“That’s not all. When I invited him in after he drove me home, he didn’t accept. I found out why the next morning when my Vespa was in my driveway. He’d fixed it and dropped it off later that night because he knew I wanted to drive it on the Fourth.”

Her mother looked intrigued. “That was thoughtful of him.”

“That’s what I’m saying. He did the kind of things Dad taught the boys to do. If we were at his place, he’d follow me home to make sure I got there safely, and he sent me texts to let me know he was thinking about me.” Many were dirty, but still. “But I saw the red flags, Mom. I noticed how he shut down when I asked about certain things, but I never would have guessed that this was what he was hiding. I’m pissed at him for getting close to me and not telling me what he did, and I’m angry at myself for disregarding the red flags, but I am furious with Blaine and the guys. I can’t believe Dad let them go after Tobias like that instead of making them come to me first. I can handle my own messes.”

“We know you can. But, honey, your father didn’t know what the boys were up to, and he’s not happy with the way this went down. Apparently, as soon as Blaine heard Tobias had a record, he went off half-cocked and rallied the others. Your father looked deeper into Tobias’s conviction—”

“I don’t want to know the details. I can’t. It’s too much. I can’t even believe…”

Her mother gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I understand. You can rest assured your father has given Blaine and the others a piece of his mind. He’s been sitting outside your house all day.”

“What do they think is going to happen? That Tobias is going to try to kill me? Because he’d never do that, and trust me, he’s had ample opportunities.”

“Your father is out there for you, honey. You might be all grown up, but you’ll always be his little girl. When you hurt, he hurts.”

“Is he disappointed in me? I’m probably the only person who could grow up with someone as all-seeing as him and have no clue that I was with a killer.” Tears welled in her eyes, and her voice cracked as she choked out, “I can’t believe he killed someone.”

Her mother’s brows slanted. “Honey, Tobias isn’t a cold-blooded killer. He got in a bar fight protecting his sister and threw one unlucky punch that killed the man.”

Madigan blinked several times in disbelief. “What? I don’t understand. Is that even possible?”