“You’re awake!” She threw her arms around me. I cringed, sore as hell, but squeezed her back, grateful to know that she was okay. That she was out in public and we didn’t have to worry about anyone finding out that she was alive anymore. “So is everything finished, then?”
I nodded. “All of them.”
“I can’t believe you got to Dalton too.” She shook her head. “And thatyouwere okay with that,” Corinne raised her brows at Lena. Lena exchanged a knowing smile with me.
“He wasn’t a very good person,” Lena said.
We walked out of the building to the valet, Corinne talking the whole time about everything that we could officially do now. Lena and I listened and added our own comments whenever Corinne paused for a breath. Being in the hospital while I was recovering had been the most Corinne had done in a long, long time, and though I didn’t show it, I was happy to see her bubbly like that.
My driver took us to the Callen House. Inside, Corinne stopped at the stairs.
“I get it,” she said.
“You get what?” I asked.
“You two have been pretty quiet. You must need to make up and bang it out or something.” She tossed a hand to the side. “I’ll be in my room.”
She went up the stairs like she owned the entire second floor.
“Once she found out that Vaughn was dead, she moved out.” Lena shrugged. “She did it quickly too. Like an Olympic sprinter.”
I guess I should have expected that. Being my little sister’s stand-in-father had never been my plan, and I had done such a grand job of screwing it up, that I never thought of what we would do once I made the world right for her again.
But now, I had the chance to help her. And to help Lena too.
Lena and I walked to the balcony overlooking the pools and the gardens decorating the backyard. I stretched against the railing, my calves and biceps straining, then glanced over at the Dalton House. Her backyard seemed different from before, the tree branches cut short, the lawn trimmed, new cement laid on the sides.
“Did you hire a new landscaper?” I asked.
She nodded. “I figured it’s time to sell. John left me a lot in his will.”
A smile flickered behind her eyes. Did she know I had changed it for her?
“Don’t worry,” she added. “I moved John’s body.”
I narrowed my eyes. She wasn’t the best at hiding her actions. “How?”
“Told the Marked Blooms Syndicate you needed the help relocating it,” she said.
We stayed for a while like that, the two of us exchanging hesitant glances, then turned our attention to the yards in front of us. It seemed strange to know that I was officially a member of the Marked Blooms Syndicate, and that in reality, my membership rested on Zira’s will. I didn’t understand her, but I didn’t need to. Lena was safe. Zira must have liked Lena as much as I did.
“Everyone has their intentions,” Lena started. She laced her fingers together, then pushed her fists down, forcing her eyes to meet mine. “But I don’t think either of us went into,” she paused, searching for the right word, “whatever this is,” she motioned between us, “thinking about how we would come out.”
Those were some of the truest words either of us had said in a long time. How could we have predicted that we would growthisclose over a few shared secrets?
And how could I have known that I would screw it all up by keeping my secrets from her?
“I’m sorry,” I said. She pressed a hand to her chest, holding her breath. “I never meant to get you involved like this. I should have told you the truth.”
A few seconds passed. I squeezed the railing until my knuckles flashed white. Lena reached over, putting her hand on top of mine.
“I’m sorry too,” she said. “But thank you for fighting for me.”
I pulled her around so that she was facing me. I searched her honey-brown eyes, gazing deep within her. She was thanking me, butshewas the one who had shown me that strength wasn’t about being the only person you could count on. It was about knowing who challenged you, who made you stronger.
And despite everything that I had done wrong, Lena was still there, waiting for me. I wasn’t going to mess that up anymore.
“I’m never going to let anyone hurt or touch you again,” I said, my tone stern.
