Page 82 of No Greater Oblivion

Everything changed when, during a weekend trip to the Hamptons last summer, I encountered Special Agent Morales. It was nothing more than a hook up at first, some fun to pass the time while I decorated my new summer house. But then, I noticed a few things. How he’d always ask questions about my friends, who they were, how we met, what they did for a living. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was fishing for information and I’d already come to my own conclusions about Damiano, Rian, and the others.

Damiano was curious about where my money came from. I was curious about his. I think eventually, we both figured it out for ourselves.

Morales made a mistake when he asked about Alejandro. One night when he was hammering me with questions, I’d asked why he was so curious and his excuse was that Rian and Li sounded familiar, people he knew through a friend of his named Alejandro Narvaez and asked if I knew him as well. I held a gun to his head and told him he had sixty seconds to get out of my house. Apparently, that wasn’t a good move because in doing so, I’d shown him my Achilles heel; Alejandro.

Then again, I suppose it all worked out in the end because Morales explained he was trying to help. From there, I learned about Amy Walsh, Li’s involvement in her death, and how Narvaez Enterprises was wrapped up in Li’s businesses. Not only that, but how if Li went down, he planned on taking everyone with him. I couldn’t let that happen.

Rian became my new target. As Li’s best friend, I could go through him to get the information I needed. However, for months I’d kept him at a distance and so I needed to think of a clever approach. I considered getting to him through Lyss—they’d struck up a friendship, or at least a very familiar acquaintanceship, but it wasn’t enough. Which meant I’d have to take a gamble and get to Rian through the one other person he trusted and who was unlikely to forgive me if he ever found out the truth; Damiano.

Days turned into weeks into months. Damiano took me everywhere with him and little by little, I carved out the path that would eventually lead me to Rian.

I had two goals in mind: find the murder weapon to turn over to the FBI and figure out whatever Li and Alejandro were involved in so if there was evidence implicating the latter, I could destroy it. The gun came first and I’ve held onto it as leverage ever since, hoping it would buy me more time while Morales did his part. However, things didn’t go as planned.

I developed feelings for Rian in the process and what was supposed to be a plot to save one man ended up with me protecting the other. Because Morales and I both realized very quickly that this was about so much more than a dead FBI agent.

“At first, we thought Li was setting up Alex to take the fall. He knows the FBI and the DEA keep closing in on him and it’s only a matter of time before they finally have enough to take him down. My concern was that if Li went down, he’d implicate Alejandro and his family’s company, and then…well…you know.” I swallow the lump in my throat and push through. “So I got close to Rian in order to get close to Li.”

The room is so deafeningly silent. I can hear my bones crack and creak as I ring my hands.

“Morales and I don’t think he’s setting up Alex to take the fall anymore. We think⁠—”

“Was any of it real?”

Rian holds my gaze and I’m too afraid to look away.

No use in lying now. “Not in the beginning. But later…yes.”

“Do you think we ever had a real shot?”

“I know you’re upset⁠—”

He shakes his head. “No, Dahlia. I’m not upset. Upset is for when you can’t find your car keys and you’re running late. It’s for petty disagreements and mood swings.”

I hold my breath in anticipation of the blow I know he’s about to deliver.

“I am deeply and irrevocably disillusioned. I feel betrayed.”

“Rian, please⁠—”

He gets up from the sofa and brushes past Lyss, who’s seated beside him, on the way out. “I need some air.”

Alejandro’s eyes narrow slightly. I sense movement from where he’s seated and reach out to grab his upper arm where my nails dig into the flesh of his hard biceps, warning him to stay where he is. His lips purse but he sits back down and says nothing.

Lyss struggles for a long moment and we linger in an uncomfortable silence. “What is wrong with you?”

“I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“The right thing would’ve been to tell Alex as soon as you suspected something. Not play government agent and get real people hurt in the process—Jesus.”

She stands and heads for the door.

“Will you talk to him?”

“Obviously,” she snaps back at me from the hall.

The front door opens and closes with a slam.

What a royal mess I’ve made of everything. Even Lyss has run out of patience with me and she has the temperament of a saint. She’s the only one in my life whose known the truth about Alejandro all along and has never left my side. Now I wonder if she regrets her decision.