The Bad Daughter(53)

Robin inched toward the bed. “Dad?”

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, her father’s eyes gravitated toward her. “Robin?”

Melanie pushed herself in front of Robin. “Dad, it’s me—Melanie.” She leaned in close, her lips brushing the side of his cheek. “Dad?”

“Melanie? No…” His eyes rolled back in his head and he began to shake.

“What’s happening?” Cassidy shouted as a series of loud beeps sounded and the room filled with medical personnel.

“Okay, everybody who doesn’t need to be here, leave now,” a male voice directed. “Mr. Davis…Mr. Davis…It’s Dr. Barber. Can you hear me?” He turned toward the others. “He’s seizing.”

“What did you say to him?” Cassidy asked Melanie, panic lacing her voice.

“Get everybody out now,” the doctor said.

“I’m not leaving,” Cassidy said.

“It’s just for a little while,” Blake said, gently taking hold of Cassidy’s shoulders. Immediately Robin was at her other side.

Together they led the sobbing child out of the room.





CHAPTER TWENTY


“Well, that was fun,” Melanie exclaimed as they left the hospital two hours later.

“You have a strange definition of fun,” Blake said, walking ahead of Robin and her sister through the parking lot, using his fob to unlock the car doors and open the windows.

Melanie shrugged. “Come on. You have to admit it was rather exciting there for a few minutes. Even though the outcome was something of a letdown.”

“Our father didn’t die,” Robin reminded her sister.

“Precisely my point. All that drama, then nothing. Back to where we started.”

“I can’t believe he’s still alive,” Robin said.

“Are you kidding?” Melanie said. “He’s not going anywhere. Not till you and I are dead. Then he can die happy.”

“That’s a terrible thing to say,” Robin said.

“Oh, please. You hated the man. And now, just because he suddenly remembers your existence and whispers your name, you’re going to go all biblical and forgive him his transgressions?”

“It’s trespasses, not transgressions, and I’m not forgiving anything.” Threads of anxiety began weaving through Robin’s insides. Now? I’m going to have a panic attack now? After everything that just went down?

Robin reached Blake’s car, the disparate threads of anxiety now uniting to wind their way around her throat, digging deep into her flesh like barbed wire and cutting off her air supply. She grabbed the door handle, clinging to it despite the heat of the steel that seared the palm of her hand, certain that if she let go, she would crumple to the ground. “What did you say to him?” she managed to spit out.

“What do you mean—what did I say to him?” Melanie asked. “When?”

“You whispered something.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Robin pictured Melanie leaning over their father, her lips moving toward his ear.

“I didn’t get the chance to say anything,” Melanie insisted.

Robin pulled open the car door and climbed into the front seat as Blake got behind the wheel and started the engine. A noisy blast of air shot toward her head, scattering the threads of panic still clinging to her neck, although it did little to break through the oppressive heat surrounding her.

Melanie climbed into the backseat, slamming the car door after her. “What—you think I threatened him? Or better yet, confessed the whole thing was my idea? Is that what you think? Damn it, can we get some of that cold air back here? I’m suffocating.”

“It’ll take a minute,” Blake said.

“You have a hell of a nerve, you know that?” Melanie said to Robin.

“I just asked you what you said to him.”

“You implied I caused his seizure.”

“I did no such thing,” Robin said.

“Ladies…ladies,” Blake interrupted, pulling out of the parking lot. “Can we not do this now?”

There was a welcome moment of silence.

“Just so we’re clear…,” Melanie started up again.

“I think we’re pretty clear,” Blake said.

“I think you should stay out of this,” said Melanie.

“Please don’t talk to him that way,” Robin said.

“What way?”

“The way you talk to everyone.”

“I would think you’d be pleased. I’m treating him like family.”

“Which is exactly the problem.”

“In which case, he might want to reconsider marrying into this family.”

“Oh, shut up,” said Robin.

“You shut up,” said Melanie.

“Okay, then,” said Blake, clearly at a loss.

“I had nothing to do with the shootings,” Melanie said. “And neither did Landon.”

“Fine,” said Robin.

“You are so full of shit.”

“I’m full of shit?”

“Look,” Blake said. “This bickering isn’t doing anybody any good. Cassidy is going to need all the love and support we can give her, which at the very least means we have to get along.”