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“Are you listening? Are you still there?”
“I’m here.”
“You can’t let them get to you. You need to be strong.”
“But I’m not strong, Liam.”
“Tell me again what he said. Word for word.” When I don’t reply, he fills in for me. “He said he’d let you go?”
“Yes.”
“Good. That’s something. Did he hurt you? Tonight, I mean. Did he make you—”
“No.” Is it a lie? He didn’t make me do anything. But I feel too ashamed to tell Liam that the marriage has been consummated.
He exhales in relief. “Is he cruel to you?”
“Yes. No, not cruel, no.”
“Good. The rest of them don’t matter. He’s the one you have to focus on. He’s the one who decides.”
“I’m so scared.”
“He let us see each other. That’s something, Cristina. He did that for you.”
“No, he didn’t. He wanted something from me.”
“He can take anything he wants. He did it for you. You have to think about that. Focus on that.”
“What do you mean? How?”
“I mean he’s human. He has chinks in his armor, and you’re going to need to use his weaknesses against him. Against them all.”
I straighten, feeling a little better.
He’s right that Damian did what he did for me, for some strange reason. I don’t know why he doesn’t just take. And I don’t believe him that he feels badly about me and has since that night he intercepted me in the hallway when my father was killed.
“He hates his family too,” I say. “I know it. I see it. Feel it even. And I think they hate him.”
“Good. Then you’ll use that against him too. You’ll get close to him. Make him care about you. Make him trust you.”
“He won’t care about me.”
“He already does.”
No. That’s not right. “I don’t understand what he wants. Why he’d go against his family and let me go.”
“He and his brother haven’t been close in a long time. Since they were teens from what I’m learning. His sister, Michela, she ran away to get married and only returned to the house recently after her husband died. And only when she was destitute. And the father, he has cancer. I’m surprised he isn’t dead already, considering.”
“He’s a terrible man. Evil like that doesn’t die.”
“I do know that Damian was very close to his mother and sister, both of whom he lost in the accident.”
“But wouldn’t that only make him hate me more?”
“He’s a man, Cristina.”
“What does that mean?”
“Do I have to spell it out?” he pauses, and I can almost feel him roll his eyes. “You’re a beautiful woman. I know guys. He has a soft spot for you. A weakness. You have to focus on that.”
“I don’t think that’s right.”
“Trust me. I’ve seen how he looks at you.”
“Okay.” I don’t really know if I believe him but it gives me a little strength, at least.
“Did you know he was driving the night of the accident?”
“I just found out.”
“I wonder if his father blames him in some way too, in addition to blaming your father.”
“That would explain at least in part why they are how they are. Lucas blames Damian for sure. He made a comment about it.”
“Listen, I’m going to do some more digging here. Can I call you back?”
“Yes. But don’t leave a message, just in case. He just gave me the phone and I don’t know if he’ll take it back.”
“All right. You try to get an idea of his timeline and what he wants exactly. Because he has something specific in mind. I’d bet my life on it.”
I nod just as a soft knock comes on the door.
Startled, I gasp and turn to watch the door open.
It’s not Damian. He doesn’t knock.
I’m surprised to see Michela peek her head in. I get to my feet, but she puts her hand up, palm toward me, when she sees I’m on the phone. Then she backs away.
“Wait!”
She does.
“I have to go, Liam.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’ll be okay. I’ll talk to you soon.” I disconnect the call and Michela looks behind herself before slipping inside. She’s holding a small box.
“What do you want?” I ask her.
She glances around the room.
“He’s not here,” I say.
“I wanted to make sure Elise wasn’t lurking.”
I fold my arms across my chest, remembering that this is the woman who lured Simona into her car. Who essentially kidnapped her.
She looks me over, eyes the bottle of whiskey on the floor but doesn’t comment.
“Are you okay after that spectacle?” she asks finally.
“No, not really.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“Why would you say you’re sorry? You were a part of it.”
“I have to do what they tell me to do.”
This confuses me, but I refuse to care about this woman.
“Here,” she says, holding out the box.
“What is it? A welcome to the family gift?”
She shakes her head. “Protection.”
I just watch her.
“Take it.”
