“I am an asshole, a son-of-a-bitch, and a lot of other things. But a liar isn’t one of them. One look at my daughter that day in her barren apartment and the fighter was in place. You call it an ultimatum; I saw it as giving her freedom. It wasn’t supposed to be permanent. We didn’t get far down the road before I rethought my decision. One thing stopped me from turning around. Knowing Caitlyn was chasing her dreams and starting her life free of the pressure from her mother and sister.”
“Karen found her and offered mental help. While you were greasing palms, kissing babies, and enjoying the lavish lifestyle, Poppy was busting her ass for four-hundred dollars a week and sharing a studio apartment. There are days we ate nothing but bagged salad. Never once did she complain.”
I look over at Dante, my chest tightening with this knowledge. Poppy never shared any struggle.
“I owe you a great debt for taking care of her all those years. Ryanne, too. Like I mentioned, these last few days have brought a lot of information to light,” Marco tells him.
“You had no right to look into us.”
“Are you saying you wouldn’t have done the same thing? Looking into me?”
Dante casts a glance my way, pressing his lips tight. We’re all guilty of looking into the people in Poppy’s life.
“Not sure what your search turned up, but I’ve always known where Poppy was. Staying away was excruciating, but it was to protect her. Karen and Natasha vowed to leave her alone, and that was enough to keep my distance.”
This confirms Scottie’s information. “You set up the PO Box in California to hide Poppy’s real whereabouts?”
“One good thing about my position is the power behind my office. Sunday night, after discovering my wife has been feeding me nothing but lies about leaving Caitlyn alone, I took back control.”
“Yeah, you look like the poster model for control right about now. Shooting back liquor at dawn, looking like a hobo,” Dante throws at him.
Marco grins, a flint of humor passing in his eyes. “Please excuse my appearance, two straight days of decimating my career, ending a thirty-one-year marriage, and terminating my daughter from my staff has left me little time to rest.”
“Why are you still here, Marco?” I ask bluntly. “Your life is across the country.”
“Not for long. Your visit woke me up and exposed devils in my mix. I owe you as well.”
“I don’t want your gratitude. I want your ass on a plane with a promise to stay out of our lives.”
“My ass will be on a plane soon.”
“And out of our lives,” I reemphasize.
“Can’t promise that, because I want a place back in my daughter’s life.”
“That is never fucking happening.”
“You have no reason to trust me, but I tell the truth when I say the world of politics is over for me. I will fulfill my obligations and walk away. Right now, all I want is to rekindle a relationship with my daughter. Even if it takes the rest of my life.”
“Might as well go back to the mansion in Virginia and grovel to that bitch you call a wife. Thursday afternoon was as close as you’ll ever get to Poppy again. The protection order was child’s play. You’re dealing with me now, and I’ve got the money, the power, and the resources to take you on. Your perfectly crafted world inside the walls of politics will crash, bringing everyone around you down. You may be a dick, but I doubt you’d like to see those bitches in your circle suffer.”
He stands straighter, his face and eyes going hard, his body tight. “You are partially right, I’d wish nothing bad for Karen or Natasha. However, they made their choices. Caitlyn was off-limits, and that was non-negotiable. They have to face the consequences. You think I’m bluffing, that my motives aren’t sincere. But maybe if you let down that shield of hatred, you’d hear what I’m saying to you.”
“I’ve heard every word you said and also memorized everything you spewed to Poppy.”
“Then hear this. It is over. It was over before I stepped foot in Vegas.”
“Don’t bullshit me. You’re not the only one investigating. I looked into your Governorship and potential. You have a good chance of taking the full nomination. It’s been eight years of paving the way. Nothing is over for you.”
“Politically, yes, I am in an excellent position. Emotionally, I wasn’t willing to fracture or interrupt Poppy’s life. Everyone knew this. That’s why I agreed to a pre-season game. The thought of Natasha and Isaac in Vegas, so close to Poppy didn’t sit well. I wasn’t aware until we boarded the plane that Natasha came a day early. Now, I know why.”
I hiss through my teeth. “Natasha planned it all out.”
“Yes, she knew where I stood. Stupidly, I assumed she and Karen would uphold their original agreement to leave Poppy alone. In the off-chance they didn’t, there were safeguards in place.”
“The fake presence in California?”
He nods, pouring another shot in his glass.
“I was never interested in running for President. Being a fighter for this country and the people is and always has been my priority. But the world of politics had already shattered my family. It was weighing heavily on me. Natasha came here to use her influence on Caitlyn. She thought she could convince her sister to support my run. You were an obstacle she didn’t expect.”
“That woman thought she could seduce me, knowing I’m married.” The words burn like acid in my throat.
He nods solemnly. “She didn’t admit it outright, but her history speaks for itself.”
“Unbelievable.”
“I’ve heard you and Isaac rejected her rather severely. The security tape was enlightening.”
It’s not a surprise he got access to the unedited video. “Watching your lunatic daughter in action was enlightening? You’ve had thirty years of that.”
“What you and I see is different. That video is further proof of my failure.”
“How the hell did you make this about you?” Dante asks bitterly.
“Not a day has gone by that I didn’t feel shame, guilt, and heartbreaking pain over my decision. I sacrificed my relationship with my daughter so she could create a beautiful life. Because of my position of power, Natasha took matters into her hands. The greed and toxicity that has infected my family found a way to destroy Caitlyn’s dreams.”
“She still has dreams, I’m making sure of it.”
“Poppy returned from Paris a long time ago. Not once have you tried to reach out to her. That’s not a convincing argument for a man that wants back into her life,” Dante points out skeptically.
“There is no excuse. I was deep in the political trenches. Karen relayed that Caitlyn was okay and pursuing dance in California. I knew differently. That’s why I made it clear Karen and Natasha were to leave her alone. Every day, I thought about contacting her, but one thing stopped me. My promise to keep her out of the arena. That’s why I never saw her perform. The risk was too great. I was scared if even a whisper hit the waves, she’d be exposed. I stupidly thought time was on my side.”
“If there’s an ounce of truth to this rehearsed bullshit, then you need to get your ass back to Virginia and handle your business before it reaches back to Poppy. Leaving your wife, denouncing Presidential interest, all of it is going to send the piranhas hunting.” The thought solidifies my inclination to get back to Charleston so I can insulate Poppy from the backlash of Marco’s decisions.