He nodded, his face tight with unease. “I’d told her I’d divorce her and she wouldn’t get a cent. There’s also…”
I ran the back of my hand over my face. “What?”
“Gennaro. What they did…what she did to him, it turned out she did it to others, too. One of them wasn’t even eighteen.”
My eyes squeezed shut, as I tried to push down the disgust slicing through my gut.
“He was arranging for a campaign with the other…victims to expose her.”
“Good for him,” I said angrily. “He should’ve done it earlier, though, before it was too late.”
“Maggie, sweetie, I know she was your mother, but she’s not worth one tear of yours. Not one second of your time,” he said. “Just look here.” He pointed to the windows. “Think about all the love you have.”
I pressed my lips in pain. “I’m tired, Daddy. Take me back to my room.”
“You haven’t finished the round. We’re supposed to go around the ward.”
“I don’t care. Please take me back.”
Scene85
Maggie
As I passed by Mike’s room, I glanced inside. It was empty. “Have you seen him today?”
“No. I think he finally got the message and left.”
Before I wondered why he chose today of all days to leave, I saw Jim Cassidy approaching the security guards.
“Oh, Jim is here.” Dad waved at the guards to let Jim through. “He’s such a gentleman. You know he’s been coming here every day even before you woke up?”
I made a mental eye roll. Jim was one of the few gentlemen in Hollywood. Beautiful, too. Tall and strong, with a build that required tailor-made suits to fit those muscles. Black hair, enough of it to dig and grab. Blue eyes that owned women’s hearts. Not mine, though. The chocolate brown ones had claimed it for all eternity.
“Looking good, Kid.” Jim strode in my direction, a charming smile on his face.
Did all of them have a ridiculous compelling industry smile?
He shook hands with Dad. “How are you today, Nick?”
They’re on a first name basis now?
“All good, except this one here won’t finish her round,” Dad said.
“Do you mind if I try to change her mind?”
Dad let Jim take his place. “Be my guest.”
What the fuck just happened?“I’m tired, Jim. I need to go back to my room.”
“Not going to happen, Kid.” He started, his arm linked with mine.
I didn’t like this, and I hated the part of me that immediately worried Mike would appear and see me arm in arm with another man. Out of spite, I gave in to following Jim.
“The first time I visited I got you flowers, but someone tipped me that you hated them,” he said.
“And by someone you mean Nick, your new BFF.”
“He’s a great man. I’m quite fond of him.”
