AllFreeNovel
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Zoe has been ignorant of the real world for too long. Maybe it’s a good thing, but it’s not a peace of mind she can afford while married to me.
I dragged her down. Made her an accomplice. I did what I had to do to make sure there was no turning back for her.
The warm scent of burgers and fries wafts through the car as I pull onto the road that leads to the lake.
Zoe perks up a little, sitting taller in her seat as she stares out the window.
As I park the car at the edge of the lake, she kicks off her heels and unbuckles the seatbelt.
She sighs as if she’s been holding back the weight of the world.
I leave the lights on, illuminating a path across the water.
“Do you want to talk about what happened back there?” My voice is soft as I slide my seat back and unbuckle, getting as comfortable as possible.
I don’t know how long we’re going to be out here, but for Zoe, I would stay here all night.
“Dad’s a lot to deal with at times,” she says as she sets the bag of food on the console.
She pulls out a burger and unwraps it with as much care as if it was a delicate flower. “Mom is even worse. I’m sorry about what they said back there.”
I take out a container of fries and shrug. “Don’t be. They both know what I am. Your father’s job is to know about problems in the state. The Herrera cartel is a problem.”
She takes a large bite of her burger and rolls her eyes. “I don’t think that’s the real problem, though. I mean sure, you are a criminal. There’s no denying that. You made me into an accomplice, which I’m still pissed about, by the way. But I don’t think either of my parents have a right to talk about what we choose to do with our future.”
I look away from her for a moment.
A future between us, something more than what our forced marriage entails, scares the hell out of me, even though I’m falling for her.
When I look at Billie and Alessio, I see a life I might want but don’t know how to get. Alessio is a good man underneath it all. He’s the kind of man who is going to make sure that Billie is always cared for and that no harm will come to her. They fought the odds to be together.
But I don’t know if I’m capable of that kind of love.
I watched my father not love my mother for years.
I’m already too much like him. I would hate myself more than I already do if I strung Zoe along with the pretense of loving her one day.
More than anything, I don’t want to be the person to break her heart.
“What do you think their problem with us is, then?” I ask, though I already know.
“They’ve lost control. The image of their perfect family is starting to shatter and neither of them knows how to deal with it.”
She doesn’t have a clue about who her father really is.
I’ve suspected as much for a long time, but after tonight, it’s clear. Zoe doesn’t know about all the damage that her father does. She doesn’t know about the illegal life he lives behind the scenes.
I’m not going to be the one to tell her either. If she doesn’t know who her father is, then I won’t be the one giving her the rude awakening that will come with finding out. I want to protect her from that for as long as possible.
It’s a hard world after you find out who your parents really are.
“And what do you think about no longer living that life with them?” I ask, finishing off my fries and reaching for my burger.
“That perfect family shit was all performative. They want me and Ava to fit into certain molds. I’m sure that they mean well, but they only care about my dad’s career and how what we do propels that. If it wasn’t for his career, the life we had wouldn’t exist, so I guess there’s that to be grateful for.”
“Now that you’re free, what are you going to do with your life?”
She hums for a moment, taking her time chewing the last bite of her burger. “I know that it’s dangerous to be out and performing right now, but if you’re okay with it, I would still like to do that every now and then. Just those two shows a week. I think I want to spend the rest of my time working on my music.”
