The Other Sister (Sister Series, #1) (18 page)

“Why didn’t you mention how far you were willing to go with this?”

Will turned when he heard the general’s voice behind him. He was standing beside the wet bar, looking for some ice to add to his drink
. “What do you mean, sir?” He felt like choking on the “sirs” he had to say to the corrupt general.

“That was brilliant in there. Announcing the pregnancy like that. Not an ounce of disgrace to it. We should contact the media. Do some kind of photo spread of you two, in love, having a baby, Jessie’s hero. Just think of it.”

“I don’t want you doing anything of the sort. This pregnancy is our business.”

The general’s eyes narrowed. “Why the tone?”

“No tone, sir. Just looking out for my wife.”

“Wife? It was my idea.”

Will bristled. “She’s a young, vulnerable, pregnant girl who was raped. If you think I take that lightly, you don’t get me at all. I mean it when I tell you to tread softly where she is concerned... sir.”

General B
ains stiffened. “Watch yourself, soldier, I don’t like what you’re implying.”

“Not implying sir, just stating.”

General Bains looked into Will’s eyes, and Will looked right back, his expression stoic, and even more soldier-like. The general straightened. He was starting to comprehend that
Will knew
. He might even know everything. The general’s charm, bullying, and authority kept everyone from knowing the general’s secrets, but finally, someone had seen through it all. In an instant, Will went from being the general’s favorite problem solver, to the traitor the general would most keep his eyes on.

Will stepped closer. “No media about Jessie.”

“Don’t give me orders, soldier.”

“No sir, just making clear what I expect for my wife. You understand.”

“She’s not really your wife.”

“She is. She is really my wife. Sir.”

The general glanced over Will’s shoulder as Lindsey walked in.

“Sorry to disturb you. I was getting some coffee for the senator. Maybe you should go out there, Daddy. Jessie’s with them. No telling what she’ll say.”

Daddy Bains turned and left. Will watched the retreating figure of the man he once considered a hero. A leader. A man among men, someone Will hoped to one day emulate. Now, he wanted to wash his hands after touching the other man’s.

Lindsey walked over to the coffee pot, letting her hair swing across her face.
Will watched her busy herself by arranging cookies on a tray.

“Lindsey?”

She ignored him.

“What is it? Why are you so angry with me?”

Lindsey suddenly threw down the cookies. She whipped around, wiping at tears in her eyes. “Why are you doing this with her? You acted like you liked her, like she was really your wife. I thought you
knew
. How can you act like that with her? After the tank top episode. I just don’t understand how you can pretend like this. I thought—”

“I understand her. That’s the thing
, you don’t. She doesn’t want you to either. I can’t get a handle on this sibling rivalry that both of you insist on perpetuating. You think you’re so innocent, don’t you? Well, you deliberately avoid seeing the pain she’s in. You purposely ignore how your father belittles her. Jessie shouldn’t have done the things she did at sixteen, but she wasn’t created in a vacuum. Why don’t you just once, Lindsey, ask Jessie why she is how she is?”

Lindsey pushed her hair behind her ear. “She did it. Somehow, she managed to pull her ‘poor me’ innocent act with you too. I thought you were better than that, but obviously, I was wrong. Enjoy the rest of your life being embarrassed by her. You heard, didn’t you? About the private she took to your apartment? Do you know what they say about her? Or what a fool she’s turning you into amongst the ranks? They know she’s knocked up, and that’s why you married her. They know she seduced you in Mexico. They know she’s already cheated on you. What does that say about you? About her? I felt sorry for you, and almost admired your chivalry for doing the right thing by her. But now, maybe you deserve each other.”

Will stepped closer, touching Lindsey’s arm with his hand. “I’m sorry if I caused you any pain. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t intend for any of this to happen, and the funny part is, Jessie didn’t either. You just don’t know all the details.”

Lindsey turned towards him. “Be better than her. Don’t let her do this to your life, to your career. She’ll destroy you. I know she will, and I can’t stand it.”

Will shook his head. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. The one who can’t is your sister. Let me go, and find someone else. You know, as well as I do, that after your sister, nothing more can happen between us.”

Lindsey’s eyes flashed. He liked Lindsey. She was who first caught his eye. But she wasn’t who held his attention, not anymore. For whatever reason, Jessie evolved from being his misbegotten charity case, to a woman he needed to protect. No longer could he lead Lindsey on, or let her think that someday he’d turn from Jessie to her.

There was a sudden intake of breath behind him. He rolled his eyes to the top of his head. Jessie was standing there. Listening. No doubt, she had been shamelessly eavesdropping for a while. He squeezed Lindsey’s arm, then let her go. She turned back towards her unfinished cookie platter.

Will looked at his wife and saw reproach and a look of total horror in her eyes. It was as if she just caught him with Lindsey spread-eagled beneath him on the kitchen floor. She had no idea of the truth: he and Lindsey were quietly letting each other go.

But then again, Jessie never did anything quietly.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “How long have you been listening? Next time, why don’t you let me have a little privacy?”

She started to speak with her eyes flashing. The expression on her face was very similar to the one she had right before
exposing her offensive tank top. He stepped forward, and put a hand up before she could speak. “Don’t bother. Let’s bid our goodbyes, it’s time we went home.”

She walked politely behind him, and he thought he could feel the daggers she wished she could throw into his back. He went around the room, kissing wives’ hands, while shaking the hands of their husbands with lots of banal
cliches and goodbyes. He and the general pretended to give each other hearty, macho, good ol’ boy farewells. No one but they could see the flash of intense scrutiny with which they regarded each other. Both recognized the trouble Will knew he was stirring up.

He took Jessie’s arm, and led her out of the room to his truck. She got in without a word
. Her silence was his punishment. He sighed, got in, and backed out of the general’s driveway. They were halfway home before she finally spoke to him. He was surprised she lasted that long.

“Aren’t you going to say anything about the tank top?”

Will eyed Jessie. She looked agitated as she tugged on the top, which was now dipping even lower beneath the black wrap.

“Like what? Gee, I never realized what great tits you had?”

She gasped and Will laughed. “Will!”

“What? You didn’t think I noticed? Or wouldn’t comment? You’ve been trying to get me to notice you since you met me. So there you go, I noticed. I commented. Just like every other man. Now are you going to try and manipulate me too?”

“I meant because I was so, you know, offensive.”

“You know that I know what you were doing. You don’t have to explain it to me. But that’s what so frustrates you, isn’t it? You can’t fool me. You can’t shock me. You can’t pretend with me.”

“I just wanted to annoy Lindsey.”

“I think you accomplished that fairly well. I also think you’re crying out for Lindsey to notice you. Instead of offending her, why don’t you pick up the phone and call her?”

“I don’t need or want my sanctimonious sister or her advice.”

“Yes, you do. And you were even
more worried that I did too.”

“I heard you two. You were in there touching her. Talking in low voices to each other. Like people who are intimate act. You’ve had sex with her, haven’t you?”

“No. We went on a few dates. And we kissed once. That’s it.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He laughed. “You don’t have much of a leg to stand on regarding fidelity now, do you, Ms. Bains?”

She didn’t answer, but crossed her arms beneath her large, pillow-like breasts. They were truly amazing.

He parked the truck in the driveway. Neither of them made a move to emerge from the safe, shadowy interior of the truck. She turned away from him.

“Are you okay? That was awful in there. Those men. Your father. I know, Jessie. I know how awful it must be for you.”

She finally, slowly turned her head towards him and tears glistened in her eyes. He leaned over, took her hand, and pulled her closer to him. He pulled up the sleeves of her black sweater and saw the bright red tracks of her fingernails on her wrists.

She tried to pry her hand loose, but it was easy for him to keep hold of her. Carefully, gently, so as not to hurt her, he brushed his fingertips over the ugly red gouges. They had to burn. Wasn’t that the point though?

“Your father found out tonight that I’m not exactly complying with him like he thinks. I had to, Jessie. He wanted to go to the media with another fake story about our wonderful pregnancy. I told him to tread carefully around you. No more media. Needless to say, he figured out that I know things. We’re going to have to be careful.”

She looked up at him. “I’ve never had anyone stand up to him.”

“I’m sure to be sent on missions again. I can feel it. Your father is going to do everything to keep me out of here, away from you. We’ll have to do something different. You can’t stay here alone again, or unprotected. I didn’t comprehend how dangerous the general is. Believe me, I won’t underestimate that again.”

“You really think it’s that serious?”

He put her arm up to her face. “This is that serious to me. Yeah.”

“What do you mean by something different?”

“I’m not entirely sure yet.”

She stared straight ahead. “Why are you helping me? You should hate me. You were forced into this entire situation. You hate who I am. How I am. You’d be with my sister now if it wasn’t for me, and you and I both know that.”

“Doesn’t matter how we got here. What matters is I’m here now. Let it be enough.”

She folded her arms over her chest again.

“Tell me about those men tonight.”

She looked out of the windows again, avoiding eye contact. One hand went to her other arm to push her fingernails into her skin. It was practically unconscious on her part.

“What about them?”

“What did you do with them? How many of them?”

“I had sex with them.”

He let that sink in. “Why? Why would a sixteen-year-old girl, or for that matter a twenty-year-old girl sleep with men well into their sixties? How did that come about?”

She was quiet for so long, he wondered where she was in her head. Finally, she softly whispered, “He told me to.”

He? The general? Did the general really whore out his own daughter? His innocent, little girl? Why? What would the general have to gain? And what did it all have to do with how Jessie ended up in Mexico? There was some connection, but there was something he was missing. Why did Jessie leave one country where she was abused, only to have it happen in another?

“How did he tell you to?”

She shrugged. “They play poker together once a month. One night, the general told me to stay in the house. Then he called me into the living room about halfway through the night and told me to go into the spare room. Then, in came Senator Johnstone. He ordered me to undress. I tried to pass by him, but the door was locked. I thought it was... Well, I didn’t understand what it was, until he told me my father wanted me to do this. That my father owed him some favors, and I was his payment. So I… I let him. I don’t know why I did it. Or why I didn’t fight, kick, scream, or do something, instead of following his orders. And then it happened again. And again. And every time, I’d just lie there and take it. Never objecting or complaining. Then, as time went on, there were different men. Different poker players.”

“And each time, it was your father who told you to go into that room?”

“Yes. Why wouldn’t he? Not like I said no.”

Will could see all the pieces of Jessie Bains falling into place. She cut her thighs because she blamed herself for the myriad rapes her father arranged for her. She didn’t dare fight because he brainwashed and bullied her all her life. She didn’t know how to say no to her father. It was brilliant. The general knew Jessie would never tell, and if she did, no one would ever believe her. Jessie’s terror was the perfect accomplice, and her blind loyalty made her the perfect victim.

Jessie’s only retaliation was trying to destroy herself.

Will didn’t touch her, but he wanted to. He wanted to hold her, caress her, soothe her. He wanted to do something to eradicate the illusion of self-hatred haunting her. He wanted to murder every dirty old man who used her and hurt her. That was something he could do. He could easily sneak into all of those men’s houses, and silently, murder each and every one of them in their sleep, without anyone being the wiser or knowing he was there. He secretly wanted to do just that, including the general.