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“In case you don’t remember, Crow stole you from Bones. There’s no reason why someone else wouldn’t want to steal you from him. There’s something about you that makes you more valuable than a bag stuffed with millions. It was risky. Frankly, it was stupid.”
She stared straight ahead over the vineyards. “I’m aware. Thanks for reminding me.”
“You’re always taking crazy risks. Crow has looked the other way most of the time, but this was too much. You know I’m usually on your side most of the time, but this time…I’m on his side. You risked your life needlessly, and Crow and I wouldn’t have been able to save you. Just because you possess the Barsetti name doesn’t make you invincible. Vanessa was raped and murdered. I’ve been shot three times. Crow has been blackmailed… The list goes on. If anything, you’re more vulnerable because you’re more valuable.”
Her eyes shifted down to her feet, and she stared at her toes in her sandals. It was a warm day in the hillside, but the light breeze blew the sweat off our necks. “I can’t let a woman suffer like this. It goes against everything I believe in. There was a woman who used to fix me up for Bones, and I despised her for it. There was no real difference between us. She could have easily been in my position if she just took the wrong turn. And for her to accept my imprisonment… It made me sick to my stomach. If I don’t save Adelina, that means I’m no better than her.”
Whenever she talked about her captivity with Bones, I tried to tune it out. I loved this woman, and knowing she suffered only made me suffer. It made me think of my little sister and what she endured before she was finally shot in the head, her blood spraying all over my brother. It was my job to protect her—and I failed.
Crow failed too.
“It’s not easy for me either, Pearl. I don’t want Adelina to go through that.”
“Then don’t send her back.” She finally turned to me, looking at me for the first time.
“If it were possible, I would. What exactly did Tristan say to you?”
Her eyes shifted to the landscape again. “I offered to buy her, but he said she wasn’t for sale.”
I knew that’s what his response would be, but I still felt the rush of disappointment anyway. It hurt more than I thought it would, bringing me lower than I already was. “Of course she’s not…”
“He said he would only make an exchange—her for me.”
That was exactly something Tristan would say. “Don’t ever tell Crow he said that.” I knew my brother would reach a new height of fury. He would tear down his entire house and drown it in gasoline before he made a huge bonfire. He would never be sane again. Business wouldn’t matter to him. Tristan would be at the top of his vendetta list.
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
Despite how disgusting Tristan’s statement was, I couldn’t be too angry. Pearl was the one who went to his turf on her own. She had no business being there, and I was certain she was a smartass the entire time. The fact that he didn’t lay a hand on her was the ultimate sign of respect to both Crow and me. “And that’s not an option—accept it.”
“I couldn’t take her place even if I wanted to.”
At least she wasn’t a flight risk. “Did he say anything else?”
“Just stupid banter. Said Adelina was his favorite whore, and he missed her.” Both of her hands tightened into fists. “If I’d had a gun, I would have shot him.”
“And you would be dead, so I’m glad you didn’t bring one.”
“I hate feeling this way,” she whispered. “I want to get her out of this situation…she deserves better.”
Adelina was an exceptional woman who had a strength that matched Pearl’s. Her quiet beauty, her gorgeous eyes, the sound of her voice…all of it was hypnotic. “I wish I could help her too. But there’s nothing we can do. You need to let it go and move on.”
“There has to be something…”
“Unless I refuse to give her up. But that will lead to a war. And since he already has my shipment of weapons…the timing isn’t great. Men will die. Crow and I will be vulnerable. You’ll be vulnerable. It’s not worth it.”
She stared across the fields, solemn. “Then what will happen to her?”
“She’ll suffer…then she’ll die.”
“I’d rather just die instead.”
I debated telling Pearl what I’d offered Adelina. The cyanide pills would induce a heart attack. It would be painful, but it would be over quickly. It would look natural, that the pressure of her treatment caused her to collapse. And then it would be over. She would finally be free.
I felt so sick.
