Page 118 of The Love You Fight For
“Thank you. Thank you.”
She puts up her palm, and the applause slows until everyone is quiet once more.
“As most of you know, I am Thom’s daughter, Sam, so I’ve gotten to know him pretty well over the last twenty-six years.”
Laughter ripples through the crowd.
“Doesn’t she look pretty,” Sam’s mom whispers, almost dazedly, but her father doesn’t acknowledge her.
He doesn’t look away from Sam.
“When my father decided to run for president, I remember thinking,Wow, what would the nation become with someone like my father at the helm? Once, when my brother Chase and I were younger, my father tried to take us sailing and we almost died, so needless to say, my confidence was lower than it probably should have been.”
More laughter from the crowd. People at neighboring tables lean over to throw playful barbs at the senator. He smiles and plays along, but his responding laughter is forced. His eye is twitching. If he could order her off that stage now without everyone watching, he would.
“But then, I remembered everything my father has done for Chase and me over the years, and my confidence shifted. He’s always been a meticulous businessman. A powerful friend to powerful people. An assertive and self-important patriarch for our family. He does what needs to be done to keep us on top. He told me recently,Samantha, our moves must be purposeful and calculated,and I couldn’t ignore advice from my father.”
People around us start to murmur. The laughter has turned nervous. The playful barbs from moments earlier have turned to suspicious side-glances. The senator laughs it off, but even his performance is lacking.
“That’s why I thought it would be nice to share some personal anecdotes with you,” Sam says with a feline grin.
My heart starts to race, and I fist my hands on my lap under the table. I don’t miss the way her father has gone stiff as a board beside me.
“When I was fourteen years old, Chase was arrested for recklessdriving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Boys will be boys, right? My father—in his infinite love for power and prestige—sold my virginity to the Honorable Judge Cartwright in exchange for Chase’s...innocence.”
The crowd gasps and Sam’s father jumps to his feet.
“Samantha,” he calls, “you st?—”
I grab him by the arms and shove him roughly into his seat.
“You will listen,” I growl at him.
I half expect to be rushed by security, but no one touches me. No one steps in to help him, and I have to breathe deeply to keep from tearing into him. He’s a fucking monster.
Sam laughs into the microphone, the sound soft and menacing.
“Innocence for innocence. How clever.” She turns her glare on her father as her smile drops from her face. “Thankfully, when I was fifteen, he reimbursed me for my abortion.”
“She’s lying,” her father says, struggling against my hold.
I see movement from the corner of my eye, the hum of the crowd gets louder, but I don’t take my eyes off my girl. I don’t let go of her father. My grip tightens to painful, and when he tries to struggle, I give his arm a jerk.
“You’re lucky I’m not giving you the beating you deserve,” I seethe through my teeth. “Sit still and keep your fucking mouth shut.”
This man was supposed to protect her. He was supposed to keep her safe. Instead, he’s been the cause of all of her worst nightmares.
“And howkindof him,” Sam says, her voice rising over the clamor from the audience, “for always looking out for my brother. Sending Chase to rehab after his drugs killed a girl when I was eighteen. Sending Chase to South Africa after a near fatal car accident that he caused. Lucky, Senator Harper has all those campaign funds at his disposal. Lucky, he has all those connections. Lucky, his daughter is a meek, fearful woman who would never, ever expose him.”
Her father vibrates with anger and fear. I can hear his teeth grinding as he glares at Sam. She glares right back.
And then she smiles.
“So sorry, Daddy. Maybe Chase will still visit you in prison.”
Two hands come down on my shoulders and I jump, but a woman’s voice stops me from fighting back.
“Step aside, sir. We have a warrant.”
