Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Eleven days, four hours, and thirty-two seconds, that’s how long Ricky had been gone. But Addison wasn’t counting. Nope. Not at all.
But she had to admit that while it was extremely tough right after he’d left—she’d felt overwhelmed and underprepared to run the household by herself—it eventually got easier.
Except the nights. Those weren’t easier. They were excruciating. She missed Ricky the most when she lay down in their bed alone. She didn’t have much time to think during the day. She was busy with her job, chauffeuring the kids around, cooking meals, hanging out with Remi, Wren, Josie, and Maggie, not to mention deepening her friendships with Caroline, Jessyka, Cheyenne and the other SEAL wives.
She was surrounded with all the help she could ask for and couldn’t be more thankful for her support network. Marrying Ricky had given her not only the man of her dreams, and three children who had quickly become the lights of her life, but a whole group of men and women who were now her rocks.
The only blight was her ex. Brady was still texting Ellory…which would’ve been fine, except it felt as if he was almost stalking her daughter. He wouldn’t leave her alone, sent her messages all day and into the evening. Ellory had started leaving her phone out on the kitchen counter at night to keep it from vibrating on her nightstand with every text, waking her up.
Addison had asked Brady more than once to tone it down, but he’d ignored her, wanting to know what Ellory was doing almost every moment of the day. At first, Ellory was flattered. Had loved being the center of her dad’s attention. But it quickly began to annoy her, and as a result, she’d put off meeting with him again.
But Brady was relentless. So eventually, she’d given in and agreed to a meet up—with Addison’s approval of course. This time, Remi, along with Ricky’s former SEAL friend Dude, were going with them to meet with Brady. Artem, Borysko, and Yana were also going, at Ellory’s insistence. She wanted her dad to meet her brothers and sister, in the hopes they’d all become one big happy family. Addison had her doubts, but since they were meeting at the playground at Yana’s elementary school, a nice public place where the younger kids would be entertained, it seemed harmless enough.
“Remi is going to meet us there, right?” Ellory asked when they were on their way.
“Yup. And Ricky’s friend Dude will be there too.”
“He’s kinda scary.”
“What? Dude isn’t scary,” Addison protested.
“Mom, he’s big and muscular, with dark hair, dark eyes, and he’s always…watching.”
“True. But Ricky and the rest of the guys on his team are also big and muscular. As for watching, they’ve all learned to be extremely cautious because of their job. Besides, you’ve seen him with Taylor. He’s a big marshmallow.”
“Yeah, okay. He kind of is,” Ellory agreed.
“Besides, you can’t judge people on their looks. The nicest-looking person, the most good-looking, could be a bad guy, and the scariest could be an angel in disguise.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. I’m glad you’re cautious. But you know that Ricky wouldn’t have suggested we invite Dude if he didn’t trust him one hundred percent.”
Addison had sent Ricky an email a few days ago. She was aware that it was unlikely he’d be able to respond, or even get the correspondence, but she’d really needed his advice about Brady. She’d asked Remi and the other women, but Ricky was the one she trusted fully since he’d already met her ex.
To her surprise, he’d responded. It was a short message, but he’d urged her to call Dude and see if he could go with them when they met with Brady. So she’d done just that and, to her relief, Dude was more than happy to meet them at the school.
“Borysko, it’s your turn to keep an eye on your sister,” Addison said, glancing into the backseat where the kids were sitting.
The boy frowned and tilted his head. “My eye? I do not understand.”
“Sorry. Watch her. Make sure she’s safe. That she keeps out of trouble.”
“Yana good girl. She safe with us.” Borysko sounded offended.
“Right, of course she is.” Sometimes Addison forgot that these kids had lived a life that most children couldn’t even comprehend. They’d been on their own in the middle of a war-torn country, having to scrounge for sustenance and stay hidden from soldiers and others who would do harm to a trio of young kids without a second thought.
“Artem? Are you all right? You’ve been quiet,” Addison said as she pulled into the parking lot of the school.
“Is Ellory going to leave?”
“What? Where would she go?”
“Live with father.”
“No. Definitely not. She’s simply getting to know him. Remember how I explained she hadn’t seen her father since she was a baby? Now that he’s back, it’s a chance for them both to get to know each other. She isn’t leaving our house.”
“Promise?” Artem asked.
It was Ellory who answered. “I’m not going anywhere,” she told the little boy. “I don’t want to live anywhere else except with my mom, Ricky, and you guys. Sorry, little man. You don’t get my room.” She smiled as she said that last part, teasing her brother.
“Okay,” Artem said.
“Okay,” Ellory echoed.
“I don’t see Brady here yet, but I think it’s fine if you guys all went and played. When you see him arrive, please come over and meet him though. All right?”
“Okay, Addy,” Artem said politely.
“Swing!” Yana yelled, the sound echoing in the confines of the car.
Borysko took his sister by the hand and helped her out of the car, then he raced her toward the swing set. Artem followed behind at a slower pace. Addison watched as he looked all around, as if scoping out the area. It was obvious his past was sticking with him a little longer than it had his siblings.
Ellory’s phone vibrated with a text, and she looked down at the screen. “Dad,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “He says he’s running late.”
Addison held back her snarky comment.
Two cars pulled into the parking lot, and Addison saw Remi behind the wheel of one and Dude in the other.
When the retired SEAL got out of his car, Addison couldn’t help but take a deep breath. Ellory was right. Dude was a little scary. He had some dark vibes. She wasn’t scared of him, per se, but she was definitely glad he was on her side.
“Hi!” Remi said, immediately hugging both Addison and Ellory. “Are you nervous?” she asked the preteen.
Ellory shrugged. “No.”
“Right, you’ve already met Brady and hung out with him. This’ll be fun, I think. There are some benches over there, we could go sit?”
Addison nodded, but before she could walk in the direction of the seats, Dude caught her arm and said, “A word?”
“We’ll just go on over there and hang out,” Remi said cheerily.
Addison felt a little abandoned when both Remi and her daughter left her with the SEAL, but Dude dropped her arm and even took a step backward, giving her space. “I don’t mean to frighten you,” he said softly.
“You don’t.”
One of his brows lifted.
“Okay, you make me a little nervous. But that’s not the same thing.”
“You have nothing to fear from me.”
“I know.”
“I respect and admire MacGyver. We could’ve used someone like him on our team. Someone who can figure a way out of any situation. Your husband is a fucking—er…freaking genius. Smart as hell. His mind works in a way that few do. I just wanted to thank you for asking me to come with you today.”
His praise of Ricky felt good, even if it wasn’t her he was complimenting. Ricky was smarter than anyone she’d ever met. She loved that he spent time with Ellory in his garage, teaching her, tinkering with his electronics and other tools. And she loved even more that Ellory seemed to enjoy it just as much as he did. Artem and Borysko seemed more interested in toys and reading, and of course TV, more than using their hands. They might grow out of that, but in the meantime, she was happy that her daughter and husband were bonding.
“I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to come with us,” Addison countered.
Dude nodded. “Anything you want me to know about Vogel…other than what MacGyver already told me?”
“Uh…I don’t know what he said,” Addison replied carefully.
“He doesn’t like him,” he said bluntly.
“Yeah, they didn’t exactly hit it off.”
“I think it’s very magnanimous of you to agree to let your ex see his daughter. He certainly didn’t earn that right over the last twelve years.”
He hadn’t. Dude wasn’t wrong. “I feel as if it should be her choice if she wants a relationship with him. It’s true that he disappeared without a word and never tried to get a hold of me, or her, but maybe he’s changed. And I’d feel like the worst mom in the world if I didn’t at least give them both a chance.”
“I agree that a second chance is a good thing, but don’t let your guilt put blinders over your eyes.”
Addison frowned at the man. “What does that mean?” she asked, feeling a little defensive.
“Just that no matter how much you think a father and daughter should have a relationship, sometimes the best thing is to walk away.”
He seemed to be talking in riddles, and it annoyed Addison. “Right.”
Dude sighed. “I’m not saying this very well. Just trust your instincts. If they tell you that something is off, it probably is. Maybe Vogel actually had good reasons for staying away from his daughter for the first twelve years of her life. But why come back now? Why does he want to be in her life now when he didn’t before?”
“I don’t know,” Addison said softly.
They heard a vehicle enter the lot, going a little too fast for the turn.
“He’s here,” she said unnecessarily.
Dude stepped toward her, took her arm again and backed her up a dozen or so steps, so they weren’t standing in the middle of the parking lot.
Glancing pointedly at her arm, Addison said wryly, “You’re very protective.”
“You have no idea,” he said, before giving a chin lift to the man walking toward them.
Brady looked good that morning. He had on a pair of jeans, a polo shirt, and his hair looked as if it actually had some sort of product taming it. As he got closer, Addison could also smell whatever cologne he was wearing. The difference between him and Dude couldn’t be more obvious. Both men wore jeans, but Dude’s T-shirt and black combat boots, messy hair, and smell of fresh soap seemed more…real…natural. Manly.
“Hey, Addison,” Brady said as he approached. “Who’s the dude?”
Addison couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Actually, his name is Dude. He’s a friend of my husband’s.”
“Dude? Really? That’s your name?”
“Yes,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and staring stonily at Brady.
Addison was saved from the awkward moment by Artem, Borysko, and Yana running toward them.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were bringing all the kids,” Brady said. She knew Ellory had told him about her brothers and sister in some of the texts they’d exchanged. “Do they speak English?” he asked, right before the kids reached them.
His ignorant question irritated Addison. “Of course they do. They’re still learning, but they’ve come an amazingly long way since arriving in the US. Artem, Borysko, Yana, this is Brady, Ellory’s biological father.”
She’d explained to the kids what biological meant, but for some reason felt the need to keep tacking that on when she talked to anyone about Brady.
“Hello,” Brady said in an obnoxiously loud voice. “How. Are. You? I’ve. Heard. A. Lot. About. You.”
Addison stared at her ex. “Why are you talking like that? They’re right here, they can hear you just fine. And you don’t have to speak so slow either. They understand you.”
“Oh. Right.”
Artem took a step toward Brady and held out his hand. “I am Artem. Brother of Ellory, Yana, and Borysko. It is nice to meet you.”
Brady looked down at Artem’s hand. It was dirty and a little orange from the rust on the monkey bars, where he’d been playing. Instead of taking his hand, Brady simply nodded. “Hi,” he said.
Artem stood there for a moment, clearly a little confused, only dropping his arm when Dude put a hand on his little shoulder and gently pulled him backward.
“I am Borysko.”
“My name Yana.”
Addison couldn’t help but smile. The kids were on their best behavior, and they were so cute, formally introducing themselves as politely as they’d been taught.
“Right.” Brady turned his head to look for Ellory. She and Remi were still sitting on the bench near the building. They were watching them but hadn’t made a move to come over yet.
Just then, Yana said something to her brothers in Ukrainian. Artem answered her in the same language.
“I thought you said they spoke English,” Brady said with a frown.
For the thousandth time, Addison wondered what she ever saw in her ex all those years ago. He was being such an ass…and that was probably what Artem was telling his sister. “They do,” she said flatly.
“That’s not English,” he returned.
Addison rolled her eyes. When she realized what she’d done, she had the momentary thought that she’d obviously been spending a lot of time with her daughter, because the eye roll thing had rubbed off on her.
“Obviously,” she told him, then turned to the kids. “Go on and play, you guys. We’ll all just be over there by the benches.”
Borysko immediately took Yana’s hand and led her away from them, back toward the swings. Artem glanced from her to Brady, then to Dude. He nodded at the large former SEAL, then followed his siblings back toward the playground.
Brady looked at his watch and said, “I don’t have a lot of time. I got called into work unexpectedly. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go talk to my daughter now.”
Addison wished she was surprised that he wouldn’t be able to stay long, but he used to do that with her too. Meet her for a date, then bug out early for one reason or another. She had no reason to think he was lying back then, or now, but her instincts were screaming that he wasn’t being truthful. He looked awfully dressed up for someone who had to go to their janitorial job.
When Brady started walking toward Ellory and Remi, Addison and Dude followed.
He turned and stared at them with irritation. “Where are you going?”
“With you to meet with Ellory,” Addison said.
“Come on, Addison. I want to talk to her without you hovering. She’s not a kid.”
“Wrong. She is still a kid. She’s my kid. And honestly, you’re still a stranger to her. So it’s either have me ‘hovering’ nearby, as you call it, or you can turn around and get right back in your car and leave.”
“And your bodyguard, does he have to be here too?”
“Yes,” she said firmly.
“Fine. Whatever,” Brady muttered.
By the time they reached the bench, Ellory and Remi had stood.
“Hi! I’m Remi,” her friend said. She didn’t offer her hand, just smiled at Brady with a friendly grin.
“Brady. Hi, Ellory.”
“Hi.”
There was an awkward silence as the five of them stood there. Then Addison suggested, “Why don’t you two have a seat and chat and we’ll just wait over here.”
“At least that’s something,” Brady muttered as he stepped over to the bench.
He and Ellory sat, her daughter looking nervous and unsure as she scuffed her feet in the dirt.
“He’s not what I expected,” Remi said softly as they gave father and daughter a bit of privacy. Not so much that Addison couldn’t hear what they were saying if she concentrated, but enough that Brady might relax a little.
“He’s…” Addison struggled to come up with a good adjective.
“An asshole,” Dude muttered.
Remi giggled. Addison struggled to keep the smile off her face.
“He’s really not. Okay, sometimes he is. But he’s trying. I have to give him points for that.”
“No, you don’t,” Dude countered.
Addison was starting to feel stressed. And Ricky’s friend wasn’t really helping. Although he was probably being more diplomatic than Ricky would be. Her husband definitely didn’t like Brady, and if he’d heard the way the man had spoken to Artem, Borysko, and Yana—as if they were all deaf and stupid—it would’ve rubbed him the wrong way too.
Addison did her best to keep one ear on the conversation between her daughter and Brady while paying attention to the other kids on the playground. She was watching Yana on the swing when she went to stand up and tripped over her feet, falling to the ground. She immediately let out a screech and began to cry.
“I’ve got her,” Dude said, immediately jogging toward her.
“He has a soft spot for girls,” Remi said. Then she whispered, “And I heard through the grapevine that he’s a dominant.”
“A what?” Addison asked.
“A Dom. As in, dominant and submissive? I bet that man is lethal in bed.”
“Remi!” Addison scolded. “You’re with Kevlar.”
“I am. But that doesn’t mean I can’t look. And I can’t help where my mind goes. When Vincent gets all bossy with me in bed, it’s hot. That man being bossy in bed? I think I’d pee myself with fright…or pass out from lust.”
Addison couldn’t help but chuckle at that. And Remi wasn’t wrong. Dude had a certain dangerous air about him. Even Ellory had picked up on it. It wasn’t a stretch to believe that he was into the dominant aspects of BDSM. His wife, Cheyenne, was clearly a lucky woman.
They watched as Dude picked up Yana, then sat right there in the dirt and cuddled her. He kissed her little hand and brushed dirt off her knees. Addison glanced over at Brady, whose lip was curled in derision as he watched the same scene.
Both men were fathers, but one was obviously head and shoulders above the other.
She thought about what Dude had said and wondered why Brady was here. What his end goal could be. She wasn’t sure he wanted to be a father, not a real one. So why was he going through the motions with Ellory?
She suddenly realized her daughter looked uncomfortable as she sat next to Brady. She wouldn’t look at him and her body was twisted slightly away. Addison wondered what she’d missed. What had her ex said to their daughter while Addison and Remi were talking?
“Everything all right?” she asked, stepping closer to the duo on the bench.
“Of course, why wouldn’t it be?” Brady asked gruffly.
“Ellory?” Addison asked, not caring what Brady said, needing reassurance from her daughter that she was okay.
“We’re good,” she said softly.
“We were just talking about her thing. You know, her disease. I did some research. Wanted to know what she could and couldn’t eat, and what happened if she ate something like a fast-food burger.”
Addison winced. First, fast food was horrible for Ellory. All the fat and grease didn’t do her insides any favors. But secondly, the last thing her daughter would want to talk about was her Crohn’s. It was hard enough that she had to deal with diarrhea, gas, enemas, and everything else that came with the disease. Talking about all of it with someone else she didn’t know well? No, not high on Ellory’s list of what she wanted to do.
“Ellory, why don’t you tell your dad about the play you’re involved in.”
“You’re acting? That’s awesome!”
“No, I’m the lighting director. I’m responsible for managing all the lights for the play.”
“Oh,” Brady said, his disappointment easy to hear.
Addison’s hands fisted. Ellory had worked hard all semester to learn how to run the lighting board, and she’d been so proud of herself. As she watched her daughter’s shoulders slump, Addison’s anger at her ex grew.
“Got any dances coming up?” Brady asked. “They were the highlight of my school years. You’re too young for prom, but maybe some other formal thing where you can dress up? You could wear heels. That would give you a few more inches.”
“She’s only in seventh grade,” Addison reminded him.
“So? I remember going to a few dances in middle school.”
“I’m not interested in those,” Ellory said.
“Right. Well, I need to get going,” Brady said as he fake-looked at his wristwatch. “It was nice seeing you, Ellory. Maybe we can do this again soon without the watchdogs.” Then he stood and headed for his car without a backward glance.
“Nice,” Remi muttered.
But Addison’s attention was on her daughter. Ellory hadn’t even looked up when her father walked away.
“I’ll just go see how Yana is,” Remi offered, backing up and letting mother and daughter have a few moments alone.
Addison didn’t say anything, just sat next to Ellory, letting her take the lead. If she wanted to talk, Addison would listen.
“That was…awkward,” Ellory said after a minute.
Addison couldn’t help it. She laughed. “Yeah.”
“What did you ever see in him?”
Again, Addison found herself smiling. “I was young, sweetie. So was he. And I’d like to think he wasn’t so…clueless back then.” She leaned sideways and bumped shoulders with her daughter. “Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“Love you too. Remember when I told Ricky that I was the lighting director for the show? He thought it was so cool. He brought me home a cake to celebrate. Even though I’d already been the director for a couple of months, he didn’t know about it. He still wanted to do something to show me how proud he was.”
“Yeah. That cake was horrible. He told me later that he didn’t want to bother me by asking me to make something, that he wanted it to be something he took care of himself…to show you how important you were to him.”
Ellory laughed. “Right? I only had one bite…because, well, you know. And yeah, yours are so much better. But it was the fact that he made a big deal out of something that was important to me. Brady…he just sounded disappointed.”
She wasn’t wrong. Addison let out a little hum. “Ricky has been trying really hard to be a positive male role model for you. Even if he makes mistakes—like bringing you a dessert you really shouldn’t eat, when your mom already makes the best cakes in a hundred-mile radius. But his heart is in the right place, and it’s sweet that he’s always trying. I think you’re right…Brady isn’t really trying all that hard to truly understand you. To get to know you and what you like and don’t like.”
“Mom?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“When is Ricky coming home? I miss him.”
“Me too. And I don’t know. Remember, he told us before he left that he never knows how long he’ll be on a mission. Sometimes they last months, and other times they’re faster, only a couple of weeks.”
“Well…I’m not sure I want to see Brady again. At least not anytime soon.”
It didn’t escape Addison’s notice that Ellory was now calling him “Brady” instead of dad. “That’s totally your choice, hon.”
She nodded. “He doesn’t make me feel very good about myself. But being around Ricky…he gets me. I like him a lot. I wasn’t so sure about you getting married at first, but now I can’t imagine him not being around. He listens to me. Lets me mess with his stuff in the garage with him. Doesn’t push me to eat or tell me it’s gross when my intestines do their thing. He’s…nice.”
Addison’s heart swelled. Yeah, Ricky was nice. She kissed Ellory’s temple. “You feel up to playing with the kids?”
“Yeah. You know when I said Dude was kind of scary?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I take it back. He’s not. I mean, he kinda still looks that way, but seeing him with Yana, and how he took your arm and made you step back when Brady drove into the parking lot like a bat out of hell? Protective isn’t scary. It’s comforting.”
“Yeah, honey. It is. But I feel as if I have to say this…there’s protective, then there’s overbearing, psycho, stalker protective.”
Ellory laughed. “I know. I’ve seen some of those crime shows you like to watch. It’s okay for a boyfriend, or a girlfriend for that matter, to want to know where you are and if you’re all right. It’s another thing to call or text forty times, wanting to know when you’ll be home. Or isolating you from friends and family, or making you feel like crap for wanting to hang out with them.”
“Right. As long as you know the difference.”
Ellory turned to look at her mom. “The way Ricky watches over the kids is protective. How his eyes watch you when you’re baking in the kitchen, as if he can’t believe you’re there and he’s counting all the ways he lucked out, is protective. How Dude immediately ran toward Yana when she fell, even though it was obvious she wasn’t really hurt, just startled…that’s protective. I know the difference.”
Addison did her best not to cry. Her daughter really was growing up, and she both loved and hated it. Time went too fast. The next thing she knew, she’d blink and Ellory would be moving out, going to college. She wasn’t ready.
“Jeez. Don’t cry, Mom,” Ellory said with a familiar roll of her eyes. “I’ll go tire out the kids while you and Remi sit here and gossip.”
“Sounds good. I’m ready to go when you guys are. Just let me know.”
“I will.” Ellory stood and headed for the playground. Then she turned and said softly, “You know? Sometimes what you don’t have seems like the biggest prize. Something you want more than anything in the world. But then when you get it, you look around and realize you already had everything you’ve ever wanted.”
As Ellory jogged over to where the younger kids and Dude were playing, Addison’s vision blurred once again.
“You okay?” Remi asked, materializing as if out of nowhere.
“Yeah, I’m good,” Addison said, wiping her eyes. “I just realized that my daughter is way smarter than I was at her age. Hell, than I was at twenty-one.”
“She’s a good kid. You’ve done an amazing job raising her.”
That compliment meant more to Addison than she could put into words. All the sleepless nights, all the tears, the worries when the doctors were trying to figure out what was wrong with her medically, the trials and tribulations of navigating school and friends…knowing she’d done something right meant the world to her.
“Come on, you look like you need to swing. Or maybe go down that slide.”
“Remember those old-timey merry-go-rounds they used to have in the seventies and eighties where kids would go flinging off them when it got going really fast?”
“Yeah?”
“We need one of those.”
Remi laughed. “But we don’t need the broken bones that come with them. We’ll have to be satisfied with third-degree burns on our legs and hands from the million-degree metal slide.”
“Except this one’s plastic,” Addison said with a grin.
“Darn it. That takes away all the fun.”
“Thanks for coming today,” Addison told her.
“Of course. That’s what friends are for.”
Addison knew she probably shouldn’t ask what she was thinking, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Do you have any idea when they’ll be back?”
She didn’t have to explain who “they” were. Remi knew. “No. But I’m hoping it’s soon.”
“Me too,” she said quietly.
“It’s crazy how much we miss them, isn’t it? I mean, when they’re home they can drive us crazy, but the second they aren’t here, we’d do anything to get the crazy back.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll see if I can get Dude alone and ask him if he knows anything. Sometimes the other SEALs know stuff family isn’t supposed to. Maybe he’ll throw me a bone and let something slip.”
“That man? Let something slip? You’re dreaming.”
“Wow. I could go so many X-rated places with that, but I won’t. Because that would be wrong to lust over someone else’s man,” Remi said with a huge smile.
Addison barked out a laugh, then sobered. “Anything he could tell us would be a huge relief.”
An hour later, the kids were tired and hungry and ready to head home. As it turned out, Dude hadn’t known anything about the mission Ricky and the others were on, but he promised to see what he could find out. Which made Addison feel a teensy bit better.
That evening, after the kids all went to bed, Addison was sitting in the living room, feeling a little sorry for herself. She was lonely. Which always surprised her a little, because she’d spent plenty of nights sitting by herself watching TV. But that was before Ricky had come into her life. Before she’d said yes to a marriage of convenience that had somehow turned into the marriage she’d always wanted.
Ellory’s phone vibrated for what seemed like the tenth time since she’d gone to bed. Picking up the cell, Addison saw it was Brady texting… again . Ellory had tried to be nice earlier, telling him she wasn’t sure when they could get together again, since she was really busy with school. But Brady clearly hadn’t gotten the hint. Or he’d simply chosen to ignore it. Now, Addison was officially done.
Ellory : This is Addison. You need to stop. Ellory is in bed.
Brady : Already? She’s not a baby.
Ellory : Yes, already. And if you keep hounding her, you’ll just push her away. Give her some space, Brady.
Brady : You’re just trying to keep me from my daughter, and I won’t have it.
Ellory : I’m not trying to keep you from her. I know her better than you do, and I’m telling you that you’re smothering her. You need to cut back on the texts and calls and begging to see her.
Brady : That’s what you want, isn’t it? To keep me at arm’s length.
Addison sighed and let her head drop to the cushion behind her. Brady was being an idiot. She was trying to help him, yet he was doubling down on playing the victim. And she was definitely tired of him texting at all hours and acting like a twelve-year-old shouldn’t have a bedtime schedule. Their daughter was mature for her age, but she was still a kid.
Ellory : I told you, don’t text this late again. Do not force this issue. If you do, I’ll take you to court, and who do you think the judge will side with? Me. You haven’t paid me a cent in child support and you haven’t been any kind of father to her at all in her entire life. I will do whatever it takes to protect Ellory from anyone or anything that might do her harm, including her own biological father. Don’t mess with me, Brady. I’m serious.
Brady : Don’t fuck with ME, Addison. You don’t want to know how far I’ll go to see my kid.
Unease ran up her spine. She had no idea why Brady was being so insistent, but she was done trying to reason with him. She also wanted to leave the texts on the phone so Ellory could see them, but she wouldn’t stoop to her ex’s level. Besides, Ellory was a smart kid. She was already seeing her father for who he really was.
She deleted the texts and put the phone on Do Not Disturb. She could really use Ricky’s levelheaded advice right about now. Although he was anything but calm when it came to Brady. Even bringing up his name could make the little furrow in his brow deepen.
For a moment, Addison wished she’d never run into her ex. He was a complication she didn’t need or want. Her life was stressful enough as it was. Dealing with Brady—who it seemed more and more obvious had some sort of mystery agenda—wasn’t something she wanted to even think about anymore. But she didn’t have a choice. She’d have to ride this out until Brady got tired of playing the role of doting father and the real reason he was so insistent on getting to know his daughter came to light.
“Wherever you are, I hope you’re all right, Ricky,” Addison whispered into the quiet evening. “Come home soon. I miss you.”
* * *
Brady slammed his phone down. His plan to get closer to his daughter wasn’t going the way he’d expected. He’d had every intention of quickly sweet-talking the girl into liking him, then encouraging Ellory to ask her mother to spend time with him by herself. The moment that happened, he’d immediately take her to his contact, get his cut of the money, while she was shipped off to a dealer overseas. It was handy that Riverton was on the coast; his contact had perfected the art of quickly shipping bodies to various contacts in Asia. Of course, most bodies were already deceased. Having a live donor? That was better in every way, because the organs would stay fresh.
And Brady had already decided the con didn’t have to stop there. He’d get his share of the money for bringing in Ellory…but he could also turn around and demand a ransom for the girl from Addison. She’d pay whatever was asked of her, Brady had no doubt. He’d hire someone to leave a note at their house or make a phone call, asking for ransom, complete with instructions on how and when to pay, all while he played the worried father.
He’d get double the money!
But first, he had to get Ellory to answer his goddamn texts.
The girl was weird. Sickly and pale and just fucking odd . It was embarrassing. And he had nothing in common with her; she didn’t take after him in any way. He didn’t even like talking to her. And the feeling was clearly mutual. It was obvious he’d have to come up with a new plan. One that still ensured he could get Ellory alone.
He didn’t know how, but he’d figure it out. The amount of money she’d bring in was too great to just give up. No, he was in this now, he had to see it through. Especially after his associate had mentioned trying to cut out the middleman, since they were dealing with a rare live body. Instead of selling to one of his contacts, he was working on finding a buyer for her organs himself…which meant an even bigger payday. Brady couldn’t back out now.
His daughter was a means to an end, and he would win. He always did.