Page 130 of Vicious Sentiments

Cape balks at his brother as Margo whips her head to look at Julian. Her eyes have gone wide and whatever solace the alcohol gave her has disappeared. The look on her face lets me know that my theory is correct and I suddenly feel like throwing up.

“You did what?” Cape barks.

“You don’t know what you are talking about.” Margo narrows her eyes at Julian.

“Ma, you have to tell us what’s going on because none of this makes any sense.” Julian remains calm. “When I was twelve, I saw you break the pinky of a man who groped you at a holiday party. There’s no way you would let Dillon do what he just did or has been doing—” Julian’s fist clenches at his side. “—if you didn’t have a reason. So unless you are actually in love with our step brother then I suggest you—”

Margo puts a hand up and her face turns green. “Stop.”

The quiet tension eats at my ear drums and I can see the wheels turning in Margo’s eyes. I don’t for a second believe she is in love with Dillon. I know what it looks like when someone forces themselves on a person without any invitation. I’ve seen it in my own reflection and Margo didnotwant Dillon to kiss her.

“I made the hit,” she says at last, and Cape’s jaw hits the floor.

“They weren’t even a threat, Ma,” Julian says. “Why would you want them out of the game? Macala was your friend.”

She shakes her head quickly and bangs her fist on the table. “I didn’t want Macala dead. I wanted John dead,” she snaps. “The whole thing went to shit.” She stands abruptly and pours another drink.

“I don’t understand,” Cape says. “I thought it was an accident. You said it was an accident.”

“It was an accident. It was only supposed to be John in the car.”

My mind is reeling. Why would she want just their father dead? That doesn’t make sense if she was trying to eliminate the competition like the FBI folder said. She would have needed to take out Macala too since she was the one that had the connections from Margo.

Margo swallows the next drink in one gulp and then pours another before she sits back down.

“I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” she muses and spins the crystal glass in a circle.

“What does that even mean?” Cape growls.

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that.” Margo levels a glare at him. “You’re my son but you don’t know everything about my life.”

Julian leans forward. “Then tell us, Ma. We just want to understand.”

She takes a deep breath. “Dillon is more like his father than I anticipated. Marney though, she’s more like Macala.” She smiles tightly to herself and then downs the rest of her glass.

Julian leans over the table and pulls the empty glass away from her. “You aren’t making sense.”

She doesn’t look at him though and instead finds my eyes. “I think you’ll understand this the most, Peach.”

From my peripheral I can feel Cape’s look of confusion on me and my bottom lip falls a little. I have no idea what she’s talking about.

After a moment, she releases me and cocks her head at Julian. “Your father was a good man. But before I met Luca, I knew a lot of notso good men. I refuse to go into the details but I’m sure by the state you found Hailey in, you can make some guesses.”

I dip my head and hide behind my hair as Julian looks at me. I never wanted to assume that someone as strong as Margo had been through anything similar to me but I see it now. In the way she didn’t press me in the laundry room when she saw my rib or in the way she welcomed me with a knowing gaze. She knows all too well.

“When you go through something like that, it changes you, makes you sick with vengeance. So yes, I have snapped a few fingers for getting handsy with me but that’s not what tortures me when I lay my head down at night.”

“I don’t see what this has to do with Dillon,” Cape huffs and goes to the bar cart. He pulls the top on the crystal bottle but doesn’t grab a glass and instead drinks from the bottle.

“Dillon’s father John was not a good man,” Margo continues. “And Macala wouldn’t leave him. I begged her to leave him but she wasn’t at that point yet. Sometimes we stay all the way till we break, but I couldn’t let it go that far. I know what it’s like to break and you can never put the pieces back together. I didn’t want that for her. So I put the hit on John.”

I know exactly what she means. As much as I’ve found happiness here, I still have pieces of myself that are missing and I’ll never get them back. How many times had I wished that someone would kill Mr. Canes? Or my Dad?

“I never intended for Macala, or Dillon and Marney to get hurt. They weren’t supposed to be in the car.” Her eyes flood with unshed tears.

Julian shoves his hands in his pockets and rocks on the balls of his heels while Cape pauses with the bottle half way to his mouth.

“And you thought it would be a good idea to bring in the children whose parents’ you had killed?” Cape shakes his head. “No wonderDillon is trying to bring us down. He wants revenge.”

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