Uncovering You 4: Retribution Read Free Page B

yourself,” he continues, sitting down in Esteban’s unoccupied seat across from me. He chuckles. “I know. Do you remember what I told my board after we first met?”
    “Yes,” I whisper, still full of disbelief.
    “I said that you have more courage than all of them put together.” He pauses to smile at me again. “I meant that.”
    I force my lips to move up in a strange facsimile of a smile that I do not feel.
    “Of course, you’d be taking direction from me. But you will have some autonomy over operations. More, as you earn them and prove yourself capable.”
    “You’re actually serious,” I say.
    His left cheek twitches up in an irritated tick. “Yes. I told you already. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
    “But… why?”
    “Remember the first time we spoke? It was on the phone. I told you I would offer reparations for the way you were dismissed.”
    “Yes,” I manage, “but I never thought…”
    “That I would make good on that promise?” He laughs. “You thought that was just a trick to lure you in, so that I could bring you here?” He spreads his arms to take in the entire room.
    “Well…” I blink, amazed that we’re having this conversation despite his rules. “…Yes,” I finally answer.
    He exhales and puts a hand over his heart. “Lilly, you wound me. Do you really think of me as such a monster?”
    Before I can stop it, my hand starts moving toward the collar. Stonehart notices.
    “Ah,” he says. “ That . Yes, I can see how that little device might warp your perception of me. But you have to understand, Lilly, that I have to retain some control over you. We both know that you can be quite… willful.”
    I just stare.
    “The takeover’s not going to go smoothly, of course,” he continues. “There is going to be backlash. From within the government. From the employees. The United States and Israel pretend to be great friends, but it is an uneasy alliance that both countries wish they could forego. The Israeli people will not take well to a foreign conglomerate taking over one of their most treasured technology firms.”
    “And you want me….” I swallow. “You actually want me to…”
    “To take Esteban’s position as CEO, yes,” Stonehart sighs. “Really, Lilly, is that such a difficult concept to understand?”
    He stands up. “It will be a year or more before the company is ready to have you at the helm. That gives us plenty of time to work out any lingering kinks that might make my proposition difficult. Issues of trust, perhaps.” His eyes harden as he looks at me. “Remember, Lilly, that the contract you signed can be amended at any moment by myself. Do not make me force you to take the position at Dextran by adding a new clause. I would rather have you come into it of your own free will.”
    I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
    This has to be a joke. Right?
    Stonehart looks outside. “My,” he says. “It’s a marvelous day out there. How would you like to go for a picnic? It seems like such a shame to waste the weekend indoors.”
    I swallow as I remember the last time Stonehart tried to lead me outside.
    He turns back to me. “No?” he asks. “I think the gift of proper employment should count as more than a single TGB, don’t you? In fact, I’d say it’s worth about… four . ”
    My eyes widen. I do a quick sum in my head. The dove head was TGB number six. That means I have ten. Ten means… a brand new freedom.
    The freedom to go outside.
    “Really?”
    “Yes, really,” he says, smiling. He walks back to me and offers his hand.
    After a second’s hesitation, I take it. His strong, warm fingers wrap around my palm, cradling me and making me feel safe.
    That is the last feeling I should be having around Stonehart.
    But I can’t fight it. I can’t. I can’t change the way my body reacts to him.
    I may not like it, sure. I may know, logically, that it’s all types of wrong.
    But I still can’t do anything about it.
    He pulls me up.