Page 102 of Protecting Addison
“I think they could. That’s not my area of expertise, but Tex is doing what he can to try to figure it out.”
“So you think he took them and put them somewhere,” Addison concluded.
Ricky stared at her for a long moment. “Yeah, sweetheart. I do.”
“Why?”
“That, I don’t know for sure. We’ve got a whole house full of people who won’t rest until they figure it out. But I’m thinking that ransom money has a lot to do with it.”
Her eyes narrowed at that. “Right. So…can I go and piss off my ex now? I’ve waited a long time to tell him off.”
Ricky’s lips twitched, but he didn’t manage a full smile. He nodded then turned to the door.
Addison didn’t waste any time. She waded through all their friends, passing Wolf, who’d obviously arrived while they were in the bedroom. Made sure Artem and Borysko weren’t in earshot—they weren’t; Remi and Maggie still had them back in their room, playing cards—and walked straight up to Brady.
“Why are you here, Brady?”
“Why? Because my daughter is missing,” he said.
“Not good enough. Why do you even care? You went almost twelve years without giving one little shit about her. You didn’t call. You didn’t contribute to her upbringing in any way, emotionally or monetarily.Nothing. So why now?”
“I’ve changed,” he retorted.
“Have you?” she challenged. “The first time you watched me change her diaper, your forehead crinkled and you made a face that communicated just how gross you thought it was. And when you found out about her Crohn’s, you made the exact same face.”
“Cut me some slack, Addison, it was a surprise.”
“It wouldn’t have been if you were there for her.”
“What do you want me to say?” he asked belligerently.
“I want you to tell me why the hell you went behind my back and lied to pick up my daughter!”
“She’s my daughter too. I should’ve been on that list in the first place!”
“Wrong. She’snotyour daughter. Biologically, yes. But in every other way, no. Ricky’s done more to raise that girl than you ever have, and he’s only known her for little more than a year.”
Thatseemed to get to him.
“He’s not her father,” he growled.
“The hell he’s not. He’s spent countless hours with Ellory, talking to her, bonding with her, teaching her things. He listens to her. He gets her blankets and heating pads when her belly hurts. He’s more of a father than you’ve ever been in her entire life.”
“That’s not my fault!”
“Yes it is!” Addison yelled back. “You had every opportunity to be a dad. But instead,you left. Without a word. Without looking back. And now that you’re in Riverton, you think you can just step into the role of dad? You can’t. It’s not that easy.”
“That’s because you’ve been telling her lies about me. Turning her against me!”
Addison laughed, but it wasn’t a humorous sound. “No, I haven’t. Believe it or not, we don’t talk about you when you aren’t around, Brady. The entire world doesn’t revolve around you. No. You’ve turned her against you all on your own. With your incessant texts and calls. Your insensitive remarks about her Crohn’s and her size. There’sno waythat Ellory would’ve contacted you if she was being bullied—and you and I both know it. So why don’t you just tell me what you did with her and Yana and this whole damn farce can end!”
She’d stepped forward and was yelling in Brady’s face by the time she was finished, but she could still feel Ricky’s hand at her back. He was letting her say what she needed to say while still right there, ready to step in if things went sideways.
And she could feel the rest of her friends there too. They had everyone’s attention in the entire room.
As if he could feel the animosity coming from each and every person staring at him, Brady began to sweat. “You’ve always been so goddamn overbearing,” he sneered. “So controlling. It’s about time you learned that you can’t control everyone and everything around you. About time it came back to bite you in the ass! You’ve always hadeverything. You have no idea how it feels to have to clean up after everyone. People throw shit on the floor and don’t think twice about who has to pick up their trash. You’ve never struggled, Addison.Ever.”
“That’s such bullshit,” she told him. “I’ve done nothingbutstruggle. You think it’s been easy, being a single mother with a kid who has a chronic disease? It hasn’t. It’s never easy—but it’s still a privilege. And everything I have, I’ve worked my ass off for.Lifeisn’t easy, Brady. That’s something you’ve never managed to learn because you’ve been too busy playing the victim. You’ve been looking for the easy way out your entire life!”
