The 3 Month Plan

Another Deal

Rachel watches me for a second, determination in her eyes.

"So what does Nathan have on you?" I ask.

Her expression breaks for a millisecond, her top lip quivering before she adjusts herself and watches me intently. Her sharp look is suddenly re-plastered on her face as she stares me down. "What are you talking about?"

I yawn for effect since the weak and broken record look didn't work. "If you're divorced, you're not obligated to help him out so what does he have on you? Why are you still in the picture?"

Elijah clears his throat drawing our attention to him. He laughs as he gazes at Rachel. "She's a sharp one."

Rachel sighs. "I will help you bring the two down if you agree to take over his company and hand my rightful ownership back to me. I have been funding his company during the initial stages of our marriage when his company was but just a speck of dust and he's thrown me out when he got what he wanted. Secondly, he has a video of me that I want back."

I quirk my eyebrow. "What kind of video?"

At that given moment, the door slams open. Rocky appears through the door, gun loaded and held up. His eyes immediately connect with mine and then Rachel. "You are so dead," he says to her through gritted teeth.

Rocky stretches his arm in my direction, his free hand holds out to me and I walk over folding myself into his arm.

"What the hell are you thinking?" He shouts to a Rachel but I place a hand on his chest before he tries to take another step forward.

"It's okay," I say.

Rocky shakes his head, his eyes landing on my cheek and I know he probably sees whatever sort of damage Rachel did. He unwraps his arm from me and holds my cheek. "Did she do this to you?"

We've been through enough to know not to trust anyone especially in an instance like this but my gut tells me this is a bigger war than just Rocky and I. There is more at stack and even more people involved.

Turning to face Rachel, I question her again. "What was on the video?"

Rachel shares looks with her father and then back again. "When I found out he was cheating on me with Mikayla, I started cheating on him too to teach him a lesson. Difference between him and I is that he filmed the whole thing when I cheated. Whilst we did get a divorce, it's still in court and he's holding it as evidence over my head to take my assets."

Rocky watches us in shock at the revelation of this new information.

"Am I missing something?" Rocky questions.

I watch Rachel for a second to make sure I can guarantee she's being honest. That being said, I cannot guarantee a thing. Rocky and I have been thrown through the wringer so many times that it has now come to the point that other than each other, no one else can be trusted.

"Rachel claims she's out to get revenge on Nathan seeing as he's being trying to use her to get to you but since she refused, he's moved on to Mikayla," I explain.

Rocky blinks for a second as he takes the information in. "Explains the sudden marriage to Mikayla."

I nod as that's what I was thinking.

"Doesn't explain why you've kidnapped Sky and why she has that mark on her face!" Rocky's voice raises in Rachel's direction.

She bends her head down and watches the ground for a second. "I'm being watched. If I don't do what Nathan wants, that video will be used against me in court. I can't lose what I've worked for and nor can I risk my father and his business in the process."

Rocky fists his hand. "THAT. STILL. DOESN'T. GIVE. YOU. THE. RIGHT. TO. HURT. HER," Rocky growls.

I place my left hand over his fist to ease him, the gesture slowly relaxing him as he links his fingers through mine. "It's okay," I say. "If these are the sacrifices we make then so be it."

Rocky's eye snaps to Elijah. "Why are you helping?"

Elijah smiles, and since he's been here, it's probably the first genuine reaction. "Good to see you too, Rocky. I feel like I should be furious with you seeing as you hurt my daughter but I'm actually happy to see you so enamoured by your wife."

Rachel nods besides him. "I've been following up with you guys and you guys were meant to be. Probably another reason why I couldn't be mad or why I just couldn't hurt you."

"Still doesn't explain why you're helping, Elijah," Rocky queries.

Elijah sighs before rubbing the back of his neck. "I came from a lower class family but you know that. I have the one daughter and my wife died months after giving birth, all of which you know. I've worked all my life to ensure my daughter who means the world to me does not see and endure the days that I have. Now everything she has is at risk because of that one video." Elijah sits in the metal stool and looks up at Rocky. "Nathan thinks I'm one of those dead beat fathers who neglect their children and put business first. I had to drag myself in to make it look like I wanted to destroy you so I could get inside information."

Rachel pulls her dress up exposing her thighs. "It comes at a price."

My mouth gapes open. "You did that to her?"

He shakes his head. "No, never. But I told him I did. In his eyes, money is more important than my daughter. She did that to herself because he asked me to."

Rocky shakes his head. "He's telling you to assault your daughter."

"To keep her in check for better use of words but essentially, yes," Elijah says and it's the first time today I notice his eyes glisten with tears.

"There would be no way we could get the video," Rocky tells them.

I put my hand on his shoulder. "Why did he ask you to kidnap me?"

Rachel frowns. "He wanted you to think I was another lover who was jealous. To further ram the idea of how Rocky is into your mind."

"And to hurt her?" Rocky questions.

"He didn't necessarily tell me to hurt her," she says pinching the tip of her nose. "But he said not to go gentle. I'd have to leave a mark if I was to make him think that I'm on his side and hate Sky."

Rocky's hand kindly caresses my cheek. I can see he's mad about it. He's very overprotective of me.

"Okay," he says. "We'll all work together to bring Nathan and Mikayla down. But I have personal vendetta against Mikayla. One I am laying full claims on now. I'll make the finishing move on her."