Page 67 of Obsessed Heir

“She’s fine,” I bite out, annoyed. “I’m not—” I can’t finish that statement. Honestly, whatever I might add, I’m probably guilty of, at least from her perspective. “She’s fine. And you’re ignoring the question,” I point out, redirecting the conversation.

Her expression turns thoughtful. Then her brow furrows.

“I didn’t realize Abigail had a fear of water. Though, thinking back, I can’t remember her ever taking advantage of a pool during our trips.” She cocks her head to one side. “So, I suppose it could be possible.”

I gather what little patience I have left. “What aren’t you telling me?” I ask bluntly.

“Well,” she begins, taking a deep breath. “Esteban once said…” She glances at me warily then rushes ahead, knowing how I feel about the man. “Well, you know Abby was born in Mexico.”

“Yes, Mother. I had our attorney put her through the citizenship process,” I remind her.

“Yes, that’s right,” she mumbles, blinking rapidly as if to gather her thoughts. “When they were coming across the border, her mother drowned.”

The information hits me like a punch in the gut.

“I wasn’t aware,” I admit. The summary I was provided only stated her mother was deceased, not how it happened. I can see how the girl, a child at the time, would have been affected.

“She had Abby in her arms when she went under,” Mother adds in a somber tone.

“Oh hell.” The pieces click together. Abigail’s panic, the way she clung to me, mumbling that she was going to drown. It all makes sense now.

I tighten my hand into a fist as anger surges through me. That photographer’s damn lucky I didn’t know this earlier.

“I thought she was too young to remember,” Mother says, thoughtfully. “Though we’ve never really talked about what happened, I can bring up the subject.”

“No, it’s best you don’t. She may not actually remember the incident.”

“True,” she says thoughtfully.

Our waiter approaches, a bottle of champagne in hand. “Would you care to have me refresh your glass, Mrs. McClelland?”

She gives him one of her society smiles that doesn’t reach her eyes. “That would be delightful, thank you.”

It’s not unheard of to have people drown while trying to come across the Rio Grande in search of a better life. But to lose your parent that way? It’s a shit thing to happen to a little kid.

“Sir?” The waiter’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. He waits to see if I’ll have him top off my half-empty flute.

“No, I’m good.” I shake my head. I still need to drop by the club later tonight. Holly suggested things were going well enough to leave it to the manager. Still, I’d prefer to see for myself and meet with the security lead before making a decision.

“Very well.” He gives a deferential bow. “If I might clear the table? Your dinner should arrive shortly.”

I nod, letting him stack the dinnerware used for the photography and remove it, leaving us in relative privacy again.

Mother lifts the glass. “Now, tell me all about your time with Abby.”

The image of Abigail, her legs spread across mine, back arching in ecstasy as she shattered around my fingers, flashes through my mind.

No, I’m not about to share the intimate details of what happened once we were alone. Much less the fact I wanted more. Instead, I shift the conversation in a different direction. “I understand you had a hand in having Abigail take part in this photo shoot.”

This time, her smile is one of genuine warmth and affection. “Abby is wonderfully photogenic,” she declares, with a mother’s pride. “And Holly needed a model, so I thought to point out she might be perfect for the role.”

Surprisingly, her gushing over Abigail doesn’t annoy me as much as it normally would. In fact, I find myself silently agreeing with her assessment. Which, in itself, bothers me. Again, I’m reminded the girl shouldn’t even be here.

“It surprises me she didn’t mention being afraid of water when you talked about her coming along for the trip.”

A faint blush rushes across her cheeks. “We didn’t have much time for that,” she says, flustered.

This time it’s my turn to narrow my eyes at her. “What exactly does that mean?”

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