Advancing ((Advance Industries #2)) (20 page)

“Tension in the ranks?” I hear from the side. “Focus on killing the AIG, you can kill your own team afterwards!”

She’s gone before I can round on her and I stand panting, my fists still bunched, my heart beating furiously and a bloody Trask staring at me.

“Feel better?” He asks as he spits out a mouthful of blood, glaring at me.

“We’re done,” I tell him. “When this is over you’re out. I can’t have someone on my team that I don’t trust.”

His face falls but he still won’t give me anything. “If that’s what you want.” He makes to walk off but spins back around. “Just know – I wasn’t working against you. I thought she listened to me and I’ve been watching her every move to make sure she didn’t take off.”

“You didn’t watch well enough did you?” I fire back.

“Did you?” He accuses and it’s like he sucker-punched me.

“Y’ know Kye you’re quick enough to point the finger but not so good at accepting you fucked up too. If it’s easier to blame me then fine, I’ll take it.” He takes a step closer so he’s right in my face. “But if she was mine, she wouldn’t be fucking fighting in the first place.” He spits at my feet again and walks off.

I notice Jonah is losing his fight and go over to back him up, as he’s getting to his feet shots ring out and we all duck, our eyes darting around to see where they came from. A beefy AIG is stood in the middle of the street, amidst the fighting and holding a gun up to the air. “ENOUGH!” He shouts, “BACK UP!”

When other AIG stand next to him, also holding guns we start to listen, we retreat until my team and Charlotte’s are stood together facing them. The AIG we were fighting with walk off towards them and stand behind those with guns. We’re fairly matched numbers wise but now they have the advantage. We have a sizeable gap between their frontmen and ours but I prepare for us to be picked off one by one by their shots when I hear Charlotte cry, “NOW!” I look at her thinking she’s definitely bat shit crazy if she’s preparing to rush them. I hear a low
beep, beep, beep
and then BOOM! It happens so quickly it’s hard to process. My ears are ringing, I feel bits of fuck knows what land on me and splatter my face. When I look up the AIG are gone, shack windows broken, debris flying through the crowd and some of Charlotte’s men that were stood closest to the AIG are on fire. Some of the more intelligent guys drop and roll but a few run around, arms waving, screaming like girls. The smell of charred flesh burns my nostrils and amidst all this as my sound starts coming back slowly I hear cheering.

Charlotte is surrounded by her followers, lifted up on their shoulders and being paraded around like she found the cure for cancer. They’re cheering, whistling and hollering even while members of their group are running around on fire.

She obliterated them. She killed them all and for all I know she’s sent Faith to her death too.

“I’m so glad you came.” I smile at her as she reaches the doorway and I step out from the shadows. I pull her inside quickly before she can escape.

She shrugs my arm off violently and I lean on my cane for balance.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I came to meet you as agreed.”

“Agreed? That bitch did set me up didn’t she? I don’t fucking believe it!” She starts stomping around the room, her hand gestures going crazy while she works off her anger. She really is rather cute when angry.

“She didn’t lie to you but she also helped me.”

“Helped you what?”

“Helped me to have a chance to speak with you. Faith there’s so much I have to say. I just want to be heard. Please give me that.”

“Fraser this has to stop. Why do you keep expecting me to give you anything? You hurt me, you used me and you want me to ease your conscience? Why should I?”

“Because I’m truly sorry. I’m not that man. Not really. I just... I got caught up in the need to do good for the future, the lines got hopelessly blurred and it took getting blown up for me to realise how sickening my actions had been.”

She sighs and sits on the seats I provided for us. I sit opposite her almost awkwardly as my leg struggles with the bending motion. I try not to let her see my pain but I still grit my teeth at the movement. Worry crosses her brow for a second but it’s all I need. She’s not completely unfeeling. I just need to chip away.

“Say what you have to Fraser then I’m walking away. I can’t believe this was a setup. Do you have any intention of telling me where my sisters are?”

“Yes, every intention. Please hear me out first?”

“Okay.” She crosses her arms over her chest and stares at me waiting for me to begin. I take a steadying breath, those blue eyes of hers burn into me and knock me off kilter for a moment.

“Faith I realise whatever I say or do will never make up for what you went through for most of your life so I’ve decided the only thing I can do is spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” She raises her brows but stays silent.

“I am being prepared to be named President but I want this to be right. I want you there with me calling the shots, making this city what it should be. I need you to keep me on the straight and narrow. I need you to ensure I do right by the people. I don’t want to be swayed again. I need someone like you as part of my team, putting me in my place.”

She stands up and starts walking towards the entrance.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving.”

“Faith I have guards outside, how do you propose to get past them?”

She spins around, hate written all over her face and then she rushes me. My chair tips back and she’s on top of me, straddling me. Her face is red and the unbridled passion stirs something inside of me. She feels it too because her face pales and she moves to sit back and climb off me. I wrap my fist in her hair and pull her down, my lips claiming hers as she fights against it. The less pliable she becomes the more intent I am on having her surrender, she will learn obedience. She bites my lip and I groan. Does she not realise the fight makes the ache worse? I roll us away from the chair and over so I’m sat atop her. My leg protests but I ignore it and grab her hands in mine holding them next to her head.

“Stop fighting me.”

She spits at me and that kind of behaviour is unacceptable from a lady. It lands on my suit jacket and I look down at it in disgust.

“What now Fraser? I thought you’d done your worst but I guess rape is another thing you believe to be acceptable.”

“Rape?” I ask horrified by the notion. “No. God no, Faith. I’d never...”

“What? You’d never force me to do something so vile? Don’t make me laugh.”

I release her hands and climb off her. I just wanted her to listen and stop fighting. I may force a kiss but I’d never to do something so disgusting. I have no need to force myself. “I just wanted to kiss you, I may have got carried away but I’d never force myself on a woman. I’m sorry.”

She stays lying on the floor, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Instead of apologising all the time, why don’t you try not doing things that will require an apology?” She sits up, all the fight has left her face, she crosses her legs and glares at me.

“Were you ever going to let me leave?”

“Yes, after you’d heard what I need you to hear.”

“You mean after I agree to whatever it is you say?”

“Would it be so bad Faith? Living with me, guiding me? Your sisters would live with us too. None of you would ever go without again. I can give you everything you could possibly want.”

“I just want to be free Fraser. I want my sisters and I to choose what we do, not to be coerced into it for one plot or another. I want a life. I want to be loved.”

“Love? I could grow to love you and you, me. Can’t you see how great we’d be together? With us in power, this city will be completely different.”

“Fraser you’ve fixated on me, I don’t know why and I don’t want to know but you’re not thinking clearly. What you’re proposing wouldn’t work.”

“Why not? I’m willing to try; just tell me you are too.”

“This is ridiculous. Are you hearing yourself? You think I could move in with you – a guy I despise and have zero trust for, you think we could play happy families and eventually fall in love?” She laughs as if it’s the funniest proposal she’s ever heard and it hurts, it angers me. I just lowered myself to begging her near enough and she has the audacity to laugh, to sneer at me?

“I asked nicely Faith. I gave you the chance to cooperate but know this- if your answer is no, you’ll be taken by force anyway but I’ll leave your sisters to rot where they are.”

My annoyance at not being taken seriously has taken over and mister nice guy has been shoved aside. Why is the idea so preposterous to her?

Yes, I’ve wronged her but I’ve apologised. I won’t harm her again; I just want her with me. Why is that so laughable? Am I that repulsive?

Not good enough for the likes of a woman born via test tubes? She should be counting herself lucky that I even make the time for her.

Out of everyone I could choose I offered her the honour. How dare she deny me, look down her nose at me. I’m offering her the world on a platter.

She grew up with nothing, I can give her everything. Everything she ever missed out on, everything a woman could possibly want and she laughs. I’ll show her.

“I want a word with you. Now!”

“I’m sure you do, but it will have to wait.”

“Now Charlotte!” I yank her arm and pull her away from her adoring minions.

“Where is Faith?”

“That’s it? The all-important question you dragged me away to ask? You disappoint Kye.”

“I’m not fucking playing. What were you playing at?”

“I sent her away for you, for all of us. She is pregnant and you didn’t want her fighting. I didn’t want you to lose focus so I did what was needed.”

“What did you get out of it?”

“Those warm mushy feelings that good deeds bring.” She laughs and when she sees I’m nowhere near amused she continues, “Oh okay, I have a deal in place. She was wanted in return for it.”

“By who?”

“Does it matter? She’s safe, she has her sisters and I get what I want also, a pretty good deal all round, wouldn’t you agree?”

“By. Who?” I grind out.

“The man who was going to be my opponent but thanks to quick thinking on my part, the way is clear.”

“Charlotte!”

“Kye you’re so tense. Do you need some relief? I have time to fit you in.”

“For once can you just quit with the games. Tell me who.”

Trask appears at my side. “Fraser,” he says.

“You knew she was meeting Fraser? If I hadn’t ...”

“No, I didn’t, she never either. She just Commed me.”

“Give it to me.”

“I don’t know what all the fuss is. She still has her Comm to communicate with you because he doesn’t know I gave you two. He thinks she has no way of communicating. He doesn’t want to hurt her. In fact, once he finds out she’s pregnant I’m willing to bet he’ll send her back.”

“He is as deluded as you. He doesn’t know what he wants.”

“He wants her and I want to be President. It’s really quite simple. We both have what we want. What’s done is done. You’ll get over her.”

Trask holds me back as I lunge forward. I shrug him off. Deception every way I turn. Can anyone be trusted anymore?

“It’s nice to see you’ve been played for once Charlotte. I think it’s called karma.”

“No one can outplay me. Don’t forget it.”

“Oh but he has. He has no intention of handing over the presidency. Why do you think he wants Faith? He wants her with him when it’s announced.”

I start to walk away but something clicks and I spin back to her. “They knew we were coming tonight. They were waiting for us. There’s no way they could have been prepared unless they were told and no one on my team would stab us in the back like that.”

“That sounds very much like an accusation,” she purrs.

“It is.”

She walks up to me her face inches from mine and a look of sheer disgust curls her lips. “I don’t answer to you. I don’t do regret or apologies so if you’re expecting one, hell will freeze over first.” She pokes a finger in my chest. “Look around you. Look what we’ve accomplished. Can you even comprehend what we’ve achieved here tonight? You want me to feel bad about the way it came about? Well, fuck you. I did what had to be done, same as I always have and always will. Man the fuck up and stop whining about shit that has no relevance to the outcome.”

“What did they do to you?”

Her mask slips for a split second before she’s back to being unfeeling. She sneers at me. “Stop over analysing. It is what it is, there’s no hidden meaning, I’m upfront. My past with these shitheads has no relevance so back off.”

“You’ve made a mistake Charlotte, a big fucking mistake. You’ll never be in charge of this city. He just told you what you wanted to hear. You handed him Faith when she was your best bet to bargain with. How’s it feel? Knowing your game backfired on you for once?” I walk off as I let that sink in and I read the Comm message as I walk.

You were right Trask, she set me up.

I’m with Fraser and I’m fine but I have to stay with him.

Tell Kye, I’m sorry. I can’t explain via the Comm but this is the only way to get my sisters.

Tell him I’ll be careful. I won’t risk myself or the baby.

I know what I’m doing, tell him to trust me.

I’ll check in again when I can.

F x

Stay with him? What the fuck. That’s not happening. She wants me to trust her though, she must have something up her sleeve. I replay the message over and over in my head as I busy myself with the clean-up, keeping my mind off the fact that she’s with him. Bodies and body parts litter the streets. Injured guards lay all around us, mainly the homeless guys who were called to join up, the ones we fought and hurt but didn’t kill. We spend hours lining them up, the most severe Saunders checks over before moving on to non-life threatening and so on. Charlotte’s medics help him and they make quick work of getting through them. They’ve been tied up because although no longer a threat we just don’t know what to do with them. Some have pleaded to return to their families, some remain quiet and others regard us with open hostility. Weapons have been collected and the shack dwellers have helped, giving us blankets, sheets and other items to lay over the dead bodies. They’ve made us drinks, provided food and considering they have so little they’ve been helpful. Thanking us for freeing them from this regime. It’s too early to say that but the hope they convey makes me determined to see it through. I won’t allow Charlotte or Fraser to be in power, they’d be just as bad as Johnson Franks if not worse. No one knows what I do though. Faith is next in line to lead. As Johnson’s flesh and blood the title automatically goes to her, I just need to find a way to make that happen. Is this the role she needs to fulfil? Possibly, if Jonah is right. I can’t think of any other reason for her staying in this time and she’d definitely do a better job than the two power hungry individuals fighting over it at the moment. Even Faith has no idea and as much as I want to put Charlotte in her place I can’t risk painting a massive target on Faith’s back. If they knew, they’d want her dead.

Charlotte has been quietly plotting, mulling over what I told her and seeing her taken down a peg or two is fucking incredible.

I need to talk through this and wander off in search of Jonah. He’ll know what to do.

I find him talking to a shack dweller and lift my chin indicating I need to speak with him. He wanders over to me and starts following behind as I walk away. I need to find a quiet spot, Charlotte’s goons are all over the place and I can’t risk her finding out. I stop behind one of the shacks, fairly happy that this is the most privacy I’m going to find.