beautiful place to host this truly historic event. I’m sure you all feel the importance of our presence here tonight.” Please clap with me as I flip through the note cards.
“I’m going to keep this really short but informative. My name is Genevieve Davenport, and I’m sure you’ve all heard my name all over the news this week. What you haven’t heard is that I am Anton’s baby sister.” A hush fills the room, and whispers start as I continue.
The TV screens placed around the room start flickering, and then pictures fill them of Anton and our father. It’s a video montage of his early life before I was born.
“It’s clear you are all wondering why this is all coming to light now, and that should be clear. Can’t have a President with skeletons in his closet, so I’m going to be your tour guide. From foster home to a motorcycle club and even murder. Anton here is the epitome of a crooked politician.” The screens show more photos, and the crowd starts getting louder.
Shock and outrage can be heard throughout the room, and I know my time is almost up, so I flip to the last two note cards and throw some flare into my delivery of the next statements to keep everyone’s attention up on the stage.
“Please, keep your outrage contained for the real sinister part. While getting his education that he so happily boosts about, he met his beautiful wife Bonnie, who he’s been cheating on all fifteen years of his marriage. But that’s not the craziest part. It’s how they met I want to bring to light.” The screens go from happy couple photos to pictures of Aurora blurred to hide her face.
“During a frat party, Anton saved his wife from four men who would become his future business partners. You see, he runs the most successful sex trade in the world with the men who were raping his future wife at that party.” The screen flashes again with pictures of Aurelio Cardona, Bennito Andreotti, Franklin Hoss, and Derek Evans.
The room explodes in shots and movement. I turn slightly to keep Anton in my sights but otherwise remember Abel’s order not to move. Security is moving around the room, and I can see the moment Anton sees his mother. His face loses all its color, and his mouth parts.
The last card in my hand is a personal message for him alone, and I deliver it with glee.
“The ghost of your past say hello, and they await you in hell. Checkmate.” His angry eyes turn to me.
He pulls a gun, and two shots ring out.
“Goodbye, brother.”
* * *
Anton
Bonnie droppedmy hand and left the stage somewhere between the photos of the affair and of the men who attacked her. As evil as I am when I saved her, I promised she would never see them again. It was the one thing I hadn’t lied about.
I was proud of that.
Derek is nowhere to be found, and the world I’ve been building has been ruined in a matter of minutes by my baby sister. All while she smiled for the cameras in a canary yellow dress.
And then out of the shadows like the grim reaper here to collect me herself comes my mother. The woman looking healthy for a corpse of fifteen years.
“Mom?” I whisper to myself, knowing she can’t be here.
Then Genevieve speaks the words that tip the scales on my fragile psyche.
“The ghost of your past say hello, and they await you in hell. Checkmate.”
I pull out my gun without thought, and before I can aim, I feel a burning in my chest, and then…
31
MIYA
