Page 72 of Accepted Precedent
Jaw tight, I narrow my eyes on him. “You killed him.”
“I did it for her!” he roars back.
Ileah’s arms fly wide. “I’m right here! Shouldn’t I get to decide what happens with my life? You’re no better than my father.”
“I’m sorry, love. I did what I had to do.”
“No, you did what youwantedto do,” I correct. “Now we have both Miss Taylor and Mrs. McKinnon to prepare for Senate races.”
“Miss Taylor? Don’t you mean Mrs. Blake?” Ileah asks, brows pinched.
“You didn’t fully brief her?” I rub my hand down my face. “Fuckin’ hell. I’m sorry, Mrs. McKinnon. I’m sure you’re privy to Alexander Blake stepping in for his brother at the wedding.” She replies with a nod. “Miss Taylor never filed the marriage license, she’s not legally married to Christopher. Poor lass never wanted to marry him, burned the original in a firepit in Hawaii.”
“No,” she gasps. “She’s married, I was at the wedding.”
“Aye, they shared vows, but it’s not legal,” I explain. “Since Alexander has chosen to assume Christopher’s identity in the wake of his death, they have plans to make it official later this week.” Shaking my head, I huff a small laugh. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a man more in love. He’s giving up his careerfor your friend.” I pin Finn with a glare. “Which reminds me, moving forward, please ensure you address Alexander as Chris or Christopher. This is why I’m so angry with my brother—we have enough on our plate.”
“How could you do this? You killed my husband.” While she never loved Tim the way she loved my brother, the betrayal is enough to make her eyes glassy.
“I’m sorry.” He reaches for her, but she steps back. “I was selfish when I hired the hit.”
“You killed a man, and…I killed a man,” Ileah cries. “Which never would’ve happened if you didn’t do this.”
From what Kristin was able to squeeze out of Ned, Ileah killed the hitman after he killed Tim. I can’t say I’m surprised—she’s as strong and capable as the Proctor sisters. These women should be leading instead of being hidden away in the shadows. It’ll be my last project before I walk away from it all.
“Finn, you’re going to meet with the Taylor girl and Alex…Christopher,” I groan. “Fuck, I’m going to need a damn flowchart to keep track of this shit. I’ll ensure Ileah is ready for the special election.”
“What about my father?” Ileah carefully asks, lacking the fire she had moments ago.
“He’ll be at your house within the half hour,” I reply, hating how we have to involve him. “You’ll need his support for this to work.”
She chews on her lip. “And if he doesn’t?”
“Then he’ll join your late husband,” Finn roars.
“No, he won’t,” I insist. My brother needs to set his emotions aside if we want to pull this off. “You can’t solve everything with a gun, Finn.”
“Speaking of, we need to register one for Ileah.”
“You may be able to boss me around in bed, but you need to stop making decisions for me. I don’t want a gun,” she tells him under her breath, but I still hear her.
I clear my throat. “We need to go.”
“Only if you keep her safe.”
I ignore my brother and address Ileah, “Your new assistant, Kristin, is in the car. If you’d like a replacement, or to hire additional staff, you’ll be allotted a budget to do so. Shall we?” I offer my arm, and after she retrieves her large-brimmed black hat, she hooks her hand in the crook of my elbow.
We leave the kitchen and when we reach the car, I finally break the silence with a sigh. “I’m sorry about my brother. You and I had an arrangement, and he took advantage of it.”
Ileah nods as I open the door for her, and she slides in. “Hi. You must be Kristin.”
Rounding the car, I take my time to let them get acquainted, then open the front passenger door and take a seat. I glance back at them, giving Ileah a curt nod. “All right, ladies, you have thirty minutes of prep before we’re at Mrs. McKinnon’s home.”
“Actually, I’d prefer to use my maiden name, if that’s okay?”
The driver pulls out, and I turn to face her. “For now, you’ll use your husband’s name. At least until after we see initial polling.In a few months, we can spin the narrative, but you’re supposed to be a grieving wife.”
“As soon as we meet with my father, can we begin funeral service planning?”
