April
We were in the living room of Anton’s home. I was tied to a chair, Willa seated next to Shauna on the couch. And Anton was across from me, grinning that wolfish smile he’d had plastered on his face since he’d laid eyes on me. Behind him, guarding the exit, were the two guards. Michael sat tied to another chair, an expression of disbelief on his face.
There was nowhere to go, nothing to do. Anton had us right where he wanted us.
“I don’t get it,” said Michael. “We gave you everything you wanted—you have that stupid fucking information. Why are we here?”
“You really think I’m going to bother explaining my plan to you?” asked Anton. “Michael, you’re lucky I didn’t put a round between your eyes the moment I found out you were stealing from me. If I were you, I’d consider myself fortunate that I was still among the living.”
That shut Michael up. However, I wasn’t going to be silent.
“But he’s right—you have what you want. You stole it, but you have what you wanted.”
Anton sighed, as if the whole thing were beneath him. “If there’s one thing I know about Jason Ryder, it’s that he’s as stubborn as they come. Sure, having that information should do the job, but knowing him, he’ll find some way to sneak out of it. With you and Willa here, however, his back will be totally against the wall.”
Will turned her eyes to me. “April? Are we going to be OK?”
“We’re going to be fine, Will,” I said. “Your dad’s going to be here soon, and he’ll take care of everything, OK?”
I had no idea if it was true or not, but I knew Willa needed to be told something, anything reassuring.
Shauna snorted. “You really think Jason’s going to pull you out of this? You’re stupider than you look.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“He’s a liar who only looks out for himself. He’ll show up to save his and Willa’s skin. You’re out of your mind if you think he’ll give a damn about you.”
“Oh, a liar, huh? You mean like how you lied about what he did with the other nannies?”
“What other nannies?” asked Willa.
“See?” I asked. “You’re the only liar here.”
Shauna’s expression turned grave.
“And you know what,” I said. “I’d bet anything you were lying about you and him.”
“That doesn’t matter,” said Shauna, her tone sharp. “I know what kind of man he is.”
“Yeah, the kind of man who didn’t give you the attention you wanted. Is that what this is all about? You stabbing him in the back because he didn’t feel the same way toward you?”
“Shut up, now,” hissed Shauna. “You’re out of your depth, nanny.”
“I can spot bitterness from a mile away,” I said. “And you’ve got it all over you. What’s the plan, to screw over your boss to get back at him for not liking you back? That’s some middle-school crap if I’ve ever heard it.”
“Shut. Up. Now!” This time Shuana raised her voice, enough to echo through the room.
There was silence, and then a laugh from Anton.
“All right, all right,” he said. “As amusing as this all is, I’m going to need you ladies to put a stop to it right now. Whoever likes who, Shauna was the one who played it smart. When this is all over, Jason’s going to be out, and I’ll be on top—where I was meant to be. And you and your brother?” He shrugged. “Who cares?”
Willa was scared, and I did my best to stay calm, to reassure her without saying a word. She was a tough girl, no doubt about it. She’d cast worried glances in my direction, and I’d do my best to meet her eyes, not letting a trace of panic cross over my features. It was the best I could do to be there for her.
Anton took out his phone and checked the screen. “Looks like it’s showtime. Jason and Scott are on their way here.” He turned to one of the guards. “Get the papers. I want this all taken care of nice and simple.”
The guard nodded and left the room, returning moments later with a small stack of what appeared to be legal documents. He set them on the coffee table and Anton flipped through them.
“Perfect. Now let the Ryder boys in.”