Page 131 of Between Secrets and Obsession

“Threaten me again and you’ll be the one who’s sorry. And let me remind you that you have zero power here. You’ll getmore information about her when you’ve earned the privilege. As of right now, I owe you nothing, and you owe meeverything. You’ll have the chance to prove yourself when we’re with my family this afternoon, but so far, you’ve done nothing but compromise everything like a fucking idiot. I thought you were smarter than that, Liam. What a disappointment.”

I pull away from her and nearly bite off my tongue. I'm so infuriated, but it was the confirmation I needed. While I suspected Victoria, because it’s typical of her, I also understood how angry Maddie was. There was always the slight chance she had left on her own.

“Where did you send her?” I finally ask, not giving up.

She chuckles. “You’ll never find her, Liam. Never. Not even your bounty hunter skills will help you track her down. But know she’s in a better place than that dump of a house you all live in. And maybe I’ll eventually let her go…or not. Your actions will determine how this ends. She might not make it out alive, but that’s up to you.”

“You’re a bitch,” I say loud enough for only her to hear.

She laughs. “I know.”

I nearly grind my teeth flat by the time the plane lands. Our bags are loaded into a large SUV, and we climb inside. Vegas used to be a city that brought me joy and hope, and maybe a little relief from the everyday grind of tracking people, but now, it’s my own personal hell on earth. When this marriage is over, I don’t think I’ll ever return to Sin City. It’s been tainted by the O’Learys and too many bad memories for me to ever enjoy it again.

The truck slows, then stops. After I grab our shit, we take the elevator up to her penthouse. It’s squeaky clean, as always, mainly because her maid does a great job. Victoria doesn’t lift a pinky. Instead, she uses her daddy’s money for tasks that are below her.

She sits on the couch and pats the seat next to her.

“We need to discuss what’s gonna happen in a few hours,” she says, showing off her pearly whites.

I remain standing. “Go on.”

“My father has decided he wants the family together tonight for dinner. Everyone will be there. Well, those of importance. I’d like to make the official announcement about the babies then.”

“Figured as much,” I state dryly.

“But I need you to step up your excitement about being a father because you’ve failed to convince me so far.”

“And you need to confirm Maddie is okay, but you refuse.”

A roar of a groan echoes through the living room. “Are you gonna play along or do I need to use force? I know your girl is a dancer. A broken ankle might do her some good and prove to you I’m not fucking around.”

Holding out my hands, I surrender. She knows Maddie is my weakness and she’ll use her against me every chance she can. “Fine. I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Very good.”

I want to slap the smug grin right off her face.

“I’d like you to wear your Armani suit. I bought you a green shirt to match my dress. I’ve also hired a photographer to be there because I told Daddy I wanted family photos. However, my mother won’t be available because she had a fundraiser to attend in the morning in New York. It was a who’s who type of affair.”

All I do is nod, and she looks over my shoulder at the crystal clock on the wall. “Looks like we have a few hours before we need to get ready. You should shave beforehand. Try not to look like a caveman.”

The digs are starting to wear on me, but I take them because what I want to say will give her more leverage to hurt Maddie. “Anything else?”

“I think that’s it.”

As I turn to walk to the room I stay in when I’m visiting, she says my name. I stop for a moment. “I’m sorry I had to do this, but you tied my hands, and I had no other choice.”

Instead of responding, I continue forward. As soon as I’m alone, I ball my hands into fists needing to release my anger. The frustration I’m experiencing is like nothing I’ve ever endured before. It’s a prison of emotions, tucked deep inside, and I have to play along. I’m not convinced Maddie is fine, and I’m unsure of her current situation. Victoria grew up watching her father be merciless and the same cold blood flows through her veins. The woman wouldn’t know empathy if it slapped her in the fucking face.

Kicking off my shoes, I lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling until my vision blurs. My head pounds as I think about my life. I could’ve never predicted any of this. Knowing my father is now a target along with Maddie being taken brings this all to the next level, and I’m not sure how I’m going to get us out of this.

Though hours have passed, time feels as if it’s standing still. Considering we’ll be leaving soon, I jump in the shower, then shave my face as Victoria requested.Her wish is my command—a mantra I’m sure I’ll repeat a dozen times before the night is over. When I walk into the living room, the shirt she bought for me is lying on the back of the sofa. I grab it along with my bag and get dressed. Three knocks on my door tell me it’s time to put on the performance of a lifetime.

“Ready, hubby?” Victoria coos.

I nod, and we leave. The ride to meet her family is full of mental anguish. I try to remember the last time we had sex along with how far along she is. The math adds up correctly if she’s being honest, which could account for the size of her belly with twins. However, I can’t be sure if I’m the only guy she’s been with since we hooked up. The first night we met, Victoriaadmitted she wasn’t a one-man type of person, but she’s also been watching her back because of our marriage. The babies only complicate this scenario further.

She admitted she wanted out of the mob life once before. The reason she needed her trust fund early was so she could be free from it all. Having a baby meant getting more money in the end, so I can only imagine what the monetary value is for two. She seems overly thrilled by it—the dollar signs, that is. She mentioned she’d have so much cash she’d hire a full-time nanny to raise the kids, with no intention of changing her jet-setting lifestyle. The thought alone makes me sick. I never imagined having children, but I’d never abandoned them either. They’ll be her pawns that’ll allow her to get more of what she wants.