Chapter 25

25

Lyric

M y stomach churns as I sit in a holding cell at the FBI field office. At least it smells better than the room I woke up in.

“Here’s some water,” an agent offers as he comes through the door holding a chilled bottle.

“Thanks,” I reply, watching as he sets it on the floor in front of me. “So, are you working with Smith on this? Are you aware that I’m a kidnapping victim?”

The guy gives me a cold grin. “You have no idea how powerful we are, Miss Phelps. But you’re going to find out tonight. Just be thankful that your father is who he is, otherwise, they would’ve already fished you out of the river by now.”

“Unbelievable,” I murmur, shaking my head in dismay as the agent chuckles and leaves me alone again.

It’s quiet down here. Quiet, cold, and incredibly lonely. I’m sore all over and scared for my life, for my baby’s life. Regardless of Smith’s intentions, declared or otherwise, I can’t bring myself to trust that bastard—certainly not with my life and well-being. Not with the life that’s growing inside of me.

Oh, God, how do I get myself out of this mess?

“I’m entitled to a phone call, aren’t I?” I shout, hoping that someone might hear me.

I’m worried sick. What if they get to them? What if they already have? What if tonight, the guys go down in flames, while trying to save me? I try to come up with a plan, much like I always do, but there isn’t a viable solution in sight.

The door opens and my heart skips a beat. “Finally,” I sigh. “I need to make a phone call. I have the right to a phone call!”

My enthusiasm dwindles quickly when Jack Bowman kneels before me. That same confident smirk as before splattered across his face. It makes me sick to my stomach, but given my predicament, I must be extremely careful in how I deal with this man.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“I wanted to make sure you’re alright and well taken care of,” Bowman says. “We’re not monsters, Lyric. We’re just trying to protect everything that we’ve worked so hard to build.”

“And you call yourself my father’s friend,” I hiss. “Having me drugged and kidnapped.”

“That was exaggerated, I know, and I do apologize,” he says with a subtle, polite bow of his head. “I’ll make sure that the man responsible is punished accordingly. But you’ll be safe here. It’ll soon be over and you can go back to your life.”

I shake my head slowly. “What the hell are you planning to do?”

“Right some wrongs,” he casually replies. “Letting the Sokolov’s take over after their father passed away was a grave mistake. Matthew did warn me about them. Smith wasn’t too sure either. But I hoped they’d take a page out of the old man’s book. I sent my people to talk to them about the organization, about how the system worked between us. It should’ve made sense that all they needed to do was follow the same rules and traditions. If they had, everybody would’ve been happy.”

“Right. Every once in a while, the Bureau would announce a successful sting or RICO operation. The mafia bosses would get rid of their undesirables that way, and you were able to keep your corruption machine well-oiled and running at full capacity.”

“You make it sound so crass, but yes, in a nutshell. Lyric, we’re doing important business here. We’re working with colossal amounts of money. Domestic and foreign interests aplenty. We have political and financial influence across the entire state, not just the city, and once your father gets his senate seat, we’ll strengthen our position. We won’t even need the local mafia families then.”

“So, forget the men and women who risk their lives as policemen and federal agents. Forget those who put themselves on the line so that criminals are punished for their crimes.”

“Who said that?”

“You, the criminal standing right in front of me. The criminal that’s getting away with a lot, might I add. How is any of this fair?”

Bowman crosses his arms, carefully pondering his answer as he measures me from head to toe. “Personally, I’m more interested in figuring out how you turned out the way you did, Lyric. The apple couldn’t have fallen farther from the tree. What happened?”

“My eyes were opened at a young age,” I reply. If this man wants to get to know me better, I might as well give him a piece of my mind. Maybe it’ll sway him away from his intended path. “I saw my father for who he really was. His words didn’t match his actions, and it shattered my trust in him. He lies for a living. He pretends to be someone he stopped being a long time ago. I decided I didn’t want to be anything like him.”

“My, my, aren’t you a righteous little thing.”

“Just because you decided to throw away all of your principles so you could get richer, doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with the rest of us. People still hurt other people. We still need to punish criminals. Corruption is eating away at an already defective system, causing even more pain to innocent people. You’re out there stomping and crushing skulls to fatten your bank accounts, while countless folks rot in a line for food stamps.”

Bowman chuckles softly. “Don’t tell me you want freedom and money for everyone.”

“No, that would be unrealistic. I want equality and fair chances for everyone. You fellas keep tipping the scales in your favor while you’re also audacious enough to get in front of the cameras and claim you’re fighting for the little guy. How many charities are you currently in charge of?”

“About six, I think. And they’re all doing amazing things for the people and for the planet’s ecosystem, might I add.” He sounds irritatingly proud about this.

“And what, you think that washes your sins away? The money you steal? The lives you destroy? Don’t be delusional, Mr. Bowman. It never ends well.”

“It’s going pretty well for me right now,” he retorts. “I’ve got you in my grip, calm and under control. I’ll have to buy your father a yacht or perhaps a Tuscan villa to apologize for this whole circus, but it will have been worth it. I’ve got the Sokolov’s right where I want them. The mob families are falling back in line. Life is good, Lyric.”

“I’ll bet.”

“It could be good for you, too, if you just accept your fate. You’ll be a single mother, but you will at least have spared your father the shame of his daughter cavorting with known criminals. Years from now, you’re going to look back on this moment and understand that I’m doing you a favor.”

I can’t help but roll my eyes at him. “Yeah, I’m beside myself with gratitude.” But then his words hit me, the alarm bells going off in my head. “Wait, single mother?”

“I have eyes everywhere. Money in every pocket in exchange for information. It’s how I built my empire. It’s how I win my battles. Information is key, sweetheart, and knowing everything about you was instrumental in my decision-making process.”

My stomach drops. I feel cold, then hot, then cold again as I stare at him in sheer disbelief. I am more vulnerable than ever and he knows it. Bowman knew it from the moment he walked in here. I have been playing checkers against this man’s 3D chess, and I practically got my ass handed to me.

“I can’t believe this.”

“Oh, believe it, Lyric. There’s nothing that money can’t buy except immortality. Everything else, my dear, is always for sale. One just needs the right price.”

With that, Bowman turns around and leaves.

“How long are you going to keep me here?” I shout at him.

“Just a few more hours and then I’ll call your daddy to come pick you up. That is, of course, if everything goes according to plan,” he replies, though he’s out of sight now.

I hear the door opening once more.

“And if it doesn’t go according to plan?” I ask with a trembling voice.

The door shuts loudly behind him. I guess that was my answer.

I’m left in the silence and semi-darkness of my holding cell, alone with my frazzled thoughts as the parameters of my situation seem to have drastically changed. The mere fact that Bowman knows about my pregnancy adds more danger to the Sokolovs. He’s bound to use it against them if he has to.