“Uh-huh.” If kidnapping and drugging is love, I don’t want to know what Roland considers hate.
“I want to see her get backstabbed by the child she’s most partial to.” His eyes meet and hold mine.
Every instinct in my body screams that it’s a lie. She doesn’t care for me at all.
He shakes his head, reading me perfectly. “It’s not a lie. She’s also the most proud of you. Every time she speaks of you, she glows. It’s a bit sickening, actually. Doesn’t mean she lacks feelings for Ares and Bryce, but you hold a special place in her heart. And I don’t care how you do it, but I want to see you betray her. I want her to know what it’s like to be backstabbed by someone she admired and trusted.” His words end on a bitter note.
“Sounds personal.”
Roland’s mouth twists. “I worshipped Zoe. I thought she was like a goddess because she was always so capable and strong, and she never let anything get in the way of her goal. I just didn’t realize that to her,Iwas one of those obstacles. What she doesn’t know is that if she’d justasked, I would’ve sided with her to take Harvey out. Unlike her, I don’t backstab people who do me favors.” His eyes swing back to me. “I want to see hersuffer. If you can deliver that for me, I’ll leave you and your family alone.”
I hold his stare. “Define ‘leaving us alone.’”
“Nobody bearing the Dunkel name or belonging to the family empire will go near anybody bearing the Huxley name or contact you. We will disavow any connection between your family and ours. It’ll be as though we’re strangers.” He doesn’t break eye contact the entire speech. Then he adds: “Forever. You have my word.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Ailee
I head to Max’s and my favorite mom-and-pop café in downtown. She’s finally back, and of course, we have to hang out
Fluffy Haven is a small café with the best chocolate scones in the city. The elderly couple that owns it must make most of their money from the scone—not the coffee, because they have some of the cheapest brew in town. But everyone who drops by to grab a cup also gets a scone or two.
Max waves from the booth in the back with the most privacy. I take my tray, laden with a sugary coffee and chocolate scone, and head over. “You lookamazing!” she squeals, and jumps up to hug me as soon as I place the tray on the table.
I squeeze her back, enjoying the tight embrace. She’s a great hugger.
“So do you,” I say. Although her hair is in a messy bun and she’s wearing a sweatshirt and tights, she screams confidence.
She smiles. “And you’rereallydressed up.” Her eyes move up and down, taking in my high ponytail, fitted green dress and pointy sandals. “Got a date with Josh after this?” She waggles her eyebrows.
I laugh and sit down opposite her. “No. But I’m meeting his mother later.”
“Wow! Already at that phase?”
I shrug, then take a sip of the hot coffee. “She wants to talk.” But I don’t know what she wants to talkabout. Akiko was nice to me at the dinner, but maybe secretly she doesn’t approve?
Obviously, I wouldn’t say anything in front of the others to save your pride, but really, Ailee, you should know better.I sigh. Good old Mom’s voice, right on cue.
But I’m not going to let myself think negatively. Akiko seems sweet and kind, and I’ll take her at face value until I have a real reason not to.
“So where are you staying?” I ask. Max’s mom passed away last year, and as far as I know, she doesn’t have a father. At least,I’venever seen the man, even though we were neighbors. And she and her boyfriend don’t seem to be at the stage where she’d feel comfortable sharing a living space. “Sorry we haven’t gotten to talk about getting a new place. I didn’t think you’d be back until next week.”
“Neither did I, but there was a change of plans.” Max rolls her eyes, then munches on her scone. “So typical of him. I’m staying at a hotel right now. It’s comfortable enough. And I drove by our old apartment on the way here.” She shakes her head. “There’s nothing left of the building except some blackened I-beams.”
I nod. “Yeah, it’s pretty crummy.” We sit and think about that for a moment. “So, you want to get a new place together? We can look this week.”
“Sure, but…” She frowns. “Aren’t you with Josh now?”
“Yeah, but I can still pay half the rent. I don’t mind.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Plus”—I lower my voice—“the thing between me and Josh…it isn’t really real.”
“What do you mean?”
I explain the six-month commitment Josh made to spare my pride. As I speak, I realize that we have less than five months left. The idea makes my shoulders sag. Although Josh and Islept together yesterday, we still haven’t discussed what’s going to happen to our engagement. I should talk to him about it, but then he left early this morning. And a cowardly little bit of me was secretly relieved that I didn’t have to broach the subject.
