"Daddy..."
"Nina!"
Mario hurried over and grabbed his little sister''s hand.
"Mario, do you think Daddy''s sick?"
Mario didn''t look at Stewart Wentworth. Instead, he used his small body to block Nina''s view.
“Nina, I''ve got a brand new toy. It''s really coole on, I''ll show you, okay?"
"A new toy?" Nina''s eyes lit up. She immediately forgot her worries, bouncing with excitement. "I want to see! Show me!"
Mario led her inside, their voices fading down the hallway.
Out in the dark, Stewart''s coughing finally eased.
The handkerchief in his hand was stained with bright red.
He tossed it into the trash, turned, and walked quickly back into the house. He headed straight for the bedroom, then into the bathroom.
He twisted on the faucet and rinsed out his mouth.
The water swirling in the sink went from a vivid red to faint pink. Gradually, the metallic taste faded from his tongue, and his ragged breathing slowed.
When the water shut off, Stewart looked up at his reflection in the mirror.
His face was ghostly pale, faint shadows ringing his eyes. He''d lost weighttely, making his features look even sharper, almost severe.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
Lorna Riley.
He answered, and her breezy, irreverent voice crackled through the line.
"Still got it, babe! I barely set foot in the bar and Barrie Lockwood sniffed me out like a bloodhound. Honestly, Stewart, don''t be surprised if I break your heart and go home with someone else tonight!"
He was used to Lorna''s swagger, but Barrie Lockwood and the people behind him were nothing to take lightly. Stewart couldn''t help but warn her, "Just be careful. If anything feels off, get out. Don''t take risks."
"Oh, look at you, worrying about me!" Lornaughed, careless as ever. "Don''t sweat it, just wait for my good news. Meanwhile, you enjoy your stay-at-home-dad routine. Oh, and one more thing I heard from my guy this afternoon. He said your ex-wife saw a therapist two days ago."
Stewart froze.
"No details yet. Want me to dig deeper?"
"Do it," he said, voice rough. He squeezed his eyes shut. "And I want to meet that therapist."
"Sure thing. I''ll let them know. Gotta run-wish me luck!"
She hung up.
Stewart stared at his phone, knuckles white. A faint bruise marred the back of his hand, the skin still marked by an IV puncture.
The overhead light threw his features into sharp relief-thin lips pressed tight, jaw clenched, every breath heavy.
Lorna''s words looped in his mind-
He''d really pushed Briony Kensington this far.
Goddamn it.
He really was a bastard.
His shoulders slumped, then gave way entirely; he slid down against the cold wall, eyes burning.
James Dney and the others hadn''t been wrong. If he''d never crossed paths with her, Briony''s life would never have spiraled like this.
Your ex-wife saw a therapist two days ago.
He let himself sink to the floor,
covering his eyes with a shaking
hand while his Adam''s apple bobbed
painfully. He swallowed hard,
fighting the bitterness rising in his
throat.
Warm tears slipped from the corners of his eyes, dampening the trembling tips of
his fingers.
Nine o''clock at night.
In the bathroom, Carol was giving Mario his bath.
Nina, freshly scrubbed and her hair fluffed dry, sprawled across her little bed. Her pink feet kicked in the air as she dialed her mom''s number on her smartwatch.
Briony picked up right away.
"Mommy!" Nina squealed, voice bubbling with joy. "I''m all clean and cozy!"
Hearing her daughter''s cheerful
voice, Briony knew she was settling
in-and in good spirits, too. She
finally let herself rx a little
"Where''s Mario?"
"Carol''s giving him a bath!"
"Is that so?" Briony''s tone was gentle. "You two need to get along, okay?"
"Don''t worry, Mommy! Mario and I are great. We never fight!"
"That''s wonderful. Do you want me to sing you a luby tonight?"
"Um..." Nina hesitated, thinking it over. "I''m not sure if Daddy wille in to read
us a story. Mario says Daddy reads to him every night!"