“But if you’d done that, you wouldn’t have gotten your monthly stipend from him to support Marisol,” Zander commented.
“What do you mean? Are you saying that Harry paid her to take care of me?” Marisol asked.
“Yep. Because Harry was smart and had a clause in his pre-nup that if Rosalind cheated on him, she got nothing. He had someone follow her, and Rosalind got caught on camera sucking some guy off in the parking lot of a bar.”
Eww.
“Rosalind was out with nothing,” Zander continued. “Except for you.”
“That asshole wanted me to leave you with him. I wish I had. It wasn’t worth the money he paid me to keep you,” Rosalind spat out hatefully.
“But you took the money, didn’t you, Rosalind? You’re still getting paid, aren’t you?” Zander asked.
“What?” Marisol gasped.
“What are you telling Harry? That’s she’s in college and you need it for the fees?” Zander queried.
“None of your fucking business. I am owed that money for taking care of her all these fucking years.”
Marisol’s mind was reeling. “All these years and I thought he didn’t want me. I thought it was my fault. You told me it was my fault.”
“You’re so gullible. A little mouse scurrying around, scared of your own shadow. It was all too easy to manipulate you into doing what I wanted. Now, get me the fuck out of here!”
“Marisol?” Linc asked quietly. “What do you want to do? We’ll let her go if that’s what you want.” She could tell he didn’t want that, though. The way he held himself told her that he’d rather do something much more horrid to Rosalind but was holding back because of Marisol.
Zander made a noise but didn’t say anything.
“He would have taken me?” she whispered. “He wanted me?”
“You were all he wanted,” Rosalind spat. “It was Marisol this, Marisol that.”
“Surprised he didn’t try to pay you for her,” Zander said.
Rosalind smiled. “He didn’t deserve to get what he wanted.”
That evil bitch. She’d made them all suffer, while she’d reaped the rewards.
“Take her to Ed or that task force. Drop her off. Tell them I’ll tell them whatever I know if they lock her up and throw away the key.”
“Gladly.” Zander smiled. It wasn’t pretty.
She turned away, but Linc paused, looking back. “You never deserved her. You were given her to care for and you neglected her. Abused her. And you’re going to hell for it. I hope someone makes you rot in jail and someone makes you their bitch.”
She didn’t say anything, instead she leaned into Linc as he guided her out. She barely heard Rosalind’s screeches. Barely paid attention as Linc led her up the ladder and out into his truck.
Halfway home, she turned to him. “He wanted me.”
Linc reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly. “Of course he did.”
“She kept me from him all these years.” Tears dripped down her face.
“I know, Mari-girl. I’m so sorry.”
“I wonder why he never tried to contact me.”
“Maybe he did. Or maybe he agreed not to contact you. Maybe she told him lies like she told you.”
She gasped. “Oh God, maybe he thinks I didn’t want to see him.” She thought of all those lost years. “I could have had a family.”