Page 77 of The Press Secretary's Passion
“What was that for?” I ask.
“For not doing what I told you to, you stupid, stupid girl,” she snarls before Gil hits me again. I feel my lip tear open, and I taste blood.
“Please stop,” I whisper. “I’m pregnant.”
I don’t know why I thought the knowledge of their impending grandchild and niece would make them let me go. I guess I’m as stupid as she thinks I am. Because Gil hits me again. I had no idea he could pack such a punch. I thought he played golf and squash. I didn’t know he could beat the shit out of someone. Or that that someone would be me, but I digress.
“Why are you doing this?” I gasp.
“Why else?” She laughs. “Power and money.”
“I can get you power,” I tell them. “I work for the president.” Maybe if I bargain, they’ll let me go. Wishful thinking, I know.
“He doesn’t have the kind of power I want,” she says.
“And what kind is that?” I ask. I shouldn’t; I know I shouldn’t have asked as soon as the words are out of my mouth, but my brain hasn’t caught up with whatever they gave me in the car.
“Global power,” Mom replies.
“I thought Gil wanted to be president?” I ask.
“He does,” she replies. “Just not of this country.”
“What?”
“When America falls, who will replace it?” Gil prompts. When I don’t respond, he answers for me. “I’ll be with the nation that’s waiting in the wings to replace us.”
“You’re a traitor?” I gasp.
“That’s such an ugly word,” my brother laughs.
“If you’d have just married Jefferson like you were supposed to, this wouldn’t be happening, but just as always, you almost ruined everything,” Mom snaps. “Do you know how much we got paid to offer you up to them? And we had to pay it all back, you selfish bitch.”
Sold. My parents fucking sold me so my crazy brother could rule the world. This is insane. Stuff like this just doesn’t happen in real life.
“Now he’s dead, and soon, so will you be too,” Gil says with a nasty smile.
“Jefferson died?” Mother asks. “What a pity. I liked him.”
“He was weak,” Gil says.
“That’s true too.”
“Mark killed him,” Gil says conversationally, and I know he’s playing with me before I die. “But then Gus killed him. Did you know Gus? But then, of course you did. Tell me, who did you think took the video of you whoring yourself to the captain?”
“No.”
“That’s right. Gus is a true patriot,” he says with a mean smile. “And just about now, he’s dispatching your president and his wife.”
“No!”
“I think we need to rough her up a bit more,” my mom says. “It needs to look like Black beat her to death.”
“No!” I scream once more, and then the room explodes.
Ryan and Rick burst into the room. Gil tries to fight them, but my asshole brother is no match for two of the strongest military men I’ve ever met in my life, and Ryan takes him down quickly. I think it’s finally over, but then my mother produces a small gun from her pocket.
I scream, and Ryan turns around just in time to be shot in the chest. He drops to his knees, his face going white.No, no, no, no, no.This can’t be happening.
