“What do you propose to do with this, son?” Mayor Winchester asks coldly.
For a few seconds, I’m silent but then I strengthen the grip I have on the bat, “This is private property.” I warn him, “And that there belongs to me.”
He smiles but it’s far from kind, “I own this town, Mr. Sinclair. I can go where I want, when I want, take what I want, and it doesn’t matter who I bury to get it. Do you understand me?”
“Is that a threat?” I growl.
“I don’t know, son,” He begins to pace in the small space, holding up the drive as if he can see inside of it, “Is it?”
“I am not your son,” I snap at him.
He chuckles, “No, you’re certainly not.”
“What do you want?”
“I’m here to strike a deal of course,” He stops walking, “These are some pathetic living quarters you have here, Mr. Sinclair and I understand your business has taken quite the hit.”
I remain quiet.
“I’m here to help you.” He says it like his family isn’t the reason for all this bullshit. This side of town was doing just fine before this prick was voted in as mayor. He built up what he wanted and left us to rot, finding us lacking in his big plans to propel this small town onto the map.
“We can make this all go away.” He continues, “You can start a new life, River. Isn’t that what you want? What you strive to do?”
“No.” I snap.
“I’m taking this,” He tells me, waving the drive, “To be quite honest, I don’t have to be so kind to you.”
“Kind to me?” I roar, “Your family is the reason my brother is dead!”
“I am having two million moved into your account, River, that should be enough to keep your mouth shut.”
“No amount of money will keep my mouth shut. I’m not going to stop until they all know what your son did and what you tried to cover up. I don’t need that evidence, eventually your friends won’t be able to take the heat, and you’ll lose.”
“I thought you might say that,” He smiles. “You’re about to become an uncle, no?”
Dread lands in my stomach like a lead weight.
“Would be such a shame for something to happen to that young girl carrying such a precious gift.”
“Leave her alone.”
“And we will, for as long as you keep our little secret, I’m even giving you the money. Think of it as an opportunity Mr. Sinclair, a business deal.”
“You won’t get away with it,” But I know I’ve already lost and that he and his son will, in fact, carry on like they didn’t destroy my whole life.
“We will,” He shrugs, pocketing the drive, “But that’s just how this world works, Mr. Sinclair. And just in case you think to call it a bluff,” He reaches into his pocket and lays a folder down onthe upturned dresser, “Have a look at these and make up your own mind but I warn you, if you think you can win against me, I will make what Liam did look like child’s play. No one is safe, do you understand?”
With that, he leaves, his feet crunching over the broken glass and then I hear the door swing shut, and his engine start before I even think to move.
I open the folder and pull out the photos, there’s Sadie with her father, Sadie at the track, at the hospital a week ago. There are also images of Jake and me. He has everyone I care about tagged.
And I believe him when he says they’re not safe. He’s burying me alive, and I can do nothing.
My fist slams into the wall as the anger explodes through me with nowhere else to go.
The sound of a horn blasting pulls me from my memory, and I jerk back from the past, my hands aching where I have them wrapped in a vice grip around the steering wheel.
Ruining Marly is the only way, my heart be damned.
