Page 57 of Captive Lies

Blaire

Iescaped with a few scratches… not even a bump on the head. But Amelia,oh my God, Amelia was in terrible shape. She hadn’t been wearing her seatbelt and got tossed around when the Bentley flipped. No one could explain what had happened. The security vehicle following us mentioned seeing an explosion, and I was sure I heard one. But aside from a flat rear tire, there were no signs of a device. It was as if a strong wind lifted the Bentley and pitched it. The majority of the damage to the car appeared to be from therollover.

I watched them load Amelia onto the gurney and into an ambulance. Morris got in beside her, and I wanted to as well, but the EMT blocked me. They said they were taking her to Massachusetts General Hospital. I nodded, still in a daze. The driver of the Bentley had a concussion and was loaded into another ambulance. Only Morris and I were unscathed. The rest of the senator’s security team followed the ambulance and seemed to have forgottenme.

I stood there, looking lost, and realized I didn’t have my wristlet. It was somewhere in the mangled vehicle. A Boston cop put an emergency mylar blanket around me and asked if I neededanything.

“Can you take me to the hospital? Where they took Mrs. Thorne?” Most of the first responders had recognized Amelia and were quick to give her assistance. None of the cops even bothered asking me questions about what happened. Morris did all thetalking.

The cop smiled at me. “Sure, lady. Comeon.”

I’d been sittingin the emergency room waiting area for more than twenty minutes. Morris sat across from me. I could feel the rage flowing off him in waves and they were directed atme.

“Did you manage to call the senator?” I askedtentatively.

“What do you think?” hesnapped.

“Morris—”

“This happened because of you,” he said in a low accusingvoice.

“I don’t …” my voice faltered. I didn’t know what to say. I was frightened forAmelia.

The ER doors slid open and the senator, Grant, and Valerie entered in a rush, followed by Gus and Andy and a host of other men in suits. Their security details, I presumed, because Jake was among them. Morris stood and headed for the senator who went straight to triage. My eyes were glued to Grant and I saw relief in his eyes. I got up from my chair, my legs wobbly, but I managed to move toward him. But something changed from my one step to the next. Grant’s eyes turned flat and his faceshuttered.

“It’s all your fault!” Valerie shrieked as she chargedme.

Grant hooked his arm around her waist, holding her back. “Val!”

“No. You brought her into our lives,” she screamed, still trying to get to me. “And now Mom isdying!”

I could only shake my head. “I’m sorry.” I looked at Grant, but his eyes were dead, even as mine filled with tears. “Grant—”

“You need to leave.” His words cut right through the heart ofme.

“You heard him. Get out of here!” Val continued squirming in her brother’s arms, her fingers clawing out like they wanted to tear me to pieces. There was no need—I was already shreddedinside.

“Christ,” Grant muttered. He handed Val to Jake and stalked toward me. There was only anger on his face and I wanted the ground to swallow me up. He grabbed my bicep. “You can’t be here, Blaire.” He turned to Jake. “Find Tyler and tell him to take Ms. Callahanhome.”

“You’ll let me know as soon as—” Istarted.

“Dammit, Blaire, I can’t do this right now,” Grant growled. “Look at Dad.” He pointed to the senator who had collapsed into a chair; his face buried in his hands. “My family is falling apart.”Because of youwas unsaid, but I could feel the condemnation in his words. “Nowleave!”

He let me go with a shove toward the exit and turned his back on me, heading to his father. I stood there, unsure of what to do.Do I wait for Tyler here?I fidgeted from side to side and flinched when I caught Valerie’s glare. She had calmed down, but Jake was still holding her back. I could feel eyes on me and all of them were hostile. All, except one pair—Andy’s. He walked to my side and cupped myelbow.

“Let’s go,Blaire.”

I left the ER and I left Grantbehind.

Only that time, he’d asked, no, told me toleave.

* * *

“Areyou sure you don’t want to wait for Tyler to take you home?” Andy asked. We’d been walking along the perimeter of the hospital. I felt so suffocated inside the ER, I needed to walk for a while and Andy kept mecompany.

“I couldn’t take all the accusing eyes anymore,” I whispered. “We’re over—Grant and I. I could feel it. What happened to Amelia was the finalstraw.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Andy advised. “It could be white supremacists. Emotions are high and raw right now and you are an easy target for theblame.”

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