Delilah’s mouth drops open. “If you think you’re going to hold me as some sort of prisoner, you’re mistaken.”
“I’m not, though.” Riggs crosses his arms. “I can and will hold you. You might be rich and powerful little lady, but around here your money don’t mean fuck all.”
Delilah looks to me. “Maggie ...”
“I know you’re upset, D. But I promise you, what I heard ... it wasn’t a lie. What they’re telling you, it isn’t a lie. How much your dad knows is yet to be proven, that’s fair, but what is happening in that country club is disgusting, illegal, and cruel. You have to understand we’re just trying to help those girls.”
Delilah stares down at her hands for what seems like forever. “I ... I know my dad, I do. He wouldn’t do this, I just ... I don’t believe it, but ... I ... I did accidentally see something once.”
Everyone falls silent.
I hold my breath.
She looks up at Riggs. “I was only fifteen, maybe sixteen, and I had snuck out to see a boy I was obsessed with. I was coming back in at maybe two in the morning and I had to go right around the back of my parents’ place, there was a tiny gap in the big fences I could squeeze through. I was just about to pop through when I saw two men that worked for my father. They were carrying this girl out to the back entrance where a car was waiting. She was unconscious, but the guy who was holding her sort of looked like he was carrying his drunk daughter out.”
“Was it his daughter?” Hugh asks.
“He didn’t have a daughter, that I knew of anyway. Back then, I didn’t really care about the people my dad spent time with. I couldn’t even tell you half of their names. I was a little confused, so I asked my dad what they were doing. He told me that the girl was a family member of his, and she had gotten drunk and Dad had picked her up stumbling around on the road on the way home. They were just coming to get her. That was the end of it. I honestly never thought of it again, I believed him. I had no reason not to.”
“Delilah, you gotta understand that what we have found out, it runs deep, and your family is the most powerful family in this town. Your dad knows what’s goin’ on, whether he’s involved or not don’t matter. He knows. He knows fuckin’ everything.”
Riggs’ speaks in a tone that makes me feel sorry for Delilah because, right now, she’s finding out something about her family she would have never believed to be true in a million years. Of course she’s going to kick back and fight it. This is her home, her life. She’s not going to want to believe her father is a monster helping with this shit show.
“He’s ... he’s never hurt me, Riggs,” Delilah says. “He’s always been a good dad. Absent mostly, but he took care of us. He made sure I had everything I ever needed. I just don’t understand how he could hurt young girls. I don’t.”
“Get that.” Riggs nods. “But I need you to keep an open mind, keep your mouth shut, and let us prove this to you. If we can’t, then you can go about your life as if we were never here. But if I can’t trust you, Delilah, I’ll have to hold you until I can.”
She shakes her head. “Nobody is holding me. I won’t say anything, but I need you to promise you won’t hurt my father. That’s all I ask. Find out what you have to. If he is involved then he deserves what he gets, but if he isn’t, I want no harm to come to him. Is that fair?”
Riggs nods. “Deal.”
Delilah stands. “I need to get home.”
She walks over to Star and leans down, pressing her lips against her skin. “I’ll see you tomorrow, my angel.”
With that, she’s gone.
“Do you think she’s goin’ to say anything?” Hugh asks Riggs.
Riggs shrugs. “Don’t know, just gotta hope she’s not lyin’ or we’re fucked.”
Poor Delilah.
This must be hard on her.
I can’t even imagine what she’s feeling right now.
Her family is about to come undone; I hope she doesn’t get caught in the crossfire.
She doesn’t deserve that.
“EVERYONE IS STARING at us,” Delilah mutters as we walk through the garden at the country club for the event where I’ve been instructed to find a man named Bassel Gregory. The worst possible name I’ve ever heard, but I’m hoping that means he’ll stand out from the crowd.
Delilah doesn’t know I’m here on a mission, the least amount of information needed to be shared with her, the better. She’s already panicking about what might happen to her father, to her family, she doesn’t need to know we’re already amongst it and the club is very much planning to bring them down.
I have no idea what Bassel looks like, where he might be or what I’m in for when I find him. I just know that he has the information, and is willing to speak, but wants his identity protected so I’ve been given very strict instruction to make our interaction as minimal as possible so no attention is drawn to me.
Delilah assured me the two men from the lake the other night won’t be at this event, so we don’t need to worry about them trying to approach us. I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or not, but at least for this moment, we’re safe enough.
“Don’t worry about them,” I say to Delilah as she glances at the people staring at her.
It’s only because she hasn’t left my side and hasn’t yet gone over to her usual group and people are no doubt wondering why. She sat with me at lunch, she has been with me since we walked through the door. I appreciate it, though I’m certain she’s only doing it because she’s worried about leaving me in case something happens.
“Let’s go sit at the shade by the lake, there are some nice drinks down there,” she says, leading me down toward the man-made mini lake on the grounds at the country club. It’s too nice, and honestly, no wonder she’s scared to give up this life.
She has everything she could ever need and more.
We both get a glass of wine. Star is asleep in the stroller that I’m pushing, so we have a chance to just sit down and relax. We’re both chatting when Sammi and Delilah’s other friend, Cassandra, come over. They’re trailed by their nannies, Shakira and Esmerelda. Shakira glares at me right away, and I can already tell I’m in for one heck of an afternoon.
“Delilah, honey, you haven’t come and said hello. Is everything okay?” Sammi says, so fake it makes me want to puke.
“Everything is fine.” Delilah smiles. “I’m just spending time with my daughter.”
“Of course, of course. I’m sure you can leave her for just a second. There is something I want to discuss with you about the event coming up. Do you have a moment?”
Delilah looks to me and I nod, encouraging her to go. She stands and promises to be back in one minute. Sammi practically latches onto her the second they walk away, whispering something in her ear. No doubt wanting to know why she’s hanging around with me instead of her. So petty. I hope she trips and falls right on her perfect face.
“Can I help you?” I say to Shakira, who is staring at me, arms crossed, scowl on her face.
“I just want to know why she kept you on. Maybe you two are a thing, it’s the only thing that makes sense.”