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Fucker.
“I’m okay, I guess. It’s pretty here. I have a puppy. I named her Bonita. I’ve been eating good Spanish food, although last night I had some octopus that didn’t sit well…”
Abby continues to babble on with her awkward small talk like nothing is wrong at all, like she hasn’t been missing for weeks, her dad responding with an occasional, blanduh-huhandthat’s nice. Pretending like everything is normal.
But he doesn’t seem too happy his daughter is doing well. No big surprise there.
With no mention of what he might be doing to get her home, he cuts right to the chase. “So honey, now that you’re almost twenty-one, you can access the trust left to you by your mother. Shall I call my attorney for you?” he offers.
He must really think his daughter’s an idiot. Foolish man.
“Oh, no thanks, Dad. I’ll get my own attorney.”
He scoffs. “Honey, this is not the sort of thing you have any experience with. I’m happy to help you.”
The guys and I look at each other, certain he’dloveto fucking help. Help empty out her account, that is.
And then she lets him have it.
“Dad, I know you’re trying to get your hands on my money—”
“Excuse me,” he bellows. “What are you talking about—”
But she cuts him off. That’s our girl. “I know about Mom too. I know you’ve lied to me my whole life. And I have news for you. You will never see me again. And you’ll never get your hands on my money.”
Madden explodes with such vehemence and rage I can’t even make out what he’s saying. But I don’t need to. He’s a narcissist of the first degree, and when people like that don’t get their way, they lose their shit.
He’s been called out, and he’s triggered.
Too fucking bad. If he were here in the room with us… well, things wouldn’t end well for him. That’s all I can say.
“You little bitch,” he screams. “All I’ve done for you, you spoiled little girl.”
“You,”she yells, “you can fuck right off! You’ve manipulated me all these years. Rot in hell, asshole!”
She throws the phone down on the bed and falls into Nanette’s arms.
Every ending is a new beginning. And today, Abby’s beginning something very important.
* * *
Abbyand her mom have a quiet dinner with us, then go to their respective rooms, exhausted by the tumultuous day. This gives the guys and me a chance to talk and to debrief. We head out to sit by the pool. It’s a gorgeous night and I tip my head back to watch a shooting star.
“Christ,” Fedor says, “not that I’ll ever have kids, but if I did, I sure would do better than that dirtbag, Madden. What a sick fuck.”
I had my challenges growing up. We all did. But there’s just no excuse for someone like Madden, who’s surrounded by privilege. The man can have anything he desires, and he is still a thieving fucker. Nothing will ever be enough for him.
I’d feel sorry for the man if I didn’t detest him so much.
Damn, I need to shake this off.
“Hey, anyone want a cigar? I’m going to get one,” I say.
Both Fedor and Bogdan nod, and I head into the house.
But before I can get to the humidor, I hear Bonita scratching somewhere in the house. I follow the sound and find she’s closed up in the kitchen, which is strange because she usually sleeps in Abby’s room. I open the kitchen door for her, and she scoots out, heading straight for Abby. I poke my head around the corner to watch her, when she yelps.
Abby’s door is closed and I figure the dog wants in, so I head down the hallway to help. But when I get there, her door is open, and in the dark, I see someone moving. And that someone is not Abby. What the fuck.
