Trust Me

Chapter 24

"Ranalla." The steel grey eyes of her father looked her over. "You look a little...how shall I say this? Earthy?"

She glared at the man she most hated. Nothing had changed with him from the last time she saw him five years ago. He still dressed immaculately, and a sinister grin possessed his harsh features. The steel grey eyes sliced once more into her soul.

"What is all this about, Father?" She motioned with a hand toward her mother. "I don't understand." Did he know about her mother all this time?

"I'm just now understanding it myself." He looked past her to Vince. A smirk pulled one side of his mouth to the side. "Surprised?"

"You could say that." Vince moved a little closer to Ranalla while trying not to push Gregory into action. His voice was controlled as was every action he took.

"I was too, when I found out there was more to you than meets the eye." Gregory's eyebrows arched up.

Ranalla spun around to face Vince. Her voice was raised. "What is going on here? Why is my mother alive? Why is my father here? What is he talking about with you?"

"So many questions." Gregory smirked. "Let's find some answers." He pushed her mother forward toward the couch facing the fireplace. It was only then that Ranalla noticed the gun in his hand. She looked up to meet his hard eyes. "Sit, daughter. Let's clear the air for once."

Ranalla found a seat in the chair closest to Vince. She had thought to move next to her mother, but her father had quickly taken that position while keeping a wary eye on Vince. Vince stood behind her refusing to move more than a foot from her. Gregory chuckled.

"What is so funny about you lying about Mom's death and now pointing a gun at her?" Ranalla demanded. Anger rose up within her.

"It's funny, my dear, because I didn't know your mother was alive. I thought she was dead."

"What?" It all sounded incredulous to her.

"I seriously thought Margaret was dead. The car went over the cliff. It exploded. I had no reason not to believe she was gone." The gun in his hand moved slightly to acknowledge his once dead wife.

"At your hands." Margaret spoke up.

He shrugged. "I never touched the car, Margaret."

She glared at him. "You didn't have to. All you had to do was order it to be done."

A smile tugged up one corner of his lips. "It can't be proved."

Margaret's eyes flashed at him. "Look at what you're doing now." She glanced at the gun in his hand. "I'd say you've touched the act this time."

"They'll be nothing to incriminate me." He spoke with confidence. He looked at her intently. "I need to know how you survived. The car was burned and a few scraps of your clothing were found. The investigation said the blaze was intense enough to destroy all DNA evidence of you being in it."

It was Margaret's turn to smile back. "Did a pretty good job, eh?" She sat a little straighter. "I had been in contact with the FBI for several months."

His eyes became hard as steel. "You bitch! To betray me like that!"

She raised her voice. "Me? A bitch? This from the man who didn't hesitate to beat me enough to cause internal bleeding multiple times? This from the man who tried to force me to abort his only child? This from the man who ordered my murder?"

"When something becomes a liability, you get rid of it."

"Something? A liability? I can't believe I didn't see the monster behind your charm when you courted me." Margaret shook her head in disbelief.

A look of disdain appeared on his face. His upper lip curled up in disgust. "You were too desperate and eager. You'd have believed anything. Which was good for me. I needed the funds your father had to get my business going."

Margaret shook her head. "I'm not that foolish anymore. I see you for what you are."

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter now." He looked over at Ranalla. "This could have been avoided if you had just given into Sheldon. You'd have been married by now and hopefully with a brat. I'd have some of his company and be on my way to all of it."

"That's all I was to you, Father, a bargaining tool? You'd have traded my body for more power?"

"You're my child. You're to do what I want when I want. Your body is mine until I give it away. Do you understand that?"

Ranalla stood up quickly but was shoved back down by Vince's not too gentle hand. She turned around to glare at him. He stood above her as though guarding her. She was so confused.

"I don't understand any of this." She looked at Gregory and pointed at her mother. "You order her killed. She lives somehow. You order me to give myself to Sheldon. Then I'm kidnapped with someone trying to kill me. Then I'm handed to Sheldon." She turned accusingly to Vince. "Then I'm saved from Sheldon. Then I find my mother with my father sticking a gun in her back." She turned back around. "What the hell is going on?"

Her father turned to Margaret with raised eyebrows. "Yes, how did you get away again? We got off that topic."

"It was the FBI. They rigged the car to drive off the cliff without me while it appeared to be me. It was my suitcase they found in the car. I've been in hiding ever since."

"I'll have to fire a few men for failing to do the job right. They ran a rigged car off the road. Idiots!" He turned to his daughter. "Now about you."

His eyes darted to Vince. "Why isn't she dead? I ask for a simple task and now twice I have found my orders ignored."

Ranalla's body became cold. She froze where she sat as the words sunk in. She turned to face Vince. "You? You were the one to kill me?"

Vince met her eyes with his steady gaze. "Yes."