Page 40 of Critical Mass
“Where are you now?”
Natalie glanced around the conference room, her eyes landing on Hudson a moment before she looked away. “Some beach somewhere. I’m not really sure. Timothy knows the area better than I do. We’re just walking, talking. It’s nice.”
“Natalie, I was worried.”
“Dad, I’m fine. Really. I’ll check in with you in the morning, okay? I promise.” Her voice was gentle but firm. “I need to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Natalie, wait?—”
She ended the call before he could finish. Her hand shook as she lowered the phone to the table.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then Natalie looked up, her eyes moving from Colton to Ty to Hudson, before finally settling somewhere in the middle distance between all of them.
“What do you want from me?” Her voice was steady, but Hudson heard the exhaustion beneath it. “How can I prove to you that my father isn’t the man you think he is?”
The question hung in the air.
Hudson saw Colton and Ty exchange another glance, some silent communication passing between them.
“Ms. Ravenscroft, we’re not asking you to prove your father is innocent.” Colton seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “We’re asking you to help us determine the truth. If we’re wrong about him, the evidence will show that. But if we’re right?—”
“If you’re right, then my father is planning to kill thousands of people, and I’ve been living with a monster my entire life without knowing it.” Natalie’s voice cracked slightly. “Is that what you want me to believe?”
“We want you to look at the facts objectively,” Ty said. “To help us uncover what your father is planning so we can stop it before people die. And, yes, we understand that’s asking you to potentially betray your own father.”
Natalie closed her eyes, and Hudson saw a tear slip down her cheek. When she opened them again, there was something different in her expression—a hardness that hadn’t been there before.
“Listen, about four months ago, one of our teammates betrayed us.” Hudson’s voice sounded low and compassionate. “We know what it’s like to be unsure of who to trust. We know the sting of being stabbed in the back.”
“And?” She raised her chin.
“And all you can do is trust your gut sometimes—your gut and God.”
She stared at him a moment, thoughts brewing in her gaze.
“Fine.” She crossed her arms. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
Something shifted in Hudson’s chest.
Natalie had made her choice. She’d lied to her father, chosen to stay with them, and had agreed to help.
Whether it was because she believed them or because she wanted to prove them wrong, he wasn’t sure. But she was giving them a chance.
And Hudson knew, with absolute certainty, that he’d do everything in his power to keep her safe.
Even if it destroyed him in the process.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
Natalie wipedthe last of her tears away with her oversized sweatshirt sleeve and forced herself to take a steady breath.
Crying wasn’t going to help anything right now. Falling apart wouldn’t prove her father’s innocence or these people’s guilt.
She’d spent her career managing crises, controlling narratives, burying the truth in well-designed PR campaigns. She’d become an expert in uncovering what was really happening beneath the surface spin.
