Forsaken Duty (Red Team #9)(52)

“My parents came and visited me.” A wave of anguish washed over Addy. “I thought…I thought my nightmare was over. But it wasn’t. Be a good wife, they said. Make Cecil happy so he has no need to punish you…” Her voice trailed off. The room was silent, except for the boys having dinner in the next room. “My nanny at the time was friends with Santo. They offered me a way out—or what I thought was one. I always thought of him as a lifeline…until today.”

The room was quiet after she finished talking. There was so much more to say, so much more to try to understand. So many of the pieces didn’t fit, but all of that would have to wait for their after-dinner meeting, since the kids’ meal was breaking up. They were clearing the table. When it was reset for the adults, Zavi brought his parents over to talk to her about the sleepover.

“Zavi would love it if Troy could stay with him tonight,” Mandy said. She pointed toward the far end of the house, opposite from Addy’s room. “You were in our wing earlier, just before we started our tour. We’ll have our door open at night. If he gets scared, he can come in. Or we can always bring him back to your room.”

“If you’re sure it won’t be an imposition—”

“Not at all,” Rocco said.

“Well, then,” Addy said. “I guess it’s okay with me, too.”

The boys shouted and ran upstairs. A young girl stopped in front of her—Casey. “I know moms worry. Mine sure does. But I’ll be with the boys until Uncle Rocco and Aunt Mandy are finished with the meeting. If you like, I can come get you when it’s time to kiss him goodnight.”

Addy nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Great.” Casey smiled and waved as she hurried after the boys. “See you later, Ms. Jacobs!”

Jacobs. How Addy hated that name suddenly, with all the privilege and horror it brought. She resolved to find a new name for herself and her boys.

The living room began to thin out as everyone moved into the dining room. Owen set his glass down on the bar. Instead of following the crowd, he caught her arm, turning her to face him. He pulled her close, then kissed her forehead. “I love you. I promise to never scare you again,” he said, but the smile he gave her was haunting.

Before she could respond, the moment passed. He led her into the dining room. There was an empty seat at the head of the table and one just to the right of it. Ivy, Casey’s mom, sat across from Addy. She owned the diner in town, Addy reminded herself. They hadn’t had a chance to chat yet, but the wife of Owen’s team lead looked nice. They exchanged smiles.



Addy didn’t offer much to any of the discussions at the long dinner table that night. Sometimes there was only one conversation going at a time that everyone participated in, other times, sections of the table—or even just couples—would break into separate conversations. The mood was upbeat. Several of the guys would glance toward Owen with a look of relief. How long had he been gone?

Addy surreptitiously studied everyone around the table. Seeing them together let her connect who was with whom. Strange how easy it was for her to remember details. She wondered if that was another part of healing after the extreme stress she’d been in during her marriage.

The surprising thing that caught her attention was how familial the group was with each other, teasing and laughing in friendly ways. It felt genuine. These people, whatever side of her fight they were on, didn’t fear each other. Geniality like this was hard to fake. She looked at Owen, and he met her eyes. If he wasn’t King, if he really was just Owen, what had his life been like during her hell?

Hopefully, she’d learn more in the meeting that was coming after. Dinner finished a little while later. Everyone picked up their plates and helped clear the table. She did the same, wanting to blend in.

“Can I help in here?” she asked. “Maybe put food away?”

Ivy smiled and shook her head. “We’ve got this. Russ and Jim do the cleanup, but we try to give a hand where we can. Owen, what time are we meeting?”

“In a half-hour or whenever everyone’s ready.”

Addy hadn’t realized he was right behind her.

“You have a minute?” he asked. “I want to take you to see Troy.”

“I was just going to go looking for him.”

Owen took her hand and led her into the hallway. It felt better than she liked to admit, having that connection to him. She should have pulled free, but she didn’t. They turned away from the living room stairs to a back flight like the one by her bedroom wing.

He let go of her hand as they went up the stairs. She could hear a TV on. The kids were laughing and arguing as they played a game. At the top of the steps, Owen smiled at her as they went into the sitting room that connected the three bedrooms in this wing.

Her son was sitting at a round table, playing a board game. Zavi was on his knees on the chair, leaning on his elbows to look over the game. Casey calmly reminded them of the game’s rules. She noticed them and waved. “Hi, Uncle Owen, Ms. Jacobs. Everything okay?”

“It is.” Addy walked over to them. She ran her hand over Troy’s head. “I think we’re about to have our meeting. You have everything you need for the night? Your toothbrush and pajamas?”

“Yep. We got everything. I brought some toys, too.” He pulled a chain from around his neck and showed Addy. It was a security necklace just like the one she’d been given. “Look, Mom, what they gave me. If you press this, it’s like a shout for help.”