Vengeance

Daddy frowned. “Not one of the ones who—”

“Absolutely not. Jonovan was actually nice to me. He’s the one who got me out of there that night when . . .”

“Have you seen him since you’ve been back there?”

“Yes, but it was by coincidence both times . . . so far.”

“You didn’t tell him who you really are, did you?”

“I have all kinds of mental issues, but being stupid isn’t one of them. That’s too risky. I can’t ever tell him.”

“But you’re interested in him?”

“He’s still nice.” I finished off my water. “He’s seeing someone, casually according to him, but it’s just as well. Maybe I’m too fucking complicated for someone to love.”

“You can’t live a positive life with a negative mind.”

“I hate getting flashbacks from things I don’t want to remember.”

“So what’s Dr. Spencer doing about that?”

“I haven’t even told her about that night yet.”

“Because?”

I blinked hard twice and then looked down at the floor. “Those people . . . the ones who did it. I’ve been spending time with them.”

Daddy almost dropped his expensive bottle of whiskey—mid pouring—when I revealed that. “What does spending time mean?”

“They’re swarming around me like the damn opportunists that they are, trying to connect with the biggest star in the city. Trying to get me to hire them or hook them up.”

“Don’t do anything ridiculous, Ladonna!”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“If I ever feel like I’m about to end up on that show Snapped, I promise that I’ll call you to stage an intervention. I’ve been doing pretty good, all things considered. Nothing like the extreme rough patches in my past.”

I was referring to the cutting I used to engage in, the times that I used to be destructive to items around the house—breaking them or flinging them at servants across the room, and the few times I had actually hauled off and attacked people, like I had with Sebastian that night at Hannah’s apartment.

“I did tell Marcella about Hannah.”

“I’m sure that was difficult.”

“All the pain came rushing back. It was like I was still in that hotel bathroom in Paris, sitting in her blood. And her note was so horrific. Her cutting off her . . .”

“We’ve been over this. There was nothing you could have done.”

“I realize that life goes on, but sometimes that’s the hardest part.”

Daddy leaned on the arm of the chair and put his right hand over his head. “We should turn in. Don’t forget we have reservations at Norma’s for brunch tomorrow.”

Daddy loved the selections at the restaurant inside the Le Parker Meridien on West Fifty-Sixth Street. They only opened for breakfast and brunch until three in the afternoon daily. My personal favorite was the Foie Gras Brioche French Toast with asparagus and onions. Daddy preferred the Duck n’ Eggs with confit hash, peppers, and onions. We always split the Nova Smoked Salmon Ring with eggs so we wouldn’t look greedy or have to waddle up out that billy.

“Yeah, I am kind of exhausted. Those cosmos still haven’t quite worn off yet.”

“You’re going to be up and down all night from drinking all that water.”