“Where is she, then?” I tried not to sound too desperate, but it was useless.
Sabrina sighed. “She decided to take some vacation time, but I don’t know where she is right now. Sorry.”
“Fuck!”
I pulled my phone from my pocket as I jogged back to my car. Liza didn’t answer, which wasn’t shocking. I’d been trying to call her for the past three days and my calls always went straight to voicemail every time.
Then a thought occurred to me as my tires squealed out of the office’s parking lot. I hung a left and drove in the direction of Heather Falls.
I parked near the house Castro had built and walked past the site where I had fought him to his death.
Following the same path we’d taken a few nights earlier, I found Liza standing in the lavender field. She didn’t turn to look at me, but she could sense my presence.
“It’s funny how my allergy is gone now that I remember everything.” She took a deep breath. “I think my subconscious reacted to lavender because of the bad memories associated with this field. Every horrific thought was connected to the flowers.”
She sat down, and I followed suit, not sitting too close. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
I waited a few moments before speaking up. “Liza, I’m sorry. Not just for the lies, but for all the pain and suffering my family has caused you. I know money can’t fix any of it, but there’s something you need to know about.”
Liza looked at me, one eyebrow raised in interest.
“Your parents set up a trust fund in your name. It’s been accruing interest for many years, and they were well-versed in the art of making smart investments. You are a very rich woman.” I pulled a folded piece of paper from my back pocket and handed it to her.
She unfolded it and stared for a moment. Eventually, her mouth dropped open in shock as she made sense of the long string of numbers at the bottom of the sheet.
“The bank is already aware of your name change, so you have full access to the money. There’s a safety deposit box in your name, as well. The president of the bank assured me that they can unlock it for you when you’re ready.”
Liza stared at the paper in disbelief.
“Oh.” I pulled another piece of paper from my pocket. “I have one more thing to give you.”
I handed over an address written in my dad’s handwriting. “This is where your parents are buried.”
Liza’s eyes widened. She was stunned.
“Dad wanted me to share a message with you. He said that greed tends to make people blind, and that sometimes the outcome of greed lives with you forever. Your parents were not bad people, despite their way of life. They loved their daughter and their pack. They deserved a proper burial.”
Tears streamed down Liza’s face, and I ached to hold her. I scooted closer, and she instinctively fell against my chest, releasing the emotions overwhelming her.
After a few minutes, she pulled her soaked face from my chest. “You still aren’t forgiven.”
I didn’t let go.
Liza wept on my chest. “I miss them so much.”
I held her even tighter, refusing to let go.
She wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me back. “I’ll sic my brothers on you if you ever lie to me again.”
I kissed the top of her head. “I’ll gladly take the beating.”
Once her tears stopped, we sat in silence, looking out over the lavender field. It was peaceful and beautiful. A far cry from the darkness that had hung over it only a few nights before.
Liza broke the silence with her soft, quiet voice. “I’m so pissed that Castro won’t face his crimes. I hope he’s burning in Hell.”
I took her hand and kissed it. “Karma always has a way of giving people what they deserve. An eye for an eye. Maybe this was the justice fate felt he deserved.”
She sat in quiet contemplation for a moment and then smiled weakly. “You may be right. Fate always seems to be one step ahead.”
