Chapter 2 #2
“Get to the point, Daniel,” I snap, not wanting to hear an ounce of his so-called sorrow about his actions.
“Apparently, the real reason my dad told me to claim your virginity was to keep you as ours, because Banes wanted you for himself. Something about your purity as a vessel and bloodlines or some shit like that.” He shrugs again, like this is all so normal when it’s anything but.
“My dad thought if I fucked you first, you wouldn’t be pure enough for Banes anymore, and my family would still benefit.
We’d rise in the ranks, and Banes would back off. That was the plan.”
His voice breaks as a sob escapes him, and he slaps a shaky hand over his mouth as he struggles to hold himself together.
Once upon a time, I would have felt sorry for him. Now I just want to find the bottleneck Ringo took from me before and put it to good use.
Luckily for him, he starts talking again.
“When your mum sprung us… you know… having sex, and all the craziness that followed, I felt trapped and wasn’t strong enough to go against my old man or the church.
” He shrugs again, his bloodshot eyes locking with mine.
“So I took it out on you. Treating you like shit. Hurting you.” He gulps. “Raping you.”
Ringo growls again, shifting to push me aside, his eyes trained on Daniel, ready to pounce, but I spin and put myself between them, pressing my hand to Ringo’s chest.
“Cam. Not yet. I need to know everything.”
Nostrils flaring, Ringo grits his teeth, finally dragging his murderous glare from Daniel to me, his gaze instantly softening.
“He needs to die.”
“And he will.” I nod slowly. “When I’m through with him, I will kill him. Don’t forget he’s mine to kill.”
Ringo’s jaw ticks, but he nods regardless, his hand coming up to cup my cheek.
“I’m sorry, Angel. I…” He trails off, not able to finish, and I step into him, weaving my arms around his waist.
“I know,” I whisper, understanding this is hard for him to hear too.
We hold each other for a moment, and then I step back, linking my fingers with his as I turn to face Daniel.
“So you hurt me because you were angry? Been there, done that, Daniel. Now tell me something I don’t know.”
Daniel gulps and gives a shaky nod.
“At the chapel… before my old man told me the truth, I honestly thought I was being forced to marry you because I knocked you up. Fuck, I was so dumb,” Daniel huffs, raking a hand down his face.
This side of him I haven’t seen since we first started dating. The guy who actually has feelings. That seems to give a shit about someone other than himself.
What a pity I know who he really is.
“Then Dad told me everything. Told me what the church really worships. Their twisted beliefs. Why they are obsessed with bloodlines… that you were actually my… cousin.”
Daniel shakes his head hard, like he’s trying to fling that sick fact from his skull.
“I felt so sick. Still do.” His eyes flick up to mine. “It’s been eating me alive, Abbey. I’ve hated myself ever since.” A sob lurches past his lips. “I swear to you, I really didn’t know. I would never have gone along with any of it if I had known you were my cousin.”
My stomach churns, and I can tell Daniel truly means what he’s saying, but the damage is done. Apologies won’t put me back together again.
Some things are irreparable.
“Is that why you were weird with me those days leading up to what was meant to be our wedding in that chapel?” My glare turns savage as I curl my lips in a sneer. “Is that why you wouldn’t rape me, even though Donny and his uncle did?”
Daniel nods quickly. “I spent two days trying to figure a way out. My dad warned me not to tell Mum. Said she wouldn’t understand.
But I couldn’t keep it from her.” Anger twists his face as he stares at nothing in particular, his hands balling into fists at his sides.
“She had no idea what was happening right under her nose. Who her husband really was. So I told her the morning of the ceremony, and she begged me to leave with her. To run away and never look back.” Daniel shakes his head, his shoulders slumping as he speaks.
“I stayed because…” He gulps, tears springing to his eyes.
“Because… what if the baby was actually mine?”
My brows shoot up as my stomach rolls.
I hate this! I want to scream. I want to claw the guilt off his face and throw it back at him!
How dare he sound remorseful after everything he’s put me through!
Ugh! But deep down, the old me lingers, crying at me to forgive this piece of shit.
What a pity she’s too far gone to resurface.
What Daniel did to me… what all of those sick fucks did to me didn’t just change me. They rewired me. Hardened me. And now, forgiveness is the last thing any of them will get.
“I couldn’t leave you, Abbey. Not if the baby was mine.” He shrugs. “So I stayed and my mum ran.” He gulps, taking a moment as he struggles with emotions I don’t care for. “I figured if the baby was mine, I’d have more power to protect it.”
Daniel breaks then, tears bursting from his eyes as he shakes his head, pain-filled whimpers falling past his lips.
“I d-didn’t want to h-hurt you.” He cries, his voice pleading. “I chased you from that chapel thinking I could get you somewhere safe. Somewhere we could hide and figure out how to deal with Banes, my old man and your fucking psychotic mum.”
He swipes at his tears, but they keep falling as his face morphs into horror.
“I d-don’t know w-what came over m-me. Out in t-that forest… it was a split second of p-panic… y-you were right there within arm’s r-reach and I thought…” He gulps, his whole body trembling. “I thought w-what if… what if y-you and the b-baby died?”
His anger falls away then, his face softening, almost child-like as he obviously remembers that day out in the forest when he and Craig were chasing me.
“At least then you’d be free. You wouldn’t have to be wrapped up in this crazy bullshit. Your baby wouldn’t have to be dragged into it…” His eyes meet mine, and even though I already know what’s coming, it’s not any easier to hear. “So I pushed you.”
I have no control over the swing of my fist or the way it crashes into his cheek with a crack, or the way a lick of delight flashes through me at the way his head snaps to the side. But I do find the control to stop myself from doing it again, knowing I still need him alive.
For now.
He may not know where his mum is hiding with my daughter, but when we do find them, I’ll need Daniel as leverage. A bargaining chip, or bait, or whatever I need to get my little girl back.
“How did your mum get my baby?” I snap, curling my lip as I fight to keep in control, and I start pacing again to keep myself busy.
Daniel shifts uncomfortably, his eyes darting to Ringo and the other men positioned around him before coming back to me.
“She’s got a close friend who works in the maternity ward at the hospital. Somehow, she convinced her friend to help, and they dragged the doctor into it too. That’s all I know. I swear. You can check my phone if you don’t believe me.”
He hasn’t even finished talking when Vender rushes forward, patting down his pockets and locating his phone before holding it up to Daniel’s face to unlock it.
Passing it to me, Vender gives me a nod, and I offer him a thankful smile as I take the phone and open the message app.
I spot the message thread between him and his mum and open it, scrolling up through the minimal messages, my breath catching as I stop on a photo sent seven weeks ago.
There she is, Elizabeth smiling, and in her arms is a little baby.
My baby.
Everything comes rushing back.
Flashes of details I must have suppressed.
When I first held Bobbi in the forest, she was covered in mucus and blood, and my vision was blurry from my unrelenting tears. I never let myself compare that version of Bobbi with the little baby in the morgue… but now… oh my God!
The baby in the morgue had a flatter nose, while the one in the picture looks more like the little button nose I first saw while Bobbi lay on my chest.
The baby in the morgue had a pointier head, too. Almost cone shaped, and the one in the picture looks more in shape, just as I’m now remembering little Bobbi.
There’s no doubt in my mind that the baby Elizabeth is holding is my daughter.
But who did the baby in the morgue belong to?
Oh, God… is that why they insisted I not hold her? Did they know that holding her would feel wrong because that baby wasn’t actually mine?
“Call your mum.” I shove the phone towards Daniel, my hand trembling with the need to hold my daughter and let myself feel that this is real.
“I c-can’t.” He shakes his head. “She turned her phone off so she can’t be tracked. She only switches it on once a week to call and check in. The next call isn’t due for three more days.”
Gritting my teeth, I fight the urge to slam my fist into his face just for admitting that.
How dare his mum be so hard to contact!
Glancing at his phone, I tap on Elizabeth’s number, hitting call.
It goes straight to voicemail saying, ‘the number you are calling is currently switched off.’
Shit!
My shoulders sag as I hold out the phone to no one in particular, and Ringo’s fingers close around it, taking it off my hands.
“Do you know the name of the nurse your mum reached out to for help?” Ringo asks, and Daniel shakes his head.
“I’ve told you everything I know.”
“Do Banes or Allen know your mum has the baby?” Ringo asks, and Daniel shakes his head again.
“No. I promised Mum I wouldn’t tell anyone. Everyone else thinks the baby died.”
Sighing, Ringo looks at Vender. “Lock him up. Make sure he’s comfortable.”
Vender smirks. “Oh, I’ll make sure he’s real fucking comfortable.”
Feeling depleted, I can’t even muster a grin at how Vender will make sure Daniel is the complete opposite of comfortable.
“Abs.” Ringo steps into my line of sight as Vender drags Daniel away. “We need to get you cleaned up.”
I shake my head as my throat tightens, feeling like it might close up. “I have to find Bobbi.”
“I know, Angel,” Ringo sighs, “but unfortunately, it’s not going to be today. We need to regroup.” Ringo reaches up, cupping my face, and I can’t help but lean into his touch.
God, he feels like home.
“Daniel’s mum has her, and by the sound of it, she’s safe. For now, let’s take a couple of days to get our heads right, and I’ll have our team investigate. Bobbi will need you alert and strong when we go to get her.”
Staring up into Ringo’s concerned gaze, I nod, even though my next words are a contradiction.
“We rest tonight. But tomorrow, we go back to that fucking hospital and find that doctor. She’s going to give us answers.” I place my hand over Ringo’s and deadpan. “And then she dies.”