Page 100 of Violent Little Thing

“Court, sorry we’re here. We’ll leave,” Missy said.

I glanced to Zee and said, “Explain.”

Zee’s shoulders drooped and she covered her face with her hands.

Her shoulders started to shake, and I resisted the urge to pull her into my arms like I’d done a hundred times before.

She looked so much like Lauri that it hurt.

But not nearly as bad as it used to.

“We would’ve never abandoned you…if we didn’t have to.”

Missy’s words sent a shock through my system.

“No?”

I didn’t believe her.

There was always a choice…

Then she started to explain.

“Zee found out that she was pregnant about four months after you found out about your baby with Lauri.” She scrubbed at her face. “Zee was raped.”

My stomach sank. “What?”

“At a party.” Zee still covered her eyes with her hands. “I don’t know if I was actually raped. I just…think I was. I don’t know. It was bad. It was some society function thing that I didn’t want to go to in the first place, but Daddy made me. I drank a lot because it was easier to dim the feelings of not wanting to be there. It was the wrong decision. I was with Dad, so I didn’t worry about drinking too much. I figured…he’d watch over me, right? But then he introduced me to his friend, some rich guy like always. Dad left to mingle, leaving me with this friend…and I don’t remember anything after that. I woke up and he was on top of me. I just…blanked. Blacked out again. I don’t know. I left after he was finished. Found out a few weeks later that I was pregnant. Told my mom and dad…and Dad freaked out. This guy that I got pregnant by? He’s some super CEO that Dad’s been trying to get an in with for a while. Mom and I were horrified. But I made the decision to keep the baby…and that was the worst decision of my life.”

“Who’s this man?”

“He’s dead,” she whispered. “You’d probably know him, though. His name is Thomas Wainright. And I think that our son killed him.”

Shock froze me in place. “You think…what?”

“Start from the beginning.”

She started her story but began wringing her hands together. “I don’t know when I first noticed the signs. Maybe when he was a baby, baby. I don’t know. He wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone. Not a single person. Not even me. He showed no signs of emotional anything. Then, when he was about nine months old, he would bite me while breastfeeding. When I cried out in pain, he’d laugh.”

“From there,”—Missy took over—“it was just little things. Hurting us on purpose. Throwing a toy and hitting us. Then laughing when we’d say ‘ow.’ We noticed the signs and spoke with Thomas. Thomas thought that it was us, so Zee let him keep Robby.”

“That kid scared the shit out of me. Even back then. I was almost relieved to let Thomas have him. I’d visit him, and Robby would just…not react. He didn’t care that I was there. Didn’t notice if I wasn’t there. But I still saw him all the time. Spent time with him. But it’s like I wasn’t even there. There was no emotional connection at all.”

“Shit,” I said.

“Thomas kept him, but eventually, it was hard for him to not notice. Thomas went through like fifteen nannies. He was between nannies when I think that Robby actually killed him.”

“Holy fuck.”

“I went over there that morning to take him to school. And Thomas didn’t answer.” She wiped away the tears that were forming. “So I used my key. That’s when I saw the body. Thomas. There was blood everywhere. All over the white marble. I stepped over him looking for Robby, and found him covered in blood sitting on the couch watching television.”

“Whoa,” I breathed.

“I know.” She covered her face. “No one knows what happened, though. He was only four, so the cops didn’t look at him. Even when I said it might be him! They are still looking for his murderer.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m so sorry, Em—Court. I would’ve been there…”