The Threat Is Real
622 Words
Chapter Three
Kendrick didn’t let Clara see him hear that call.
He forced his legs to move. Walked out of
Daniel’s room, down the hall, into the kitchen like nothing was wrong. Like his heart wasn’t hammering so hard he was sure she’d hear it through the walls.
He leaned against the counter and gripped the edge until his knuckles went white. Breathe.
Just breathe.
From the hallway, Clara’s voice dropped lower.
“No, I can’t just tell him. He’ll take Daniel. He’ll ruin everything.”
Rig’s voice was muffled through the phone, but
Kendrick caught the words anyway:
“Then we make sure he doesn’t get the chance.”
Kendrick’s blood went cold.
It wasn’t just hiding an affair anymore.
“Make sure he doesn’t get the chance.” That wasn’t damage control. That was a threat.
He grabbed his keys and left before Clara could hang up. The door shut behind him with a soft click. He didn’t slam it. Slamming would make noise. Noise would make her stop and think.
The office was empty when Kendrick got there. Lights off, desks dark. He didn’t care. He needed space to think without hearing her voice.
Rig wasn’t just some client. Kendrick had met him twice. Smooth talker. Expensive suit.
Always had a deal, always had a way out. The kind of man who didn’t lose. The kind of man who made problems disappear.
And now Rig knew Kendrick was testing Daniel’s paternity.
Kendrick pulled up Rig’s LinkedIn on his phone. The screen was too bright in the dark office.
Last post was 2 days ago:
“Closing the biggest deal of my career. Some things are worth the risk.”
Risk. That word again.
His phone buzzed in his hand.
Clara: “Where are you? We need to talk”
Kendrick didn’t reply.
He couldn’t. If he typed one word, he’d say something he couldn’t take back.
Instead, he opened the chat with Rig. The one he’d taken screenshots of. He scrolled past the flirting, past the photos, past the lunch dates.
There was one message he hadn’t noticed before, buried under everything else.
Sent 3 weeks ago, 2:14 AM:
“If he finds out, we stick to the plan. He won’t see it coming.”
Kendrick’s hands tightened around the phone until the edges bit into his palm.
What plan?
What didn’t he see coming?
Before he could think it through, his phone rang. Unknown number.
He answered. His voice came out rougher than he meant. “Hello?”
“Kendrick Hell?” A man’s voice, calm, too calm.
Like he was discussing the weather. “This is
Rig. We need to meet. Alone.”
Kendrick didn’t answer right away. His mind was racing. If he said yes, he was walking into whatever they’d planned. If he said no, what
would Rig tell Clara? What would he do to Daniel?
Rig laughed softly, like he already knew the answer. “I know about the test, Kendrick. And I know what you’ll do if it comes back negative.”
Kendrick’s voice was low, controlled. “What do you want?”
“To avoid a mess,” Rig said. “Meet me at 9 PM.
The old warehouse on 4th. Come alone, or I tell
Clara what you’ve been digging into.”
The line went dead.
Kendrick stared at the phone. The screen went black, but he could still see Rig’s words.
He could walk away. Call a lawyer.
Call the police. Or he could walk into that warehouse and end it himself.
9 PM.
He had 6 hours to decide.
And for the first time since he found that voice note, Kendrick wasn’t sure what the truth would cost him.
- Writer
