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The heart monitor picked up speed and Kiera’s eyes closed as she let out a long breath.
When she opened her eyes, she looked at him, and the sadness was evident. Her mother was keeping something from her, and, at this time of all times, when Carleene was pushing Kiera for money just to keep the heat up.
“Mom.” Her voice was soft but strained. “After all of the things Carleene has done to me, how can you keep this from me? Her visit obviously upset you so much that you had a heart attack. I don’t think that is a coincidence.”
Rosemary closed her eyes and whispered, “Kiera, honey, I’m tired and need to rest.” She briefly opened her eyes and caught his gaze. “David, take her home please.”
All he could do was nod. He watched her pale face for a long time, and she didn’t even flinch. It was only a minute or two, and the soft even breathing of sleep could be heard above the hum of the machines in the room.
Kiera listed against him, and his arm circled around her and pulled her in tight. Her head rested against his chest, and, not for the first time, he realized how small she was. She’d been broken and battered, but here she was still a strong, resilient woman dealing with the possible loss of her mother and some dark secret that her mother wasn’t willing to share with her.
“Are you ready to go home?” she wearily asked.
“Sure.” He kissed the top of her head, gave her shoulders a squeeze and stepped back bringing her with him.
They headed down the corridor and to his truck, and she hadn’t said a word. They buckled their seat belts, and she finally broke her silence. “I can’t figure out what those two would have to talk about that would upset my mother so much, but she won’t tell me.”
“I was wondering that myself. Over the years were they friendly in any way?”
“No. Never. As a matter of fact, Carleene hates my mother. She took every chance she could to tell me that. Called her all sorts of names. Whore. Slut. Bitch. I always thought she did that just to get to me. Sometimes she did.”
He maneuvered his truck through the parking lot when she gasped. “There he is again. He’s taking pictures of us.” She twisted in her seat and pointed. David checked his rearview mirror. No one was following them, so he put the truck in reverse and backed up to the point she’d seen the man snapping pictures.
“Where is he?”
She twisted her head and looked around the parking lot. “I don’t see him now.”
He backed up farther and glanced around them. “Was he in the black SUV again?”
“Yes.” Her voice shook slightly, and he rested his hand at the nape of her neck and squeezed.
In every parking lot there were any number of black SUVs, so without more information, it was fruitless to try and pinpoint this one.
He put his truck into drive and slowly moved through the lot, keeping his eyes open just in case.
“I’m not crazy. I’ve seen him twice.”
He quickly glanced at her then back to the road. “I believe you, honey.”
She inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled. “Life sure is weird. Nothing went the way I’d hoped it would go when I was back in college. I thought we’d have a simple, quiet life with a few kids. I could never have imagined that I’d soon see the worst of people and endure it for so long only to come out of it and find you again.”
“I know. I’ve thought that myself.” He turned onto the highway. “You know, if Carleene is trying to get to you through your mom, you have a solution. Sell your condo, move in with me, and give her the money. You’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. And you remove Carleene from your life. Easy.”
She turned toward him in her seat as much as the seat belt would allow. “You’re right. But for some reason, I just hate letting her get her way again. After all these years, and all she put me through, to just cave again seems like following an old pattern. I’m stronger now. I want to stand up for myself and show her she can’t bend me anymore. You don’t know what it was like, David. She would purposely come to the house just to punish me. She’d trip me and make me fall, calling me a gimp. She’d push me and cause me to fall and laugh when I did. She is horrible. Hateful. I just can’t let her win again. I won’t rest if I do.”
He ground his teeth together listening to more of her life. These people were simply disgusting.
“You win by living the life you want to live. Letting her continue to control you by keeping you on edge and playing this chess match with you is giving her what she wants. Your life in upheaval. Move on from her. From them. They can’t control you anymore.”
“I got only two things from that life—Vanessa and that condo. They have millions. She made sure when Nicholas and Vanessa died that I got nothing. All I could take of Vanessa’s were a few pictures and her stuffed animal. Mr. Campisi made a fortune in real estate. When he died, Carleene took over the business, and she was just as successful as he was. When Nicholas turned thirty, he took over. She seemed to manage from the sidelines. Always telling him what to do and when, and he always listened. I always felt there was something more to their business than just real estate. But they were careful to make sure I didn’t hear too much.”
“Where did you come into the picture?”
She raked her hands through her hair. “Nicholas was thirty-four when we were married. He was just like his mother. I never met Mr. Campisi. From what I’ve been able to gather, Carleene hated him too. She never had much good to say about him. Of course, she doesn’t like anyone. Just some Mr. Valeria.”
“A boyfriend?”
“No. I don’t know. I never met him.”
