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The rest of the day, I try to stay busy and am overly nice to Victoria. It pleases her, but I know it’s short-lived. We eat dinner, a pasta dish she ordered from one of her favorite restaurants, and when we’re done, we go our separate ways. It’s impossible for me to be around her for long periods without wanting to strangle her, so I go to my room and watch TV, wishing I could fall asleep. Not sure why, though, because tomorrow will be the same, and every day will be until I hear that Maddie is safe and out of Victoria’s reach.
Just as my eyes begin to feel heavy, my phone vibrates with a text message from the number Tyler contacted me from before. Adrenaline bursts through my veins as I open it, but all it says is to call when I’m alone. Considering it’s so late, I’m convinced that Victoria is in bed asleep, but instead of risking it, I get up and check on her.
Most of the lights are off in the house except for a single lamp in the living room. I cross the space and go to her bedroom where the door is cracked. Carefully, I open it and see she’s in bed, snoring with an eye mask over her face. I let out a steady breath and walk back to my room, where I nervously call the number. Immediately, Tyler answers with a chuckle, and relief washes over me because I know at that moment, everything’s going to be okay.
“You’re alone?” he finally asks, and I can tell I’m on speakerphone.
“Yes, tell me what’s going on,” I say eagerly. After Tyler explains how he infiltrated the O’Learys, I feel so fucking honored he’s on my side. The fact that Victoria asked him to protect Maddie is a miracle, and I’m shocked by how perfectly everything worked out. It’s almost as if the universe is on Maddie’s and my side.
While chatting with Tyler, I keep my voice low though I want to scream from the rooftops how happy I am. I try not to celebrate too soon because I know this is just the beginning of a bad situation once Victoria finds out they escaped.
“Before I was put on this assignment, I got intel on Victoria that you’ll need to get you out of this big fuckin’ mess,” he says, and I can feel the shift in his mood. “I took a page from your bounty hunter book. I followed her for about a month while you were back in California. I have photographs and even have audio recordings because I bugged her car.”
My eyes go wide. “What the hell. How’d you manage that?”
“She needed an oil change on the Mercedes she drives when she’s doing shady ass shit. It literally took me an hour to get everything installed, and she has zero idea. Honestly, after being on this side of things, I’m convinced all the O’Leary kids are a bunch of dumbasses.”
A smile touches my lips. “I’ve noticed. So, you followed her. What did you get photos of exactly?” I question, knowing she’s sly and can make up lies about anything.
“The DeFrancos,” he says so nonchalantly.
I feel as if he’s going to drop a huge ass bomb, one that Victoria won’t even suspect. “Does the name Mickey ring a bell to you?” Tyler asks.
Pausing for a moment, I replay the conversations we’ve had in the past when they’ve been brought up. I know for a fact they’re mortal enemies of the O’Learys, and even Johnny has made off-colored remarks about murder anytime they’re mentioned. Closing my eyes, I think back to the convo in the bar, and the couple of times JJ has gone off about them, then distinctly remember hearing Mickey’s name. “Yeah, actually it does.”
“Victoria has been fucking him. I have photos. I have audio. Her father might kill her when he finds out. That is, if he finds out. They’ve been secretly seeing each other for years, knowing their families would never approve. The pregnancy was a surprise for them both, and you just so happened to be in the wrong place at the right time,” Tyler explains. “But I think it’s enough to make her back off and to free you. From what I’ve seen and heard these past several weeks, I think Victoria would rather have a divorce on her record than to be known for betraying the family.”
“Wow,” is all I can say. “A few days ago, we got into a fender bender, and she went to the ER. They did an ultrasound, and that’s when I found out she’s farther along than she claimed. It was confirmed then the babies weren’t mine. She knew all along but doesn’t give a shit and said it doesn’t matter since we’re technically married. Now it all makes fucking sense. She needed a father since she couldn’t tell the truth that she was sleeping with the family’s sworn enemy,” I explain. I replay everything, learning about the correct due date and how smug Victoria acted about it. She knew they were Mickey’s babies and needed a scapegoat, and I’ve been wrapped up in her deceptive web ever since. The marriage was only the first step that led to the pregnancy. It makes me sick knowing how much she had planned beforehand. Considering the magnitude of hate her father has for the DeFrancos, I imagine she could’ve married anyone, but the position I was in made me easy prey.
