Page 74 of Double Edged Hearts
“I haven’t decided that part yet. Depends on whether or not you’re willing to cooperate. The fact you’re still here is because of me.”
I start shaking. “I can’t believe this is you.”
“Cora, a man has to do what he has to do. It’s like I’ve always told you—never turn away a good opportunity. This was one of mine.”
“It’s not just now… is it?” It can’t be. I don’t think it was. He looks like he’s in charge.
“No. It’s been years. The Hand have been good to me,” he answers and my breathing constricts.
The Hand…
The terrorist group. Richard is a part of them?
“How could you do this?” I rasp.
“Money and power Cora. A lot of money and unimaginable power. The type you can’t say no to. A man like me is valuable to them because of the connections I have by being who I am at the Bureau. I bring value to the table in a massive way. I can open doors with one word, one command, and it’s done. I can hide evidence, create evidence. Make arrangements for a shipment of missiles to be at a certain place so my arms dealer friend can take it.”
I press my lips together and try to steady my breathing.
He smiles a proud satisfied grin and continues his speech. “On this occasion, we hit the jackpot with a terrorist group in Sierra Leone.”
“How could you do this? After everything. Richard, you’re doing this after all you told me about my father. You forbid me to see Alex. Four years ago, when you found out I was with him, you hit me with the truth about my father, and look at you now. You’re no different than him.”
“I am different, Cora dear. Your father was a criminal bastard who stole your mother away from me. He didn’t deserve her,” he fumes.
I narrow my eyes at him. “What do you mean by stole her away from you? You were best friends… weren’t you?”
“Yeah, for most of our lives, that was what we were called. Then we took that step to be more, and she didn’t want me. Because of him. She loved him, and he loved her.” He snarls.
“He killed her.”
“No… he didn’t kill her. Hewouldn’tkill her,” he clarifies and a tremor flies through me making my body ridged.
“What are you saying to me? You told me he killed her. The whole explanation threw me into this person I am today.”
“I know dear Cora. You get that sense of adventure from your mother. Everything else is from me. We like to retreat when hit with news we can’t handle because we like to be in control. You inheritedthatfrom me.”
My breath stills. “I don’t know what you mean?”
“That man you were calling father loved your mother. I’ll give him that. In fact, he loved her so much that he was all but willing to raise my child as his own. And she loved himsomuch that she stepped in front of the bullet that was meant for him to save his ass. She took the bullet I fired for him.”
“No!” I scream and tears pour from my eyes. Shock crashes through my soul, tearing me up from the inside out then it freezes me in the horror of his words.
“Yes. Yes. I found out you were mine. Cora, I found out I was your real father and how they hid the truth from me. So, I killed them. I killed them both.”
My head suddenly feels so light.
The room spins, and Richard shifts from my view. The shock-riddled news burns my ears.
What he’s saying can’t be true.
He killed my parents and… he’s my… father.
The air leaves my body in one whoosh from my lips, and my eyes roll back. My head lulls to the side, and darkness surrounds me.
