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Maddie lifts her head, eyes tiresome. “I think you made that clear yesterday.”
“Good.” I fold my arms again, legs straight before me, crossed at the ankle.
Rae has a point, though: people who’re together show it in more than their words. If this lie is to be believed, she’ll need to act like his damn girlfriend. The thought shouldn’t make my shoulders tighten like they do, but it does, so what the fuck do I do with that?
What am I jealous of, exactly?
“What will you do with her? Once Terry is in jail?”
I grind my teeth at the gentle cadence of my daughter’s question. She’s afraid to ask. Afraid to know. Likely afraid of what it’ll make her feel about me. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” I turn my head and meet her eye. “Will it be a problem for you? This whole deal?”
“Her pretending to date Digger?”
I nod.
She shrugs. “It’s a bit weird, but he seems to genuinely care about her, so it makes me feel better knowing she’ll be safe if she’s close to him.”
“Haven’t seen him this interested in a project in a long while,” Harvey agrees.
“He does seem that way, doesn’t he.” I can’t recall the last time I saw my brother look at a woman with more than a passing interest. Blessed with those damn piercing eyes of his, he was always the favorite flavor at the fucking rallies growing up. Always a hoard of thirsty bitches behind him, but he’d ignorethe damn women like they were no more than pesky butterflies crossing his path until he felt ready to pluck one for a night’s fun.
I could count the women he’s fucked more than once on one hand.
I could literally name the only girl he ever dated: Haven.
Ironic name for a woman who provided him anything but when he returned from duty.
“It won’t be forever.” I barely appease myself with the lie, let alone my daughter.
“You really believe that?” She tucks her knees up, pulling the blanket with them.
I reach across and stuff it in around her sides, the same as I would when she was a girl. Wrap my little burrito. “I have to hold onto hope, baby girl. Otherwise, it’s a pretty bleak outlook for all of us, ain’t it?”
“I guess.” She nestles her chin in the soft fabric. “You think she’ll do it? Testify to put Terry away?”
“Not at the present moment.” I study Maddie for a moment, noting her genuine confusion. “She not told you anythin’ about life before Red River?”
Harvey tucks his character somewhere safe in the game and spins to hear the answer, too.
“Not really.” Maddie shrugs, eying her brother’s curiosity. “I asked a couple of times, but she didn’t seem like she wanted to talk about it, so I left it alone.”
“She’s on probation.”
Harvey hisses air between his teeth, turning back to the match before his soldier gets obliterated.
Maddie’s eyes widen at my confession before she frowns. “What for?”
“Smashin’ up her fiancé’s car.”
“She was fuckin’ almost married?” Maddie gawks at the revelation. “Shit.”
Damn straight, I get her shock. Knowing she was almost wifed up already? Sure makes me want to throw colors on the table for a vote at the next meeting we have.
“Nice.” Harvey nods his approval. “Wait ’til I tell Kane about this.”
I sigh at the fucking fallout that conversation will create. “It does explain, though, why Rae doesn’t want to help the prosecutors.”
“I don’t get it.” Mads worries her teeth across her bottom lip.
