Page 76 of Inside the Maelstrom: Part Two
They both looked my way, and then Sampson’s eyes skittered past me, a frown pulling his dark eyebrows inwards. I looked over my shoulder, and my eyebrows did the exact same thing.
My mother was behind me, her face as neutral as ever. I was pretty sure it was because of the Botox, and not because she was a sociopath. But you could never tell with the rich.
“Mother.”
“Hello, Hendrick.” Her voice was soft, but then it was always soft. She barely spoke, and when she did, it was rarely above a whisper.
Sampson was beside me instantly, his shoulder touching mine. “Elenor.” It was a small show of disrespect, but it made my mother’s lip quirk.
“Sampson.” Her eyes, so like mine, slid back to me. “Are you well? Your father told me you got married.”
There was no concern in her voice that I could hear. Unlike Aviva’s parents, she wasn’t worried I was having a bipolar episode and making terrible choices.
“Yes. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever known.”
This time her mask slipped, just for a second. I saw the sadness in her eyes. “You’ll treat her right.” You didn’t need to be an empath to hear the subtext in her words.
I held her eyes. “I will never, ever be like him. I will jump from the nearest bridge before I would ever lay a single finger on her in anger.” The vehemence in my voice made my mother flinch away, and I felt guilty.
“Good.” She looked at me, remorse finally creeping into her expression. “You should forget about him now. Always let him be a lesson, but he won’t be able to control your life anymore. I made a deal with the FBI that I would testify, not you.” She paused. “You should forget me, too.”
The rage in me refused to stay politely buried. “I intend to.”
I swallowed hard, turning away and almost plowing straight into Evan. He was quick on his feet and got out of the way, but he’d had my back. He’d always had my back.
“Hendrick?”
I told myself not to turn around. It had all been said. There was nothing left but old wounds. But there was still a little part of me—the boy I’d been—who wanted his parents’ love. Who couldn’t understand why neither of them did anything but hurt me. So I turned around.
Her mask was gone. There was only pain on her face now. “I’m sorry. I was supposed to protect you, and I failed over and over. I don’t want your forgiveness, because I can’t forgive myself for what you went through.” She hesitated, and her eyes got real big and shiny. She dropped her voice even more, and I had to strain to hear her. “You were a baby. But I promise you, he’ll pay for what he put us through.”
I nodded. That was all I could give her. I couldn’t offer her absolution.
Sampson was staring hard at her, and eventually, Evan herded both of us back toward the entrance of the field office. He was on high alert as we picked up the belongings we’d checked, including Sampson’s phone and his Glock, and hustled out onto the street. We hailed down the first cab we saw, and all squished in.
“Message Otto to have him and Viva meet us at her new bookstore.” I needed to wash the bad taste of the last three hours from my mouth, and the best way to do that was to watch Viva get wide-eyed and happy over a musty-smelling store filled with books.
She was my happy place now.
Sampson grunted, happy to be back on his phone again probably, but I saw him pull up the group chat and message Otto.
Evan looked over at me. “You okay?”
I nodded. “I don’t have any feelings left for my parents.”
“Hmm,” he grunted, turning back to the window. “I met her once before, you know. Your mother.”
I raised my eyebrows. Early on in my friendship with Otto, I’d made it clear that if we wanted to hang out, it couldn’t be at my house. I wanted to escape that hellhole, not drag people there with me. So by the time Sampson came along, my place was definitely off the table when it came to after-school hang-outs.
“When?”
He shrugged. “It wasn’t long after you guys became an inseparable trio. Your grandfather had just died, and we were dropping you home. Sampson wanted to make sure you were okay, so I was waiting in the hall outside your room. I found your mother crying in the coat closet to the left of your bedroom. I thought she was a maid at first. But when she saw me, she uncurled and put on that haughty expression.”
I knew the one. It came to my mother’s face so naturally.
“I asked why she was crying in a closet, and she told me it was none of my business, but her eyes darted around like a prey animal. I knew that expression. She asked who I was, and when I told her I was Sampson’s security, she tried to buy me for you as well. You had just gotten your own security, which I told her, and she shook her head. I assumed she thought you needed more because you’d just inherited a bunch of money, and it wasn’t until much later that I realized she wanted me to protect you from your father. I hate that I didn’t realize.” He gritted his teeth, shaking his head angrily.
I patted his arm. “I didn’t want anyone to know, but especially not Sampson. I hid it well from him.”
