Abi laughs through tears. “I saved myself from a life of misery. He threatened me; I would have had nothing. So I fixed it.”
Silas’ jaw clenches. “You murdered him.”
“He threatened to take the kids and leave me!” she screams. “I had to. He couldn’t just forgive me for sleeping with Jensen. It was a mistake; he was my first true love. I wanted to fix things, even offered to let him fuck someone. But no, he wanted a divorce and the kids.”
“Why didn’t you let him? You never were good with the kids?” Silas asks.
“I needed them for bargaining chips. I could buy this if I got Minxy that. Talon wanted to take an art class, so I shopped while I waited for him. They were my excuses; I needed them. Hestarted packing his things, even went to wake the kids up to take them. I panicked. I grabbed the pistol we kept in the closet, and I shot him.”
“You fucking bitch,” I hiss. “You killed your kids’ dad.”
She laughs. “He never even saw it coming. Turned around and bang…point blank. But I didn’t know what to do, so I called Jensen. He came over right away, and we staged it to look like a suicide.”
Abi’s confession hangs in the air making my skin crawl. Dad takes a step back, his hand shaking, eyes glassy with betrayal.
She doesn’t notice.She’s spiraling.Unraveling.
Her mascara is smeared down her cheeks, her breath hitching in ugly, ragged bursts. She swipes at her face with the back of her hand, smearing everything worse.
“I FIX EVERYTHING,” she screams, voice breaking. “AND NO ONE appreciates anything I DO!”
“Abi.”
She whirls so fast the gun jerks sideways in her grip.
Gideon’s walking toward her, hands visible, posture calm, storm-grey eyes locked on her like she’s a live wire
“Gideon,” she gasps. Her whole body sags toward him like he’s her salvation or a one-way ticket out of this mess. “Please. Please, yougetme. You always understood me. You know how dramatic Dominic’s family was—you KNOW how they twisted everything. Help me. Help me fix this.”
He stares at her as if she’s something vile.
“I’m not here for you,” he says. “I’m here for Penelope.”
Abi goes still,l then she laughs. A high, fractured sound that shakes her whole body.
“Forher?!” she shrieks. “Forthatlittle gold-digger slut? She spreads her legs and suddenly you’re all wrapped around her finger? Is that all it takes? A pretty girl and a needy pussy?”
“Enough!” Dad snaps.
Abi’s head snaps toward him, and her smile fades.
“You don’t get to tell me ‘enough.’” She points it at him.
“Abi,” Dad breathes, stepping back. “Put it down.”
“You know what’s funny, Chad?” she asks, voice trembling with manic delight. “I could end you the same way I ended Todd. All you had to do was say ‘I do.’ Just say it and be happy with me until the money ran out. Then maybe I’d let you go easy. No guns. No head bashing. Just a little bleach in your cereal each morning. Or maybe I’d smother you with a pillow while you slept. Peaceful. Painless. Romantic even.”
Dad’s face drains of blood.
My blood runs cold.
Gideon steps closer. “Keep talking,” he says quietly. “I want to hear you say it.”
Abi snaps at him instead, eyes wild.
“Todd wasangry,” she spits. “He didn’t like my spending. He didn’t like me seeing Jensen. He wanted me to stop. He wanted me to settle. Why doesn’t anyone understand?” Her voice cracks into a sob. “Ilovehim.”
Gideon tilts his head. “Then why aren’t you with him?”
