The Pakhan is the Bratva leader.
I don’t get to contemplate anything further because Eric holds out the remote and switches on a TV that comes to life on the wall. The flat screen surface seems odd for a place like this.
That’s irrelevant though because Ted’s face appears on the screen.
It’s a recording of him sitting in his office looking the way he normally does when he addresses the people of New York. There’s one exception though, he has the fear of God in him.
We all stare at the screen watching him as he begins talking.
“Good evening,” he begins and adjusts his collar. “This is the last time I will address the people of New York in my post as your Governor. It’s been an honor to serve this state. Before I leave, I have some confessions to make. I am a fraud and I have set things up in the city to embezzle millions of dollars, mostly to wiring funds to my prostitution and drug ring. I have also been sexually abusing young girls for years. Girls as young as twelve.”
When he pauses, I stop looking at the TV version of him and look at the demise of the man before me. He looks back at me too and I feel retribution.
I’m so glad I lived to see this moment and it was all made possible by the man before me who saved me in so many ways.
“This is the end of the road for me,” TV Ted continues, and I agree. “I will be reimbursing all the money I have taken in whatever ways I can. I will also be resigning from my post as your governor tonight. I apologize for the disappointment I am to you. It was best if I told you what I did.”
The recording cuts and Eric crouches down to him, pressing his lips together in a thin line of displeasure. It’s only then Ted looks at him.
“Ted Nicholson, my name is Eric Markov. I’m the guy who orchestrated this little rendezvous to get you here. We represent Summer Reeves.” When Eric says that something inside me heals, and I feel like the girl I was before Ted came into my life. I feel like the girl who had such big dreams and always believed she could accomplish them.
“The world will see that recording within the hour,” Eric continues. “But you have one last thing left to do, don’t you, Governor Nicholson?”
“Yes,” Ted mutters.
Eric stands up and looks over at me. “Come here, Summer.”
Keeping my gaze trained on Ted, I walk over to them and stop beside Eric.
“Apologize to her now,” Eric shouts and the harshness in his voice makes Ted jump.
“I’m sorry for what I did to you, Summer,” Ted begins but it doesn’t feel like it’s enough. “I’m sorry for what I did to you and your family. It was my fault your mother killed herself. Not yours.”
He looks at me as if he wants me to tell him I accept his fucking apology.
“The only thing that matters here is I heard those words come out of your mouth, but I know you don’t mean them,” I tell him. “I truly hope you go to hell.”
“It wasn’t my intention to—”
I land a punch in his face so hard I hear bone crack. Blood spurts from his nose and I spit on him. I then back away because I know for all the rage I feel that’s all I can do.
Eric touches my arm and steadies me.
“Summer, this is Aiden, my Pakhan,” he says motioning to the man he’d spoken to earlier. “He’s going to take you home. I won’t be too long.”
I’m so shaken I can’t talk. I open my mouth to speak but the words don’t come.
The next few moments go by in slow motion and then I’m escorted away.
I look back at Ted one last time before Aiden and I get to the top of the stairs and see the doom in his face.
The doom is the same I felt since he walked into my life.
When we get through the door, and it clicks shut one gunshot goes off and I know Ted is dead.
Another gunshot echoes when we step through the door, and I think of Scarlett. This was for her too.
I can’t change the past, but now I can truly be free of Ted, my childhood monster.