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Her mom waved the cigarette back and forth in front of her. “It can’t be that bad. What’d he do this time? A black eye? Busted lip? Broke her wrist again?” Her mother seriously didn’t think any of those things were that bad to happen to her daughter.
Cyn wanted to punish Rad tenfold for everything he’d ever done to her sister. “What would it take for you to think that Rad hurting your daughter was bad?” She could feel the anger building inside her like a living thing stretching and spreading through her.
“Oh, come on. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“What way did you mean that it didn’t much matter to you if she had another black eye, busted lip or broken arm? What if he beat her so bad she was more black and blue than pale skin like he did when she was just a couple months pregnant? Would it be okay with you if he backhanded Lana across the face and busted her lip?”
Her mother’s mouth drew tight into deeper creases. “She’s just a baby. What would she do to get him to hit her?”
“Cry. Not do what he wants. The same things he hit Angela for. But you know what? I’m not sure what’s worse. Him for hurting her. Or you for being so apathetic and blaming Angela for what he did to her.”
“I told you to put a stop to it.”
Cyn scoffed, held her arms out, then let them drop. “Now it’s my fault.”
Her mom drew in a long drag on the cigarette, eyes narrowed on her. “What do you want from me?”
“I want you to care!”
“I do care. But you’ve said it a million times. She needs to decide she’s had enough and leave. You’ve begged her countless times and she won’t do it. So what do you want me to do about it?”
Cyn held back the scream of anger. “There’s nothing to do now. She’s gone.”
Her mom’s eyes lit up. “Great. Where did she go?”
Cyn shook her head. “No, Mom. She’s gone. For all I know, they’re both dead.”
Her mom shook her head. “No. That’s not true. You’re lying.”
“He got fired yesterday. Guess who he took out his anger and frustration on.”
“He wouldn’t do anything like that. They argue. They fight. It gets out of hand sometimes, but he loves her.” She seemed so sure about that when all the evidence and history told her otherwise.
“No,” Cyn snapped, pissed off her mom still didn’t get it. “He used her as his punching bag. He made her feel worthless and unlovable and then he hurt her again and again because he wanted to feel in control and like a big man, but he’s a worthless piece of shit who killed her.” There, she’d said it out loud. And, oh God, did it hurt.
Her mother wrapped one arm across her chest, the smoking cigarette in her other hand, her face pale, eyes filled with defiance and fear that Cyn was right. “No.”
“I went there last night to get her. She and Lana weren’t there. But he was, with scratch marks on his neck.”
“See? She took the baby and left.”
“No, Mom. You can’t possibly believe that.”
“She left him.” Her mom nodded, like that would make it true. “Just like you wanted.”
Cyn huffed out an exasperated breath. “Then tell me where she is. Where would she go with a six-week-old baby if she left him?”
Her mother’s gaze bored into her and she pointed the cigarette at Cyn. “She’s not gone.”
“Everything she owned, her purse, were all in the house. Her car is missing. The police are looking forher, the baby, the car. But Rad told me I’d neverfindher. Not without him telling me where she is.”
It took her mother a long moment to speak. “And the baby?” Her voice trembled, the first crack in her this-can’t-be-real shell.
“It is my greatest hope that he stashed Lana somewhere with someone he knows will take care of her until he can go to her. His parents were questioned. They don’t believe he did anything. They believe Angela left with the baby of her own free will. But you know, Mom. You know the only place she’d go.”
“To you,” her mom finally admitted, then burst into tears and crumpled to the floor, crying.
Ed walked in, pulled her into a hug and looked up at Cyn. “Look what you’ve done.”
