And yet even these “brothers” would very likely kill him if they ever found him. Which meant he’d be betrayed by his family again.
He closed the door as if that was that, but she lowered the passenger’s side window. “Virgil?”
When he turned back, she nearly told him that she’d seen contradictions like the one he’d mentioned and empathized with the conflict he must be feeling. But he didn’t need her empathy. If she couldn’t allow herself to be a closer friend—or whatever—to him, she’d only become another contradiction, one more person guaranteed to let him down.
“Never mind. I hope you enjoy your dinner.”
He studied her for a moment. “It was nice just looking at you,” he said.
Peyton waited for him to laugh or shrug or indicate in some other way that he wasn’t quite sincere, but he didn’t. She was pretty sure he’d paid her a legitimate compliment, no censure or challenge or sarcasm involved. But by the time she believed it, he was too far away for her to respond.
Shifting the transmission into gear, she drove off but kept one eye on her rearview mirror until she could no longer see him. “You’re an interesting man, Virgil Skinner,” she murmured. A small part of her—maybe even a big part—wished she could’ve been irresponsible enough to sleep with him.
But she hadn’t become chief deputy warden by being irresponsible.
The last thing Rick Wallace wanted was to fly back to Colorado. Thanks to the long drive from Crescent City, he’d spent only a few hours with his wife and kids. But he needed to make sure Laurel Hodges and her children remained safe. If anything happened to her, Skinner would lose his motivation, and if Skinner lost his motivation, the whole operation would fall apart.
Mercedes, his wife, walked into the bedroom carrying a basketful of laundry and frowned when she saw him. “What are you doing in a suit?”
Having just showered and dressed, he straightened his tie. “I’m heading to the airport.”
“What?” She dumped the laundry onto the bed. It used to be that she had all the housework done by the weekend, so she could devote her time to him, but that’d changed. Nowadays when he asked her about the state of the house, she said there wasn’t much reason to keep it perfect when she and the kids were the only ones who ever saw it. She said even when he was home he walked past them as if they were inanimate objects and not real people, always thinking about his work.
Hoping to finish getting ready before she could really lay into him, he slipped into the bathroom. He didn’t like it when Mercedes was upset. That nasty edge to her voice ground on his nerves, making him wonder why he’d ever married her. If not for the kids, they probably would’ve split up years ago. But since they had children, that wasn’t an option. Growing up, he’d suffered through the divorce of his own parents and had promised himself that he’d never make the mistakes they had. And he wouldn’t. Especially considering the financial consequences….
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, but he’d said it so many times it was an automatic response that no longer held any meaning for either of them.
“Today, when you said you left Crescent City because you missed us and wanted to be with us, I thought…”
He glanced at her in the mirror, saw her nostrils flare.
“Well, I assumed you were home for the rest of the weekend. And you know I thought that.”
The last sentence dripped with accusation. In order to sidestep a major blowout, he decided to play dumb. “So? What are you getting at?”
“I’m wondering why you weren’t courteous enough to disabuse me of that notion.”
Because she would’ve started pouting and might’ve refused him sex.
“Rick?” Mercedes prompted when he didn’t respond.
Here we go again…. “I didn’t know I’d have to leave tonight.”
It was easier to lie, but he’d been too obvious about it. The disappointment he’d created by setting her up for this reversal made her pounce.
“That’s not true,” she snapped, coming to the door.
He didn’t bother arguing. “Sorry.”
Ignoring his second empty apology, she blocked his path and he realized it hadn’t been very smart to let her box him in. “Can’t we have even a partial weekend as a family?” she asked.
“We had dinner. That was more than we would’ve had if I’d stayed in Crescent City.”
“Dinner? You think I should be happy with one meal together in a whole week?”
“We had more than a meal.”
She rolled her eyes at his meaningful grin. “You were home just long enough to lift my nightgown so you could get off, and now you’re leaving.”
He should’ve gone to the trouble of pleasuring her. Then maybe she wouldn’t be acting like this. But he’d been so preoccupied…. “Better your nightgown than someone else’s, right?” He chuckled as if he was joking, but the anger that flashed in her eyes told him he’d been made on that, too.
“What are you saying?”
He sobered. “I’m saying that at least I still come home for it.” Usually. “That’s something.”
“It’s not enough. Not anymore.”
“Come on, Mercedes.” He hung his head, implying that he felt bad, but he didn’t. Not really. They fought so often, he’d grown numb. “Please?”
“Please, what? Please don’t ask for anything? Please don’t expect you to behave like a husband? Please don’t demand that you do your part in our relationship or as the father of this family?”
Jerking his head up, he shot her a look that said he was tired of hearing the same old complaints. “I don’t have time for this. I’m going to miss my plane.”
She didn’t move out of the way. “I want you to quit your job.”
He gaped at her. “Are you kidding? How would we pay the bills?”
“You could find something else.”
“Nothing that’ll pay what I’m making now!”
“Then I’ll go to work, too. I need to get out, anyway, make a change. I’d do anything to fix what’s wrong. Our children need to see more of their father. I need…” She let her words dangle, probably because she knew how selfish they sounded. “I can’t take the neglect, Rick.”
“Neglect?” He grimaced. “If you want to get off and I’m not around, use a damn dildo. Maybe you need to grow up and start fulfilling yourself a little bit instead of relying on me.”