I looked up. “Why did this happen this way?”
“Let’s get out of here,” Patrick said.
My face turned from side to side. “But…police?”
Patrick turned to one of the guards. With a nod, the guard allowed us to approach the doors.
Elizabeth touched my arm, causing me to turn. “Ms. Miller, the winnings are yours.”
I nodded. “It can wait.”
“Mr. Kelly,” one of the guards said, “I recommend you go to the back entrance. The front is surrounded by reporters. Word got out that Mr. Elliott was here.”
“Why would reporters care about Marion?” I asked as Patrick whisked me away.
Patrick
“Tell me what happened,” Madeline demanded as I hurried her into the back seat of a waiting car.
Beyond the windows, people filled the streets, making driving difficult.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Kelly,” Christian said.
The windows were dark, giving us a safe distance from the crowds. “Christian, just get us to the hotel. I don’t care if it takes an hour.”
“Yes, sir.”
I reached for Madeline’s hand as her stunned expression turned my way. “That wasn’t…it wasn’t the way it was supposed to go down.”
“I don’t understand why Andros would…kill Marion in a crowded room.”
Letting out a long breath, I shook my head. “He called out to you. What did he say?”
New tears came to her eyes. “He said it was for Ruby.” Her head fell forward, her chin to her chest.
I reached for her chin. “For Ruby?”
She nodded as she swallowed. “And our son.”
“Your son?”
What son?
This wasn’t something that came out during her purge.
“We don’t really know that the baby was a boy. I was pregnant. It was a long time ago. I was stabbed.”
“Stabbed?”
She sighed. “I wanted the baby. I would never not want a baby. It’s how I knew Andros would kill even his second-in-command. I don’t understand why, but I was set up. Andros was out of town.” Her head shook. “A man named Adrik…Andros shot him in front of me.”
“Maddie.”
“Though the doctor couldn’t diagnose the reason, I’ve never been able to become pregnant again.”
Fucking hell.
Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I pulled Madeline to my side. “I’m so sorry.”
“Are you?”
Our eyes met. “Of course I am. I can’t imagine your pain.”
“I wanted another man’s child.”
“You wanted a child that was part of you. Would you love me less if when we reunited I had other children?”
Shaking her head, she laid it back on my shoulder. “Patrick, my life has been so fucked up.”
“Madeline, you have survived. It may have been fucked up, but through it all you’re here and so is Ruby. I think that makes you fucking amazing, and that adjective can’t be used unless there have been some fucked-up parts along the way.” I held her against me. When she didn’t speak, I added, “We learned something about Elliott a few days ago.”
“What?” Her voice was far away.
“He didn’t tell you everything about his wife’s and daughter’s deaths.”
Her face turned upward. “What do you mean?”
“Prior to his wife and daughter’s plane crash, his wife filed a restraining order.”
Madeline moved away, sitting up and turning my way. “A restraining order for what?”
“Sexual abuse…” I paused, wondering how much more trauma Madeline could take. “…of their fourteen-year-old daughter.”
Madeline’s eyes opened wider. “Ruby.”
I nodded. “We think he bought you to get near Ruby.”
She fidgeted against the seatbelt. “Oh my God. I never suspected.” Her paling complexion turned my way. “Andros sold…”
“He probably didn’t know. Reid dug extra deep. Elliott had it all buried.”
“Eloise…oh my God.” She looked out the window and continued, “Eloise, his housekeeper, was welcoming and too nice. She was excited for Ruby to arrive at the ranch. She’s been with him…” Her words trailed away.
“We also have reason to believe he attended more auctions at McFadden’s than yours. He may have even bought others.”
“Where are they? What happened to them?”
I reached for her hands. “Madeline, with his death we will probably never know. I hate to give Ivanov any credit, but you are here and Ruby is in Chicago because of him. Do I hate him with every fiber of my being for what he put you through? Yes. And I know he told you you’d hate him, and you did, but the news about Elliott went viral toward the end of the tournament. We leaked it purposely.”
“Purposely?”
“Yes, Madeline. It was your idea, saying that today one tweet could go viral. We did it for you. Our plan wasn’t to eliminate Elliott, just reduce his power.”
“Andros did it—eliminated him.”
“He did. Maybe he saw the writing on the wall. Perhaps he knew his power was dwindling, and he was in his last days.”
“Maybe,” she said, “there was more than just a part of him that was good, a part he never wanted to admit, that part that saved me and Ruby...”
“I guess that’s up to you and Ruby to decide in how you want to remember him.”
Sighing, she leaned back against me. My hand ran over the soft skin of her shoulder as the light, sweet aroma of her perfume settled around us.
“It’s all right,” I finally said as the car began to pick up speed.
“What?” she asked.
“To remember him fondly. Seventeen years is a long time.”
“I’m so tired.”
“I think we forgot about something.”
Again, she looked up. “What did we forget?”
“Your winnings. You won it all. You kicked their asses.”
“I only wanted to win to shove the money in Marion’s face.”
“We’ll add it to your nest egg.”
“Or maybe Araneae can use it for the institute?”
My phone within my suit coat vibrated. Madeline sat up as I pulled it from the interior pocket. The text message was from Sparrow.
CHECK OUT THE ATTACHMENT. FUCKER’S LUCKY HE’S DEAD.
I clicked on the attachment.
“Shit.”
Madeline
I changed into soft pants and a camisole covered by a plush hotel robe as Patrick communicated with Sterling, Mason, and Reid. While I wanted to know what they were talking about and what happened after we left, my mind was back in Chicago, contemplating my future talk with Ruby.
Would she already know?
Damn, if she didn’t, she would soon, the way she kept her face in the tablet she’d been given.
Closing the bedroom door, I found my new phone and taking a deep breath, hit the icon to call Ruby.
After three rings, she answered. Her voice was groggy.