Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Sometimes she dreamed about telling everyone what he was really like. But who would believe her?
Everyone loved him. It was bizarre. How could they not see that good ole boy, Hank Bridges was a lie?
The PR people behind his reimage should all get a raise because they were freaking miracle workers.
What she didn’t understand is where the money for all of this came from. How could he afford their large house in Austin when they’d been close to broke?
He was driving around in a brand new car, wore expensive clothes, and had the backing of a huge team. None of that came cheap.
Part of her thought she should try to figure all of that out.
Another part told her that it wasn’t her problem. All she cared about was getting away from him. And taking Pop-Pop with her.
“Mrs. Owens, hi! Is there an issue?” she asked with a big smile.
Mrs. Owens sniffed and stared at her like she smelled bad. Honestly, the first few times she’d dealt with the woman, she’d had to discreetly sniff herself, worried that she did smell.
“Yes, there is an issue with your grandfather. Last night there was an . . . incident.” She sniffed again.
Perhaps she had something wrong with her olfactory system.
Or she just thought that sniffing gave her more of an air of disapproval.
It did.
“Is Pop-Pop all right?” she asked urgently. Surely they would have told her straight away if he was injured or ill.
“Oh, Mr. Bridges is fine. In fact, he seems quite pleased with himself. The two women fighting over him because they both believed they were dating him came off second best, though. One of them lost a chunk of hair and the other one has a black eye.”
Oh crap.
If only this was the first time she’d been called in for an ‘incident’ like this.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
Pop-Pop was a charmer and a definite favorite with the ladies at the nursing home.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t blame Pop-Pop for that. They are all adults.”
“This is a respectable nursing home. People here want peace and quiet. They do not want all this disruption and it must stop.”
“I’ll speak to him,” she promised.
“You do that. Just be aware that this is his last warning, Ms. Bridges. Next time we will have no choice but to ask that you find him other arrangements.”
This bitch.
Arabella thought about telling her exactly what she thought of her.
But her father wouldn’t like it if the press got wind of that. So she kept her mask on and nodded regally.
“I understand,” she said calmly.
Even though she was seething on the inside.
After walking out, she headed into the nursing home to find her grandfather. Surprisingly, he was in his room with the television on.
She frowned. That wasn’t like him at all.
“Pop-Pop?” she asked worriedly, stepping into the room.
He glanced up and she saw he was pale and appeared shaky.
“What is it? What’s wrong? Shall I get someone?” she asked urgently.
Shaking his head, he gestured at her. “Shut the door. Come. Come.”
After shutting the door, she headed over to sit next to him on the couch. “What is it?”
“Look.” He pointed at the television where a reporter was talking. But her words faded into the background as she read the writing streaming along a banner at the bottom of the screen.
Shock filled her.
Then horror.
And, finally, suspicion.
“Do you think that he . . . that he had something to do with this?” she whispered hoarsely.
“They said it was a heart attack,” Pop-Pop replied. “Did you know if the governor had a heart condition?”
“No. But I didn’t know him that well. What does this . . . what does this mean?”
“It means that the Governor of Texas is dead,” Pop-Pop replied grimly. “And that your father just became a lot more powerful.”
“He’s basically the governor now, isn’t he?” she asked.
“Yes, girl, he is.”
“He can’t have done this. He wouldn’t.” She shook her head. Sure, he’d threatened her and Pop-Pop, and she’d been scared enough to do what he wanted.
But arranging the death of the Governor of Texas . . . there was no way.
Right?
“There’s no proof that this was anything but a heart attack,” Pop-Pop said. “And if there is, then the cops will find it. This is the governor, they’ll be thorough. Your father couldn’t have done this.”
Right. Pop-Pop was right. She just had an overreactive imagination.
That was all.
Seven months later . . .
Austin, Texas
Shit. Shit. Shit.
She was late for dinner. She didn’t know what was going on tonight. But her father wanted her home for whatever dinner he was hosting.
And she lived to obey.
Ha.
She did the bare minimum necessary to keep him out of her life. At the moment, they lived two separate lives, barely seeing each other.
And that was the way she liked it. So long as she did the things he wanted, he left her alone.