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Fiona remains mopey for the entire evening and into the next morning. She clings to me until her father requests my presence at the mansion.
“If I die,” Fiona tells me as I tuck her into bed so she can rest while I’m gone, “never forget how I was lost until you came into my life.”
“Everything will work out,” I promise, hoping my words don’t prove to be lies.
Before leaving the house, I lock Fiona’s bedroom door. Todd claims his sons are on leashes like stupid dogs who can’t control themselves. Except he stated this fact prior to Marky attacking the two women at a park.Those leashes must not be very strong.
After I arrive at the mansion, Todd’s gold digger corners me in the doorway of his study. I mention how sorry I am for her loss since Ashley usually doesn’t want to talk about Marky and will walk away.
Today, though, the beautiful, vapid blonde shares a story likely filled with lies and half-truths.
“Marky had a girlfriend,” Ashley explains while Todd pretends not to listen. “Yazmin’s okay looking. A little on the older side, you know?” Ashley gives me a dismissive look, so I assume Marky’s girlfriend was older than twenty-two. When I just stare, she continues, not really speaking to me. “She was also dating one of those twisted bikers who ride around town, thinking they own the place.”
I notice Todd narrow his eyes at the mention of the Steel Berserkers. Though I remain stony-faced, my heart races at the thought of Eagle on his motorcycle. In my fantasies, I climb on behind him and flee the insanity of this terrible family. Yet, my dreams always come to a crashing halt when I consider Fiona abandoned with these people.
“Now, Yazmin’s a real stripper type from what I’ve seen. That’s how she got her hooks into both men, playing with them, taking what she could. But not in an obvious way. She plays this helpless twat game. You know the type.”
Nodding, I want Ashley to finish her story. The tension coming off Todd fills the room. His bony shoulders went rigid as soon as Ashley began speaking, yet she notices none of it.
“Yazmin convinced Marky to challenge the biker. He thought the asshole was manipulating her, but it was the other way around. She’d decided to keep the biker since he bought her a kid. Guess she was too old to have her own.”
Ashley waves her manicured fingers in front of my face as if making a subtle dig at my age and lack of children.
“Anyway, Yazmin got what she wanted from the biker but still had to get rid of poor Marky. She twisted up his thinking and set him up. That’s how Marky ended up jumped by the biker and his friends. They couldn’t win except through cheating. Marky was so big and strong. He looked like Todd in his youth.”
I finally realize Ashley’s putting on a show for her man’s benefit. Speaking to me is just the catalyst for her performance.
“Marky realized he’d been duped by the stripper. When he went to confront her, they ambushed him.”
Of course, Ashley is lying. Her painted-red lips are flapping, after all. Whenever I’m around Todd and Ashley, I sense he hates her and she’s just now starting to notice.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her since she doesn’t care what I have to say anyway.
Ashley nods like my words mean something. Having completed her performance, she walks away. I step into the study and wait for Todd to tell me what he wants.
“She doesn’t like Fiona,” he grumbles nearly immediately. “Claims the girl makes her uncomfortable. Ashley had a bad time with her disabled aunt. Now, she’s got no stomach for crippled people.”
Though I don’t react to his nasty words, I’m screaming insults at him in my head.
“I want you to bring Fiona over to dinner tonight.”
My breath catches. I need to keep Fiona safe from these people, but I don’t know how to tell Todd no. He’s not even hiding how he plans to use Fiona to annoy his gold-digger girlfriend.
“Is that such a good idea?” I ask rather than push back more forcefully.
“Yes,” Todd replies with no follow-up explanation.
When I only stare at him, he bribes me by adding, “If you can get the dummy to the house and through dinner, I’d be open to you enjoying your Friday night adventures again.”
Once again, I reveal nothing. Inside, I’m terrified by what he knows. Yet, Todd only shrugs.
“The mourning period is over,” he mutters. “Marky wasn’t that good of a son.”
Forcing him to stew for a minute, I finally reply, “I’ll bring Fiona to dinner.”
The reality is I can’t tell Todd no anyway. He’ll just have one of his muscled monsters drag Fiona to dinner if I don’t agree.
Still, I’d prefer the terrible man believe I’m easier to buy than to threaten.
