many times had students at my high school said that about me? Oh, they whispered it behind my back, but I heard them. I always knew.
“What seemed off about her?” I asked, not sure if I truly wanted to know.
“In some ways, she tried too hard to please George and me. I was actually gone for a while…”
Right. She’d been in a facility herself for a while. I wouldn’t bring that up, though. I didn’t want to break Brad’s confidence.
“Anyway,” Mazie continued, “she seemed almost obsessed with Brad sometimes. She hung on him all the time. I’m pretty sure they were having sex in high school.”
I knew this, but still, I hated hearing it, since the only person I’d ever had sex with was Brad, and he’d clearly had sex with many.
“Lots of people have sex in high school,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant about the whole thing.
“But you didn’t.”
“No, I didn’t.”
How did she know?
“Brad told me,” she said in answer to my silent question. “I hope that’s okay.”
“I have nothing to hide.”
Wow. What a big damned lie. I had a lot to hide. What would Mazie think if she knew about my junior year?
She’d been through something similar, so she probably wouldn’t judge me. Still, though, was I what a mother wanted for her son? An eighteen-year-old girl who’d been hospitalized and who didn’t remember much of it?
“I think it’s wonderful that you waited, Daphne. I waited as well. George was my first.”
“Oh?”
“He was. Of course back then it was much more common to wait. Now, it seems everyone’s in such a hurry.”
“Brad and I didn’t wait very long,” I said.
“True. But he says you’re special, and he’s right. I knew as soon as I met you.”
My cheeks warmed. “Thank you.”
“I know neither of you planned this baby, but I couldn’t be happier. To have a child around again will be so good for me. For George too.” She sighed. “We always wanted a houseful of kids. But it wasn’t to be.”
“I know. I’m sorry about that.”
“Maybe you and Brad will give us a houseful of grandkids.”
I stroked my belly. Had she forgotten I was only eighteen? “One, at least. We’re both so young.”
“Oh, take all the time you want and need. We’ll have one to dote on in the meantime.”
She was sweet, and she would have been a wonderful mother to a gaggle of kids. My heart hurt for her. She was going to be a wonderful grandma.
And I had to hand it to her. She’d effectively steered the conversation away from Wendy.
But I wasn’t done yet. I opened my mouth to say as much, when the phone rang.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Brad
“Dad!” I stood, my heart a mass of movement in my chest. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Sit down, Brad.”
I dropped back into my chair. What else could I do? I wasn’t going to try to take the gun away from him. We both knew how to handle weapons, but accidents could happen. I was going to be a father. I couldn’t take the chance.
Dr. Pelletier’s face went white, and he gripped the edge of his desk. “Mr. Steel, please. Put that down before someone gets hurt. You and I both know—”
“Save it,” my father said. “I know how to use this and can have a bullet inside your brain before you take your next breath. Tell him, son.”
“Leave me out of this.”
“Tell him!”
“He’s right. My dad’s a crack shot.” How well I knew. He’d taught me everything I knew, and I was as good as he was now. I’d proved it at the range.
Again, I reiterated my promise to myself never to teach another person how to shoot a gun. No way. I would not be party to any of this.
“No one’s here at your office this evening. I don’t even need a silencer.”
“Mr. Steel…”
“You’re going to make arrangements to keep Wendy Madigan so doped up that her brain can barely function. You got it? I don’t want to hear that she finagled her way out of that place. She’s a danger to my family, and I won’t allow it.”
“Mr. Steel—”
“If you don’t do it, I will put a bullet in your head. Not tonight, of course. But soon. I’ll put a bullet in yours and Wendy’s both.”
“You won’t get away with it.”
“Doctor, I assure you I’ve gotten away with worse.”
My heart dropped to my stomach.
He’d gotten away with worse?
“I tried to do this the nice way,” my father said, “with money. Now that offer’s off the