No Way Back (Mia's Way, #1) Read online

“I love you, Ari.”

  “I love you, too, Mia. I’ll stand by you no matter what.”

  She starts crying, and so do I. We’re still crying in my closet when Chris pushes the door open. I wipe my eyes and look up at him.

  “The DA is losing no time. You’re going in tomorrow, after school. Your Daddy is on his way back from his trip abroad. I suggest you give the DA everything he needs as quickly as possible, before your father tells me to make this go away.”

  His words terrify me. I nod. He says nothing else and walks away.

  “You’re right. He is helping you,” Ari says, pulling away. She hands me her phone. “I saved the pic you sent me from that night. You can give my phone to them for evidence or whatever.”

  I take it. I dread the next day.

  I can barely sit still through school. Ari and I talk at lunch, but I can’t focus on anything. Tons of people stop to tell me they’re sorry about the baby. It makes me tenser. Even Benji’s infectious smile does nothing for me. As soon as the final bell rings, I bolt to the locker room to change out of my uniform and into jeans and a sweater. I part ways with Ari at the front of the school and climb into the car.

  Chris’s team is supposed to be waiting for me. The car drops me off, and I check my phone to see I’m early. My gaze goes to the police station beside the court house. I’ve got fifteen minutes, possibly more, because Chris knows I’m never early or on time. I walk into the station, feeling terrible, through the metal detector and into the station. I look around for a moment, lost, until the two officers manning the information desk stop talking to each other and stare at me.

  Clearing my throat, I approach them. “I’m looking for Dom.”

  “Dom have a last name?” the woman asks.

  I pull the card out of my pocket. I’ve never bothered reading his full name. Dominic Adriani. It’s a pretty name.

  “Adriani,” I say out loud.

  “Wait here. I’ll page him.”

  I step away from the desk. A minute later, I hear Dom’s name over the speaker system. I tap my foot nervously. Part of me is hoping he’s not there. I’m embarrassed by the latest press reports about my miscarriage, and I’m not sure what to say to him. I check the time and realize I’ll probably be late.

  “Hey.”

  I turn at his quiet greeting. He gazes at me curiously and offers a small smile. He motions to the side, out of sight of the glass running along the front of the building, where paparazzi has already started to gather. I silently blame Fabio, who is standing outside the front door to the station. They can spot him a mile away.

  “Adriani sounds like a mob boss,” I say.

  “This coming from a woman with four names?”

  Somehow, he always puts me at ease. Today, I need it.

  “I, um, I wanted to say thank you,” I say slowly. “For not turning your back on me.”

  “You were right,” he replies. “Mia, I never wanted to use you. I wanted to help you, but as Gianna would say, I forgot the tree for the forest.”

  “No, Dom. You were right. I had the power to help …” my voice breaks. I flush, look down and clear my throat. “I didn’t. But I came to tell you, I’m meeting with the DA today.”

  He’s quiet.

  “I asked Chris not to drown your people in paper. I told him I have to do this. I owe it to Tanya. I owe it to the other girls.” I meet his gaze again. “I owe it to you.”

  “I knew you would do it.”

  I roll my eyes at him. “I can still walk away,” I tell him, crossing my arms. “I’ve done stupider things to prove idiots more arrogant than you wrong.”

  “That reminds me. We need to make a new deal. I broke ours.”

  I raise an eyebrow at him in a way that would make Molly proud.

  “I’ll be straight with you, if you drop that defensive shit with me.” His slow smile is infectious and his direct gaze makes me warm inside.

  I don’t want to smile. I won’t smile. “Prove you mean it,” I challenge him. “You broke our last deal.”

  “Fair enough,” he agrees. “For the record, you won’t walk away, you don’t owe me anything, and you’re welcome.”

  “Goodbye, Dom.” I turn away and start towards the doors then remember one of the real reasons I wanted to come. I hesitate then face him again. He’s still there, waiting. “Will you …”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t know what I’m going to ask,” I say, perplexed.

  He winks and walks away, back into the hallway leading to the office areas.

  Irritated, I leave. Camera flashes go off the minute I step outside, and I glare at Fabio. If he wasn’t so conspicuous, I could sneak around more. My phone vibrates. I glance at it as I start towards the courthouse, expecting Chris to tell me I’m late or something.

  Glad you saw the light.

  If Dom’s text makes me curse him under my breath, his next makes me curse out loud.

  The DA told me you volunteered to come in. He asked me to come today.

  Somehow, he does know what I wanted to ask him, if he’d be there with me while I dive headfirst off a cliff. It’s freaky how he seems to read my mind sometimes. I don’t even think Ari can do that.

  Chris and two members of his team are waiting for me at the top of the steps to the courthouse. He’s got his game face on and looks me over, probably not approving of my jeans and t-shirt. But I want to be as comfortable as possible today.

  “Ready?” he asks.

  “Not really.”

  “Let’s go.”

  There’s no turning back now. Even if I said no, I have a feeling he isn’t going to let me change my mind. I’m thrilled to have his full backing, but I’m terrified, too. I trail the three men in suits into the building. We walk a familiar path to the nicer side and to the same conference room where I learned about my community service. I’m relieved we’re not going to an interview room; that place was scary.

  At one end of the large table, the DA sits with a clerk, two others in suits and two welcome faces: Dom and Kiesha. I haven’t seen Kiesha since the hospital, and I smile at her. Her lips are as ruby as ever, her large, dark eyes smiling at me, even if she doesn’t. She and Dom look stiff and sit against the wall behind the table.

  The DA stands and shakes everyone hands, even mine. I’m angry at him still, because I’m pretty sure he was the one who used Dom to set me up. It’s definitely a lawyerly thing to do; I can see Chris doing something like that.

  “I see you brought a team,” DA Tenet says. “I hope you haven’t changed your mind, Ms. Abbottt-Renou.”

  “I’m here to ensure her rights are preserved and that she experiences no mental duress,” Chris replies. “And no, she hasn’t.”

  “Good. Have a seat.”

  I do, uncomfortable with all the people there. I hoped it’d be more private. I sit beside Chris, across from DA Tenet. I tuck my shaking hands beneath my thighs.

  “First, we need an official statement, in your own words, of what happened that night,” DA Tenet tells me.

  “Um, you might need this, too.” I pull out Ari’s cell phone and pass it to him. “I know you said last time I was here that you pulled the picture I took that night off my old phone. I sent the pic to Ari, and she kept it. We thought you might want it, just in case.”

  Chris glances at me, and I realize I never told him about the picture or the DA’s attempt to get more information out of me about that night. The DA sees his look, too.

  “We’re putting everything on the table,” Chris says in a voice that says he won’t take any crap. It’s the one he uses with me, and I want to warn the DA it means he’s dead serious.

  Of course, I’d rather see the DA squirm. The DA looks at me for a long moment.

  “Interesting,” he says. “I wondered why I didn’t receive a phone call after your last visit here.”

  “Or the police ball,” I add. “When you set me up.”

  “We needed to know if you could identify who
hurt you.”

  “We’ll discuss this later.” Chris’s voice is cold.

  The DA nods. There’s a tense moment where the two of them size each other up. I’m pretty sure Chris can take anyone. I’m also pretty sure I’ll be in almost as much trouble as the DA later for not telling Chris about the set ups. One of Chris’s team members glances down at his phone. The movement seems to unfreeze the room, and the DA pulls my old statement free from his portfolio.

  “Do you want to revise this or start over?” he asks, sliding it to me.

  “Start over,” I reply.

  “You can write it or dictate it, and our clerk will type it up for you.” He motions to the clerk at the stenograph.

  “I, um, I think I’d rather dictate it,” I say.

  The team member who checked his phone leans behind me to tap Chris.

  “Are you open to questions as you go, or would you rather wait until the end?” the DA asks.

  “Whatever,” I reply, distracted by the whispering behind me.

  Something’s going on. Chris’s lackey leaves quickly without a word to us, and Chris is checking his phone.

  “Everything okay?” the DA asks.

  Chris says nothing. He sits back. I have no idea what’s going on and by the glance Tenet gives his people, he doesn’t either. Chris’s gaze goes to the door to the conference room a moment before it opens.

  I look, too, and my breath catches.

  Daddy. And he doesn’t look happy. His smile is quick and deceptively open, but I can see the tension in it. I know all his smiles, and this one isn’t good.

  “Senator,” the DA stands, surprised. “We weren’t expecting you.”

  “I apologize for the surprise visit. I just need a word with my daughter.”

  I silently scream at him to leave. I don’t know what Chris has told him. After the police ball, I don’t know what he’ll do. I rise and walk down the table to him. He doesn’t leave the room, so I’m hoping he’s there to say something …not too bad. I’m desperately clinging to this thought as I reach him.

  “Hi, Daddy,” I greet him quietly.

  “Mia.” I hear the quiet anger in his voice, even though he keeps the smile plastered on his face for the others. “I thought we discussed Robert Connor a couple of weeks ago. Before this all … explodes for you, I want you to know you can still walk away.”

  I’m stunned by his words. He takes my silence as agreement.

  “Chris can handle it, Mia. We’ll get you into more counseling, and soon, this will all be just a blip. Robert Connor is a good kid. He’s got an alibi, Mia. The type of fallout this kind of misplaced accusation will cause is beyond what you can imagine.”

  “Daddy …” I can barely hear my voice. “Daddy, Robert’s lying.”

  “I’ve watched him grow up, and I’ve known his father for forty years. We attended college together. Keith wouldn’t tolerate this type of behavior in his son,” Daddy says. He makes a show of hesitating then going on. “I have a feeling you’re doing this because I’ve been too busy with my work to pay attention to you the past few years. Now that I know my own mistake, I want to remedy my behavior.”

  A few weeks ago, I would’ve been happy he admitted he’s been an awful father to me. I gaze into eyes the same color as mine. All I can think is that he’s playing me. Like Molly said, this is a game. If I sit down across from the DA, Daddy loses. And Daddy never loses.

  “Come home with me, and let Chris handle this,” he adds. “I’ll get you the help you need.”

  Like he did for Mom. I almost gasp. I’ll be banned to some rehab or psych ward somewhere!

  “You would believe Robert over your own daughter?” I manage.

  “Don’t make a scene. I think this cry for attention has gone far enough. I hear you, Mia. You went through something bad. You might feel like I wasn’t there for you, and this is your revenge.”

  “What? No, I –”

  He holds up his hand to silence me. “I accept my responsibility in this. I’m asking you to be responsible, too, and not to accuse someone who did nothing wrong. Blame me, if it helps you get through this.”

  “Daddy, I have pictures. I remember him being there. I know Robert did this, not just to me, but-”

  “Mia, you’re confused and angry,” Daddy interrupts again. “You don’t know what you saw. You were drunk and drugged. You were probably dressed –”

  “Daddy, they killed a girl!”

  “Lower your voice,” he says. The fake smile is still on his face while I’m flipping out.

  “Either Robert is lying or I am, Daddy,” I hiss. “You tell me whose side you’re on!”

  He gazes at me for a moment then pulls something free from his portfolio. It’s a picture. Of me. Leaving Dr. Agatha’s office.

  My heart stops. I don’t know how he got this. From the angle, it looks like it was taken from the ceiling. It must have been, because there was no one with me in that hallway. My breathing is ragged, and I cover my mouth. Hot tears hit the back of my hand.

  “The Robert Connor issue isn’t the first time you’ve lied to me,” he says quietly. “I just paid five million to keep that photo out of the papers. You murdered your child, even knowing how strongly I oppose abortion. Accusing the Connors of such a crime could fracture the party, even lose us the next Presidency. Not to mention the harm it’ll do to our own family.”

  I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to think. I’m staring at the picture of me leaving Dr. Agatha’s. I know why he doesn’t trust me, but he can’t possibly believe I’d accuse an innocent man just to get back at him.

  “Stop this nonsense and come home with me. I’ll put you in a school overseas until this all blows over,” he continues. “You’ll be eighteen in three weeks. I’ll amend your trust fund, so you can access it and go wherever you want.”

  Suddenly, I realize he’s doing to me what he does to other politicians on TV: manipulating them. He doesn’t care about me at all; he’ll tell me what I want to hear in one breath then accuse me of fucking up in the next.

  I shake my head.

  For the first time since entering the conference room, his smile slips. He’s not just angry, he’s furious and worried. Not about me, of course. I’m about to destroy the world he and his family built. It’s all he cares about. He doesn’t even care his daughter was hurt, that seven other girls were hurt, and one is dead.

  Molly’s right. I can’t live in their world. I look pleadingly towards Chris. I can’t win against Daddy, but I can’t walk away either.

  “You’ve always been selfish, but this is beyond anything I expected of you,” Daddy says. “No daughter of mine would do these things to her family.”

  The words hit me hard.

  “I’ll give you one more chance. Come home with me, now, or don’t come home tonight.”

  I draw a shaky breath. “No, Daddy.”

  “Gerard, let’s talk.” Chris steps between us smoothly, his hand on Daddy’s shoulder. He guides Daddy towards the door.

  Daddy stares at me for one more moment then smiles at those in the room as he and Chris step into the hallway. I pull in deep breaths, silently repeat my mantras and try to gain control over my emotions. Worst case scenario just happened. Now, there really is nothing left for me to lose.

  “Ms. Abbottt-Renou,” DA Tenet says. “Do we need to reschedule?”

  I shake my head and wipe my face before I turn towards the several sets of eyes gazing at me. I don’t know what they overheard, but I’m hoping we were quiet enough they didn’t hear too much. From the looks on their faces, they overheard enough that I feel humiliated.

  I look down at the photo. I don’t know how Daddy got this. Surely Chris and Molly didn’t tell him. If not them, then how? I don’t think I can trust anyone else in the house but Chris. Folding the photo, I look at Chris’s team.

  “Get out,” I order them.

  They don’t move for a moment.

  “Ms. Abbottt-" one of them
starts.

  “Go,” I say.

  They rise and leave. Feeling alone on my side of the room, I sit down across from the DA. He’s gazing at me hard. I look past him to Dom, who’s leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. For once, I can’t read his face. I’m too embarrassed by the scene with Daddy to hold his gaze for long. I stare at the table.

  No one says a word.

  “Where do I start?” I ask the DA at last.

  “From the beginning.”

  Before I start, Chris returns without Daddy or his team. He’s tense but doesn’t order me up. He sits down beside me and takes out his notebook to take notes.

  I do as the DA says. I tell him everything from how I was dressed to how much I drank to the fake ID, fireflies, the strange pill I spit out, the things Robert and Madison said to me, watching them shoot up with some drug while I danced around the fountain. I choke up talking about what they did to me. I close my eyes and recall the pain, the black outs, trying to escape. Begging Robert not to hurt me. Screaming when they both did. I even remember hurting Madison and how that pissed him off enough to beat me first with his fists and kicks then with the metal thing that knocked me out. Finally, I tell him how I woke up and saw Kiesha and Dom and how Dom reminded me of my grandfather, and I thought he was sent to protect me.

  I tell them everything, even things I didn’t tell Ari and Dr. Thompkins.

  The DA doesn’t interrupt. No one does. I hear the clerk typing. When I stop, the clerk stops. It’s quiet, and I open my eyes. They’re all staring at me. Kiesha is frowning. Dom’s hand is covering his mouth, and his gaze is intense, angry. The DA looks like he’s absorbing everything, and Chris is gripping his pen hard enough that his knuckles are white.

  “You remember more than the other girls,” the DA says finally. “They were fully drugged.”

  “I wasn’t so lucky,” I murmur.

  “Will you consent to a line-up?” one of the men beside him asks.

  “Detective Wilson,” the DA says. “He’s working the cases.”

  “Yes,” I reply. “I’ve got nothing else to lose.”

  “You can be assured of our complete cooperation,” Chris adds.

  “I came away from the Abbottt-Renou’s discussion with a different impression,” the DA says. “Does the good Senator share your eagerness to cooperate?”