Read RAGE (The Rage Series Book 2) Online
Authors: MJ Riley
Before him stood Adeline Reynolds, soaked from the storm outside. Next to her was another redhead, a man who he didn't recognize.
“Jesus,” cursed Addy, “I've been trying to shake my tail for weeks just to find you. Are you going to let me in or not Marscomb?”
Though the woman had once been all for throwing him out of the company building, her voice was one of the most welcome sounds he'd ever heard. Without hesitation, he held open the door to let the duo inside. No sooner were they over the threshold than he began bombarding Adeline with questions. “Where's Charlotte? Is she alright?”
Adeline tossed off her raincoat, turning around to face him in the front entryway. With no warning whatsoever, she lashed out and slapped him across the cheek. The impact stung and left him shocked, but no real damage was done. “Before I tell you anything I want you to know that I hold you personally responsible for this mess. Do you understand me?”
David knew better than to question her now—not when she had the information he so desperately sought. He merely nodded frantically, waiting with bated breath.
“You
owe
me, Marscomb. If I have my way you'll work for free in the department on that five year contract, mark my words.”
Once she vented her pent up rage, Addy took a deep breath before starting again. “Emerson is holding her at his estate on Long Island. She's under twenty-four hour surveillance, and guards are posted at the entrance of her room. That damned house is a fortress. There’s no way we get her out without help from the inside.”
By this time, David's mother had appeared from around the corner, her expression inquiring. Adeline's expression immediately screwed up in suspicion. “Who's that?”
David rolled his eyes. “My mother.”
“Your basket case mother?”
He merely glared at her, and she had the decency to blush. “I'm sorry, it's just that Charlotte mentioned that she needed professional help. She seems fine to me.”
“Why, thank you, young lady,” said Miranda, nodding in her direction and making Adeline smile slightly before she got back to the matter at hand.
“There's only a week before the trial. If we could somehow get Charlotte out, I might be able to arrange for the two of you to be on the next plane out of the country. You'll have to go far and fast to escape Emerson's influence, but it could be done.”
“What about my mother?” David demanded, hardly daring to hope that they might have a shot.
“I'll take care of that.” Addy waved off his question impatiently. “The more pressing matter is how are we going to get someone into the manor? Emerson doesn't let anyone in without his personal say so.”
“What about a stockholder? I have a friend who has stock connections. Perhaps he could convince a Mather stockholder to work with us?”
“Too risky.” Addy shook her head. “Money could persuade him to switch sides, I think. We need someone we can trust. Someone Emerson trusts.”
“I could do it.”
They all looked to see the newcomer speaking for the first time. He had some sort of weird accent that David couldn't place. He stepped forward, and Addy glanced at him incredulously. “Samson? When Emerson finds you out, you know he's going to crush you. As easily as he made you, he could break you.”
“I'm sorry,” David interjected, a bit lost, “but who is this?”
Addy sighed in exasperation. “Don't you watch the news, lunkhead? This is Samson Causewell, current acting CEO of Mathers Incorporated.”
David immediately tensed. “Didn't Emerson put him in power?”
“He did,” Addy replied curtly, “but he was secretly taking direction from Charlotte until she went off on her little jaunt with you.”
David looked to the man in shock and Samson merely shrugged, coloring lightly. “I've run a few companies in my time but none in the manner that Emerson Mathers was asking me to. I came to the conclusion that there had to be a mistake. The organization ran much smoother when Miss Mathers was in power.”
Score one for Charlotte.
“So, you're really willing to double-cross Emerson like this?”
At the statement, Samson frowned, reaching down the front of his leather jacket to extract a dark, thin folder. When he held it out to Adeline, she merely stared at it for a moment.
David looked between them both.
“What? What is it?”
“Samson has executive access to a lot of files that I don't, including Charlotte's personal medical records. I asked him to check on her for me, to make sure they weren't doing anything…rash.”
The way Adeline eyed the folder spoke volumes about what she thought it contained; but, before David could snatch it, his mother unexpectedly plucked it from Samson's fingertips, opening it before he could protest. As the three of them looked on, her elderly eyes scanned the papers within, growing progressively wider and wider.
When she finally spoke, David thought his heart might burst with anticipation. “They're drugging her,” Miranda whispered, and Adeline gasped. “Twice a day. Sedatives in her food. Very powerful from the looks of it.”
Long ago, when their life had been different, Miranda Marscomb had worked as a nurse. She'd done a fair amount of volunteer work and been quite good when she put her mind to it. Now, she provided her knowledge to Adeline and Samson. “She's dehydrated,” she said, turning a page in disapproval. Then, all at once, she froze.
Adeline stared at her, her eyes huge. “What?”
Slowly, Miranda shut the folder, handing it back to Adeline as she looked up at her son. “David, you have to get her out of there as soon as you can. She's in a very dangerous situation.”
“No kidding, lady.” Adeline's voice was dry with sarcasm. “In case you haven't been following, Emerson Mathers is completely off his rocker.”
“No, I mean medically.” As Miranda continued, her face grew slightly paler. “You see, if they keep on slipping her the sedatives and don't increase her fluid intake, she could lose the baby.”
David's heart stopped.
No.
No
.
“The baby?
What
baby?” demanded Adeline.
Miranda winced. Then, she simply said, “Charlotte is pregnant.”
~~~