Page 78 of Locked Down

She immediately let go of Ryker and sat up.“You’re not going without me. That bastard nearly killed me.”She leaped off the gurney and started walking.

Ryker frowned.“Honey, you need?—”

She whirled around.“Are you coming or what?”

Ryker didn’t know whether to kill her or kiss her. Why the hell wouldn’t she listen to reason?

Rush clapped him on the back and grinned.“Ain’t love grand?”

THIRTY-THREE

Davis was holding court in a smaller room off the lobby reserved for VIP group check-ins. Cal Wallingford, Phil Harris, and the Speaker, Fred Wise were all standing around, making calls, and trying to figure out who could be behind something like this.

Vic opened the door and marched in.

“Invicta,”her uncle said as he came over to her.“I’m so glad you’re okay.”He made the mistake of trying to hug her. She stomped on his instep with the spike heel of her shoe.

“Ow! What’s wrong with you?”he snarled as he limped a few steps away.

Ryker, Archer, and a few other men she didn’t recognize followed her into the room and stood sentry by the doorway. She met Ryker’s gaze, and he gave her a small nod.

Rage filled her heart.“I’ll tell you what’s wrong with me. You! That’s what. You’re what’s wrong!”She turned to Cal and the others.“You want to know who is responsible for this?”She pointed to her uncle.“He did. He set up the whole thing. He did it to get my money because at midnight I inherited a shit ton from my family. Happy fucking birthday to me!”

“Invicta,”Davis said in a warning tone. He turned toward the others and slapped on the fake drawl.“She’s obviously been through a traumatic experience and isn’t handlin’ it well.”

Bile filled her mouth at the sound of his excuses.“How the fuck am I supposed to handle it when I find out that my uncle has been planning my deathfor months.”Her voice almost broke but she pressed on. “All the long nights of endless work with no help or encouragement, and all the scoldings. All the times you told me I wasn’t enough without telling me I wasn’t enough.

Every ounce of her pent-up rage was flooding out now and she wasn’t about to stop it.

She pointed.“He hired a man to build a bomb so he could kill me at my birthday party where he’s ever-so-conveniently supposed to confirm his run for Vice President. What would play better in the press? Poor Senator Davis, lost his only niece and his girlfriend.”

Her voice did break on that, and she swallowed hard. Marilee did not deserve what happened to her.“Marilee is dead because of you, but that’s exactly what you wanted. What better picture? A man carrying on in the face of grief to serve his country. I can hear the fucking speeches now. You know just how to play to the cameras. What could be better? You get all my money and the sympathy vote.”

“Invicta, stop it. You don’t know what you’re saying!”Davis’s face was turning a dull red and his eyes were filled with hatred.

“I know exactly what I’m saying! I’m finally telling the truth about what an insane bastard you are. You are a danger to the world. It should’ve been you who died in that explosion. The world would be a better place!”

Vic’s body swayed slightly. At her back, Ryker put his arms around her to steady her, but she brushed him off.“I hope you rot in hell.”

Cal Wallingford stared at Vic and then turned to Ryker and Archer.“Is this true?”

Both men nodded.

“Every word,”Ryker added.

Harris, Wise, and Wallingford all backed away from her uncle.

“You can’t believe them,”her uncle yelled.“They hate me. They’re setting me up.”Her uncle hurled the accusation at the other two men.

Cal shook his head.“Davis, you went too far.”He stood.“It’s over. You won’t be running as the VP.”

Davis snarled,“It’s not up to you. It’s a done deal. You can’t change it now.”

Cal just shook his head. He came over to Vic.“I am so sorry for any part I might have played in this.”He touched her shoulder and headed out of the room with Harris and Wise on his heels.

“Let’s get you to the hospital, Vic,”Ryker said.

She wanted to scream at her uncle for hours but suddenly her energy was gone. She put her arm around Ryker, and he winced. She pulled her hand away and there was blood on it. “Ryker, you’re bleeding.

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