Red Alert/Red Notice (The "Super Jerk" Prequel)

21 - Spinning Me Round

^^Above, chapter title credit: Song by Modern English.^^

{Geoffrey}

Ridley pops up again, in the form of a newspaper article. It says he's planning on holding a rally to try to garner even more support, since the debate seemed to make his numbers fall, not rise, in the polls. When Raina sees it, she just shakes her head. Ridley seemed incapable of handling anything like an adult, and this was no exception.

"Does he really think that hiring a bunch of people to stand in front of him and wave signs is going to do anything?" she asks that morning at breakfast. She looks tired, eyes red-rimmed and hair tangled, and unusually quiet.

"Works for some candidates," I say with a shrug. "Probably not for Ridley, but—"

"Geoff, Howard tried to kiss me last night," she says abruptly, hands turning into white-knuckled fists on the table. "I stopped it before it went any further, but I wanted to tell you before he did..."

"Hey." I reach across, setting my hand over hers. She looks up at me, brow furrowed. "Don't worry, okay? I know you think he's changed his ways, but he's only done it for you. Once he sees that you're used to it, he'll revert right back."

"I don't know, Geoff, his worry about Felicia seemed genuine..."

"Any super who's smart is going to be," I say, feeling a flare of irritation. As much as it seems Eckles has changed, there's one thing I knew he couldn't stop doing, and that was thinking he had some sort of romantic connection with Raina. Of course she was pretty, smart, and appeared to radiate confidence and charm. But it appears that once again, I'm going to have to assert myself in front of him, that she was my wife and not his.

"Ba ba," Cam says from his high chair, pointing at me with a little finger. "Ba...ba."

"That's Dada, Cam," Raina says as she takes one of his hands, waving it at me. "Can you say Dada?"

"Da ba," says Cam, and that makes me grin.

"Close enough, kid." I ruffle his hair, coming in as fair as mine but as curly as Raina's.

"There's something else," she says as we head back towards the elevators, me carrying Cam. "Why didn't you tell me about that restraining order earlier?"

"You had other things on your mind," I say, but she shakes her head.

"No, I know it's not that. You didn't think I'd find out, did you?"

"Well..." I start without looking at her.

"Geoff, can't you see?" she hisses, grabbing my elbow and spinning me to face her with a surprising amount of strength. "She's manipulating you. It's a trap. You said it provoked this cascade of events, but I think it's something else too. She gets you alone, and once you violate the order, she's led Ridley straight to you."

"And by doing that..." I start, and she finishes right away.

"He can eliminate you with no witnesses. You keep fighting him, he'll either break you or get you out of the way." She leans back against the elevator wall, raking both hands through her hair. "That's why we have to get to him first."

"I hope you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting." I hitch Cam higher as he wriggles, sucking on two fingers.

"You mean eliminating Ridley first? As tempting as that sounds, I don't think we'd reasonably get away with it." She sighs, gripping the rail behind her and tipping her head back.

"But I know you considered it," I say, grateful that for once, her temper didn't snap.

"He got El killed and nearly blew us to Hell. Of course I did."