“Well, it is part of the reason. Marley wanted a friend. We’d both hoped to recruit her into the family business in time. She is, after all, my brother’s child.”
“You bastard! She will never be anything like Malcolm or any of you! I do not have what you want, not here at least.”
“Where is it? Tell me, and I’ll send my people to retrieve it.”
“I want to see my daughter first. I have to know she is okay.”
He considered me. “Very well, I can have that arranged once you tell me where the recording is. But rest assured, if my men get there and there is no flash drive, I will not hesitate to kill either of you.” I didn’t doubt it. He was a ruthless man. “You’re lucky you made it this far after what you did to my brother.”
“Malcolm was pure evil, and so are you. He deserved what he got, and I would do it again.”
“I’d be careful if I were you, sweetheart. I don’t take kindly to that kind of talk.” He gripped my chin, his fingers digging into my skin painfully.
“Let me go.”
“Do we have a deal then?”
“Yes.”
I had no choice but to agree to whatever he demanded.
ChapterForty
Alyssa
The Day Before it Ended
Gracie was at my sister’s house for the weekend. I’d been drinking the whole day and lying passed out on the couch. I needed to escape from reality, even for a little while.
“She knows something. I don’t know how or what exactly, but she does. She hasn’t been acting the same way, not since the kidnapping, and now, it’s just worse.” I heard Malcolm talking on the phone. I stood and switched the light on. It sounded like he was in the kitchen. My head hurt, and I ruffled my hair, hoping to make me feel better, but it made my headache worse.
How could I confront him about what I’d seen? Would he hurt me too?So many thoughts ran through my head as I stumbled toward the kitchen.
“I know, I know, she’s at Meredith’s house tonight, but she’ll be home. I’ll pick her up and drop her off.”
What the hell was he talking about? Was he planning to kidnap Gracie again? He wouldn’t, but my discovery made me realize anything was possible with Malcolm. He was a madman, a criminal, possibly dealing in human trafficking, and God knows what else.
Malcolm was bent over the kitchen counter, constantly running his hands through his hair. He turned around when he heard me approaching and smiled.
I hated his smile.
I hated everything about him.
The Malcolm I’d fallen in love with was a lie.
“I’ve got to go,” he said, slowly placing his cell phone down.
“Who were you talking to?” I couldn’t help but sound accusatory.
“My father. He wanted to know whether I’d be dropping Gracie off tomorrow. It’s his engagement party, remember, and I’m out of town.”
“Club business?” I sneered.
“Why does it have to be a constant argument? You knew it would get busy at some point,” he said, pouring a glass of water from the filter jug on the counter. “What is it, Lissy? You look upset.”
I looked at my husband and wondered how he managed to live with himself. How did he manage to keep up the pretense of being a family man, a respectable, upstanding man in society when he was none of that? We were far from that. In fact, I don’t know how I managed to stay with him after the stunt he pulled. I should have left him right there and then, but I hadn’t.
I was the type of woman who wanted to plan everything down to the last detail. That changed the moment I saw the footage. I lived with a monster and would be damned if I let him or anyone else hurt my daughter. I wish I could unsee those images and go back to when he was just an opportunistic asshole who did anything for money.
