Poor Little Rich Boy

Part 25/ Choices

"Is Bree gonna be okay?"
"We went out for dinner and came back to a knocked out sitter and our kids gone. What the fuck do you think?"
"I think that we should kill dad and throw his body in the Hudson." Tyler replies.
"She took some pills. She's finally sleeping, thankfully she wasn't here when we got the call." I take a seat on one of the chairs in James's office, running my hand down my face in exhaustion.

"What the fuck are we going to do?" Tyler says as he sits at the edge of the desk, while James pours himself another glass of Scotch.
The demands were simple : give them every bit of information we have on our father by Monday,sign NDA's or they kill all three of them. We get proof of life in an hour or so.

I almost laugh. When I came over,none of us even asked if we doubted who was behind this,we all just knew. We knew our father was capable of this, we just never thought he would really do it.
Being vice president means more to him than his sons or his grandsons.
"We have to do what he wants. We should all gather our copies and give them to him before he demands more. I can't do this anymore." James says before downing his drink.

"We can't do that. We hand him that Information, we might as well buy ourselves a leash to be his fucking dogs again. He's not gonna leave us alone once he becomes VP. It's just going to get worse."
"Oh,I'm sorry," I turn my head towards him "Is the person who has nothing to fucking loose talking?! Of course it's easy for you to say that when you're not being directly threatened!" My voice goes higher,my pulse quickening as he looks at me.

"Stefan." James warns me but it's too late.
"You just got fucking lucky Cody dumped your ass and is in Norway right now,or else you would have done what they wanted right away. So don't fucking-"
"You think I don't care Joe and Duncan were taken?! My heart fucking hurts at the thought of it all. I'm even sorry that Charlie is involved in all this shit. I just think we should explore all our options before we just give into their demands."

"And what do you suggest?" James says, leaning back against his chair as he rubs his chin,his eyes looking so tired and broken.
"Negotiate. We're lawyers, it's what we do. He won't kill them, he's not that fucking-..."

"Tyler,out of all three of them,who do you think he's going to kill first? He might give the boys a week or two,but first thing Monday morning he's going to kill Charlie. And if you don't give him what he wants, he's going to kill the boys too. Because that's who he is. He's the man who beat the shit out of you for being gay. And he's the man that would kill his own blood to get what he wants."

That manages to shut him up, because he knows I'm right,the person who our father is popping into his head.
"I'm not risking my boys,Ty. And frankly, I'm not risking Charlie's life either. We do whatever we can to get them back."
We stay in silence for a long time,none of saying anything as we wait,every piece of my sanity hanging by a thread until I hear a small ping from James's phone.

He looks at it first,his jaw clenching before tears escape his eyes while he stares at the screen. He slams the phone down on the desk, turning his back to us while he stares out the window,his shoulders shaking as he cries quietly.
Tyler goes to comfort him while I pick up the device,but regretting it instantly when it feels like my breath has been taken from my lungs.

The three of them in front of a white background,only a lightbulb above them to cast any sort of light. Charlie's crouching on the ground with Duncan wrapped around her as she has her hand around Joe's waist,while he himself is holding up the New York Times that's issued for todays date,proving it was taken today.
Both of them are wearing their pajamas,their eyes red from crying as they hold onto her for dear life,looking so scared. And so does she,but I can tell she's trying to be strong for them,protecting them. Their lifeline,just like she's mine.
Hold on for me,baby.