Matthew stood by the cake, sharing quick banter with friends. Standing next to him, Chloe turned to speak with another guest while Matthew casually surveyed the crowed, once more catching sight of the stranger in the shadows watching him with his sandy blond hair, green eyes, and a chivalrous grin. He almost dropped his plate when he realized he wasn’t seeing things, even though he knew it wasn’t possible.
Chloe turned to Matthew. “Is there a problem?”
Matthew spoke roughly through a plastic smile. “What is going on, Renee?”
Chloe casually glanced around the room. “Is there something wrong?”
Matthew looked at David, surrounded by eight of his twelve underbosses, together with their associates, all laughing, smoking cigars, and having a good time, completely ignoring Matthew and, thankfully, oblivious to Matthew’s suspicion.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine,” Matthew snapped. “Where is Mr. Crescent?”
“Probably off torturing small children.”
Before Matthew could respond, the band started playing soft and low as guests resumed eating or visiting as they were before. Matthew graciously excused himself to look for Crescent, his eyes cautiously scanning the room, but David caught up with him and followed him into the hallway.
“Matthew, I’ve been giving our predicament some thought. You and I need to talk.”
“This is ridiculous,” Matthew spat. “If it weren’t for this party, you would have already put a bullet in my head and been done with it.”
“True, but that doesn’t change facts. Look around you, Matthew. In the end, you can die knowing that everything you ever wanted in life came to you because you earned it. After talking with some of these people who actually believe they are your friends, it sounds like you will be missed very much.”
A sudden confidence rose in Matthew as he leaned in close to David. “You aren’t going to do anything to me. After our little movie earlier, I took pains to make sure your precious granddaughter doesn’t breathe without me knowing, and if I’m taken by you, I can guarantee you that she will be next. Wouldn’t it be tragic if an accident would happen to befall her this evening?”
David’s features hardened and he moved in on Matthew. “Are you threatening me? Are you threatening my granddaughter?”
“It’s no threat, David. I will have what I want or I will kill her getting it. I can have a bullet in her forehead with the nod of my head.”
“And what is it you want exactly?”
“Tonight, at the meeting when you announce your retirement, you will appoint me your successor with all of the privileges and benefits thereof.”
Matthew never knew the speed or strength David had in him until Matthew was slammed against the wall, David clutching Matthew’s lapels with white knuckles and breathing like a dragon waiting to spew fire. “Do you have any idea why you’re still here? Here in Boston, working for me, and alive? Do you? It’s because I have allowed it. I have allowed many things to happen over the years for reasons of my own, but now one of those reasons has come home. And you dare threaten me? This is my Family, and I too can accomplish anything I want with the nod of my head.”
Kansas City and Albuquerque stepped into the hallway to find Matthew pinned against the wall. There was no confusion, they only saw business and were ready to step in.
“Mr. Lundy?” Kansas City asked. “Can we help with anything?”
David inhaled a deep breath and released Matthew, allowing him to straighten his jacket before speaking. “Would they do the same for you?”
Matthew’s eyes threw fire and daggers as David walked away, leaving Kansas City and Albuquerque to lead Matthew back into the party. Dr. Michaelson spotted Matthew sitting at a table furthest from the dance floor and approached him with grave concern on his face. “Matthew? You don’t look good. How are you feeling? You’ve taken your medication?”
“Yes!” Matthew spat with irritability, then, like a deer in headlights, watched the mystery guest weave in and out of party guests, either keeping his back to Matthew or allowing a simple peek at his profile. If I say it out loud, he’ll think I’m crazy. If I say it out loud, I’ll think I’m crazy.
Dr. Michaelson watched Matthew follow the mystery guest as Chloe approached.
“Bad news. Unfortunately…”
Matthew’s head snapped to attention. “Unfortunately, what?”
“Unfortunately, for the both of us, some of the guests feel that a father-daughter dance would be the perfect ending to the evening.”
Matthew let out a grunt of disgust.
“Believe me,” Chloe said, “I don’t like it any more than you do, but we must keep up appearances, right? Let’s get it over with.”
***
Chloe found herself enjoying the moment as she and Matthew approached the dance floor, somehow finding graceful satisfaction in the applause and whispers from the guests wholeheartedly approving the sight of their beloved city savior and his daughter reunited once again. Tension ran high between Matthew and Chloe as they moved their feet to a slow melody. Chloe knew his heart was beating fast, and the sheen of sweat forming on his forehead was hard to ignore.
“What are you looking for?” Chloe asked as she watched him scan the crowd of guests.
“Nothing of your concern,” he answered.
“I know your plans for me and I also know you want to execute those plans as soon as possible. So, for once, why don’t we try something we’ve never done—let’s tell each other the truth.”
Chloe held back a smile as Matthew tensed up again, catching sight of the green-eyed, blond-haired man weaving through the crowds.
“If you hated me so much, why did you raise me?”
Matthew gritted his teeth. “I didn’t have a choice. Your mother was dead.”
“Yes, but if you didn’t want me and didn’t want to raise me, why did you have her killed?”
Matthew’s feet briefly stopped moving and his grip tightened on her hand, but Chloe continued dancing like he never missed a step.
“When you informed me that you would make sure nobody would ever love me again, that wasn’t the first time you had taken away somebody who not only loved me, but somebody I could love in return.”
Matthew’s breathing was becoming rapid and Chloe could see some of the color leaving his face. “Renee…”
“You killed my mother, you killed Dr. Michaelson’s wife as punishment for not killing me at the same time, you killed my friends simply because they wanted a better life away from you and I’m the one who gave them the means to do it. After all this, after everything you have done to make me miserable, what kind of sick pleasure do you get? What is your final reward for all of the evil you have done?”
“Renee,” Matthew said, his breath short. “I don’t have to explain myself to you. What I have done, I have done for the betterment of—”
“Ugh,” she said, disgusted, “if you finish that sentence with anything other than ‘myself,’ I’ll want to reach into your chest and pull out that twisted, diseased heart of yours.”
…rare heart condition…
Matthew stopped dancing, his breathing ragged. His knees started to tremble and Chloe actually had to help him stay standing. Concerned gasps and whispers emanated from the crowd. Chloe followed Matthew’s line of sight and watched as David stood and embraced Christopher like it was an unexpected homecoming. Which it was.
…surges of adrenaline that trigger episodes…
The music stopped when Matthew stopped dancing. Chloe, having to feign concern in front of a crowd of concerned friends, acquaintances, and media, turned to Matthew with a smile. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
…irregular heartbeats…which could lead to palpitations, fainting, or even death…
Matthew turned to face Chloe, nothing but haunting terror in his eyes. “How?”
She took his face in her hands and spoke with wickedness in her voice. “I know that the man I should have been calling my father died in a Las Vegas desert before I was born.”
Matthew could barely breathe and tried to keep his footing. “Who…told…”
“My grandfather told me, you son of a bitch.”
…sudden and loud noise taking him by surprise…
The vibrating echo of balloons being popped all around them sounded like gunshots in Matthew’s ears. His eyes widened in shock. Matthew clutched his chest, his body went slack, and he fell to the floor. Chaos quickly ensued with Chloe pretending to become hysterical over her sickly father. Guests, as well as cameras and reporters, rushed toward them to offer assistance in any way they could. Dr. Michaelson pushed people out of the way to get to Matthew while a few of the wives took Chloe by the arm and escorted her away from the scene. Chloe was so convincing in her grief that the local magistrate’s wife handed her a tissue to wipe the tears off her face while the governor’s wife embraced her in an attempt to be comforting.
Chloe chanced a glance in the direction of David’s table, where David and the other underbosses watched with unreadable expressions on their faces. David slightly inclined his head to let Chloe know he was pleased thus far with the events of the evening, and she reciprocated the feeling with her eyes. Christopher turned to smile at her and she couldn’t help but smile back as the chatter and noise in the room suddenly went silent as Dr. Michaelson stood and faced Chloe with a look that told her their plan was a success. The crowd surrounding the body consisted mostly of women silently crying and cameras flashing. Chloe stared down at the lifeless body of the man she once called her father and held back every impulse to kick him as hard as she could while giving the impression of loss and disbelief.
In front of a crowd of party guests, the media, and loved ones, Matthew Parnell officially died of a massive heart attack at 10:23 p.m.
Literally, however, he had been scared to death.