My Kidnapper's Mistake

Chapter 30: Life for a Life

Anya's P.O.V.

The Boss had invited me to his home. I couldn't say that it had alarmed or scared me. All I saw was the red hot anger towards that man blazing up from my heart to settle behind my eyes. The guys were cautious around me and I preferred it. I no longer wanted to be lady like, I wanted to lure men to their death.

I sat on the plush, brown, leather armchair. The Boss was leaning backwards in his chair, behind his desk, leering at me. I knew that he really wanted to shoot me, but he to had orders to obey. He had offered me a glass of whisky, when I had entered. I had known that it had been offered as a test to see if I was lying about the child, not out of hospitality.
"You know why you're here?" The Boss finally asked.
"I have my suspicions." Our tines were equally clipped.
"The Orginization has ordered me not only to make you part of the team, but also the new leader."
"I see."
"You see they thought it good that the girl responsible for the leader's death to become the leader."
There was a stretch of silence, where the Boss gave me ample time to digest the meaning behind his words. I had been standing alongside Dexter as he had told the Boss everything about Julian and my relationship.
"Anything else?" I wanted to leave.
"Yes, as a matter of fact there is." I had the suspicion that the Boss was only drawing out the conversation for dramatical effect.
"What is it then?" I snapped, tired of waiting.
"I still think that you're a flight risk. With the child and all. A parent would do anything to protect their young. Would you do anything to protect your youngster?" He was talking about me and my child like we were merely animals in a zoo.
"To keep her out of this life. Yes, I would."
"I have a proposition for you then." The Boss paused yet again.
"Let's hear it."
"You marry Clive..."
"No way." I cut in. Bracing my arms on the armrest to get up and leave.
"Let me finish!" The Boss roared and I fell back into the chair.
"You'll marry Clive and pretend to be a happy family until the child is 18, then I'll keep the child a secret from the Orginization and she won't have to end up like poor little Stuart."
It was my turn to pause. I mulled the proposition over in my head, it wasn't such a bad compromise. All I had to do was marry a guy that had caused the death of the man I had loved, the father of my child and that child would be free to do what she pleased when she became legal.
"Can I request something more?"
"You're not exactly in the position to make extra demands."
"Just hear me out."
"Very well." The Boss sighed.
"I want to be known by the Orginization by another name. Just a single name, nothing more. The government mustn't be able to trace that name back to Anya Langley."
"Easy enough. What would that name be?"
"Bryce."
"Interesting choice. Any particular reason for it?"
"It could be the name of a man, without a face enemies would assume I'm a man." I humoured him.
"The Orginization isn't an enemy."
"You get why I don't see it that way. Are we done here?"
"Not quite. I'd need the name of the child, so that I can set up an identity for her. It'd take a while to accomplish."
I felt something kick against my heart and my mouth wouldn't form the words. I didn't want to tell the Boss anything about my child. I wanted to keep her as far away from this man as possible.
"Juliette Alexei Quinn."
"Good, you chose a surname as well. My wife will handle all the wedding arrangements."
I didn't care if we had a wedding, I'd have been content with signing that papers in that office. Actually I preferred it. A wedding was supposed to be something special and I didn't want my memory of my wedding to contain Clive.

"What happened in there, you look as white as a ghost." Jason asked, when I got into the car.
"I'll tell everybody at the house."

***

Nobody had been fond of the idea of the marriage, not even Clive himself had seemed optimistic. Then again he wasn't optimistic about me becoming leader either. I guess that he had expected that he'd become leader not that he'd be marrying the leader.