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“Well, it’s been too long. I love her.”
“No,Ilove her. You took off when she needed you most.”
Olivia’s eyes widen. Her father doesn’t answer.
“You’re lucky I wasn’t in the picture then. Your taking off would not have gone nearly as smoothly. Hang on a minute.” I tap the mute icon. “Take the baby in the other room,” I say, nodding at Brady. “I need to have a man-to-man conversation with your dad, and you and the lad don’t need to hear it.”
She starts to move away, then turns back. “Liam?”
“Yeah?”
I expect her to tell me not to be too rough.
Instead she says, “Did you mean what you said? That you love me?”
“Of course I meant it.”
She hurries back to give me a kiss and then leaves me alone to handle her asshole father.
I unmute the phone. “Still there? Or did you run away again?”
“I’m here,” he says grimly.
“Seen your brother-in-law lately? Your second wife’s brother?”
There’s silence and then, “No, not for a while, why?”
“But you told him Olivia had some valuable porcelain antiques? And where she was living?”
“Why?” he exclaims. “Did he do something?”
“Did you tell him she had valuables and no one around to protect her?”
“God, no. I told him when I left I didn’t take anything from them. I left Olivia and her mother with the house and those Lanleys, which my mother gave to her. I said between those and the life insurance, Liv had enough to make it on her own after her mom died. She had more than I had at eighteen.”
“You didn’t suggest he visit her? You’re not waiting for your cut?”
“No. Of course not,” he says indignantly.
My voice is low and deadly when I respond. “That’s good because it’s never coming.”
“Did something happen?”
I say nothing.
“What happened?” he asks.
“Olivia’s mother is gone. It would be a shame if you were dead, too, Mark, so listen carefully. You’d better never disappoint Olivia again. Because if you hurt her, I will hurt you. Understand?”
“Listen, it was more complicated than you know. Liv’s mother and I were talking divorce before she ever got sick.”
“I don’t give a shit. Your wife got sick while you were still married to her. And you deserted her and your daughter for another woman. I would’ve kicked your fucking teeth in and sent the whore you took up with packing.”
“That’s enough—I don’t have to listen to this.”
“No, you don’t. But you’d be a fucking moron to hang up on me. Why don’t you do a search, Mark? Liam Callahan. Boston. Irish Mafia.”
There’s dead silence. I don’t even think he’s breathing.
