Her brow furrowed. "You sold the company? When?"
Waving one hand expansively, Frank said, "Oh, a few years ago. It was a wise business move."
Lauren pondered the news. The company was actually founded by her mother's family, Frank took over as CEO when her grandfather died. Ironically, her mother had deeded her shareholder status to Lauren before she passed away- which her father had immediately transferred into his name since she was "A minor and knew nothing about business."
"Well, congratulations, I guess. What did you need to discuss with me? You said it was life or death for you. If it's money, I don't have any- you already spent my college fund, so-"
Reaching over the little table, her father tried to take her hand, but Lauren's fists were still in her lap. "It's not about money, sweetheart- but it is life or death." He looked around the crowded shop anxiously, then back to her. "Take a walk with me? Please?"
Rubbing her forehead and feeling a headache forming, Lauren hedged, "Frank, look, I just-"
"Please, honey. PLEASE?" Frank hastily lowered his tone as she looked up. "Please. Please, just do this one thing for me."
With a sigh, his daughter nodded, and he beamed getting up from the table and beginning to leave. Realizing he wasn't going to pay for their coffee, Lauren angrily pulled out some money and followed him after tossing the bills on the table.
They somehow ended up in Hyde Park, Lauren automatically following along one of her regular running trails. "So, tell me what's going on, Frank." She already knew it was going to be bad. She just had no idea how very bad it could be.
"You must be insane! How could- what were you thinking?"
"Honey," Frank hissed, looking around them anxiously, "please, Lauren, lower your voice! You know I never would have let this happen- I didn't-"
Lauren was so enraged that she was crying. Furiously wiping away her tears, she snarled, "Even after everything you've ever done, Frank, I never thought you'd try to sell me off! I'm not a bunch of your shitty stocks! You can't just-"
"Stop it! Listen to me!" her father grabbed her by the upper arms, turning her to look at him. He was sweating, his eyes wide. "Honey, I know you hate me. And you have every right! But- you must have got on Williams's radar at the fundraiser because there is no negotiating with this man! He wants you, and he will fucking kill me and take what's left of the company if you don't agree to this!"
"Don't touch me! Don't!" Lauren yanked her arm away, stumbling a bit.
"Is there a problem here?" They both turned to see two well-dressed men standing behind them, uncomfortably close. Frank must have recognized them because the blood drained from his face.
"No!" He nearly shouted before collecting himself. Smoothing his jacket and breathing in, Frank continued calmly, "No, just my daughter and I having a-" he attempted to chuckle, and the sound was horrible. "Just my daughter and I having a lively discussion."
Their new acquaintances didn't look convinced, and one- who looked like he'd has his nose broken more than once, said, "Mr. Williams would like to see you." He took Lauren's arm and began walking her briskly towards an exit as she attempted to dig her heels in, looking frantically back at her father. Realizing he was following with docility, head down, she glared back at the man dragging her.
"Let go of me or I swear I'll scream my bloody lungs out!" She tried to sound fierce and authoritative, but she knew her voice was shaking.
Broken Nose Guy only chuckled. "No, you won't." He gestured at her father's back, and Lauren realized the other man had a gun pressing painfully right about where Frank's kidneys would be.
The ride- once they'd been shoved into an anonymous black car was silent, Lauren clenching her shaking hands together, looking out the window and refusing to speak. To her misery, it was clear they were heading for the same building where she'd had her "job interview" earlier that week. It was then, that the sickening reality hit her: Frank wasn't lying. He wasn't drunk, this wasn't some sick figment of his imagination. For whatever completely fucked-up reason, he sincerely intended to give her to the vice president of The Corporation in exchange for not killing him over her grandfather's now-failing company. Which meant... anyone willing to kill over a weak P&L statement had to be involved in organized crime. Which meant- Jesus! Did her dad work for theMob?Arms dealers? The group was still silent, riding up the mirrored lift, Lauren numbly counting the numbers by heart as they reached the top floor, Broken Nose Guy taking her arm again, squeezing cruelly when she angrily tried to yank it away.
It was Deja vu of the worst kind to be entering Williams's awe-inspiring office again, the floor quieter now that it was evening and after hours. And even worse was to see the man sitting behind his desk, beautifully clad in a severe black suit with a grey and sapphire printed tie. There was no smile this time, no courteous rise to his feet to shake her hand, but Lauren had to try. This was impossible- this shit didn't happen in real life!
"M- Mr. Williams? Um, Thomas? This has to be some kind of mistake, right? This isn't-"
Thomas ignored her for the moment, his beautiful face set in cold lines as he stared at her shaking father. "Frank. I'm very disappointed in you."
Lauren stood silently, dazed as her father stammered out excuses and explanations, apologizing profusely for his daughter's ungrateful and disobedient nature and promising tobring her to her sensesif only Mr. Williams would give him once more chance to-
Thomas raised his hand, cutting off the flow of begging and pleading as his frigid gaze turned to Lauren. "Do you understand what your father had told you?"
She was amazed at how much could change with this man from one meeting to the next. The vice president she'd met just days before was cool and abrupt, but charming, handsome. This man was terrifying. "Noth- nothing rational, Mr. Williams. This can't be real, you can't want-" She halted as his hand came up again.
"It's quite simple, darling. I require a wife. You fit my requirements. Your father requires your obedience in order to live." Staring at her pale face, Thomas smiled suddenly. "Do you understand?"
His frown returned as Lauren angrily shook her head. "This is insane! What the hell is wrong with you people?"
Thomas made a negligent gesture, and Broken Nose Guy calmly pulled out his gun and shot her father in the thigh. The weapon firing was close enough to the girl to make her ears ring violently, making Frank's shrill scream of pain seem fuzzy, far away. With a sigh, Williams rose, and abruptly hustled her over to the same chair she'd sat in during her ill-fated interview that week. Cupping his hands over her ears, he watched her terrified violet gaze until the buzzing faded and she was able to draw a full breath without her chest hitching. Coming back to her senses, Lauren whirled to see Frank sobbing as the men swiftly bandaged his leg.
"Stop making such a fuss, Marsh." Thomas's tone was bored and disapproving. "The bullet went straight through. You should be more relieved that you didn't get blood on my rug." Lauren's nausea rose as she realized they'd positioned her father on a sheet of plastic as they'd entered the room to keep the furnishings tidy. Jerking his head, Thomas instructed the men to take him out.
