“Dante, how do you feel about what Missy said?”
Reaching over, I grabbed Missy’s hand. “I’m angry too,” I admitted. “I’m angry Danny lied to me, not just about when he left, but about Melissa, about my mother.”
“He knows who your mother is? Is she alive? Does she know where you are?”
“Missy,” Haizley groaned. “Let Dante speak. You are not a therapist right now. Continue, Dante.”
“But I’m also thankful. I’m thankful Danny found Melissa, and I’m thankful Melissa took care of Dani for us.”
“Danny?” Haizley asked, looking over at him. “How are you feeling?”
“Oh, I’m fucking angry.”
Of course he was. I silently groaned.
“Why?” Haizley asked.
“I’m angry that the woman I trusted to take care of my husband and daughter when I left can’t shut her fucking mouth long enough to actually listen to why I left and what happened!”
“How long does it take to say the words ‘club business,’ Danny?”
“Missy, stop it,” Haizley chastised. “Both of you are acting like children. Neither one of you wants to see this from the other person’s side, and you have Dante caught in the middle of your bullshit.”
About time someone saw the truth!
“Let’s start over. I am going to ask the questions, and you are going to answer them. Only when I ask you. Practice some self-control and do not interrupt.”
“Missy, what did Danny lie to you about?”
“He said he was committed to his family. Only he walked away. He told me they were prepared to uproot their entire lives to be where their daughter needed to be, because nothing was more important than Dani’s healing. And less than two weeks later, he was gone without a word.”
“Danny, would you like to respond?”
Danny said nothing at first as I waited on bated breath for his response, when he shocked the hell out of me and spoke. “Melissa’s right. I did say I was committed to my family and uprooting our lives for our daughter was something we are both still prepared to do. I didn’t lie about that. Going to New York wasn’t something that was planned or something that could be avoided. The truth is, the woman I went after has been trying to destroy the world for decades. She had to be stopped, and I thought I could do it.”
“You were selfish,” Missy snarked, and I closed my eyes in defeat.
“How does wanting my family to be safe make me selfish?”
“What were you trying to do? How did you plan to stop her? I assume this was the woman responsible for the hell Dante went through. For the abduction of Dani? What was your plan, Danny?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
They would never get along. It was impossible. Neither one cared enough to take five fucking minutes to listen to the other. Both were too damn stubborn and headstrong, digging in their heels, thinking they were right, when technically they both were.
“Dante, you’re quiet,” Haizley said. “Anything you want to add?”
“Can I ask a question?”
“Of course.” Haizley smiled.
Facing Missy, I asked, “Melissa, tell me about Gunner.”
Her head snapped to mine. “What?”
“Tell me about Gunner. What happened?”
“We are here to talk about Dani. Not me and my brother.”
