Page 79 of Captivated

That’s what almost killed her.

“You know,” Liliana said quietly, “I never really looked for any of that with Joe, but I was still maybe … protecting me, too. I run; or I push someone away when things get uncomfortable. Except with Joe, uncomfortable only meant if I thought he was discarding me in some way.”

“Maybe you knew you didn’t need to look for it in Joe.”

She had felt safe with him.

From that very first second.

“Yeah, I mean, maybe that’s—”

Liliana’s words cut off as a breaking news banner scrolled across the screen of the television, and interrupted the anchors discussing the awful downtown traffic, and an accident that had caused it. She only stopped to take notice because of the large mansion that was showcased from an aerial view as a helicopter flew overhead.

A mansion she recognized.

She’d visited it several times.

Before.

“Liliana?”

She heard her sister, but she couldn’t answer.

Not yet.

The video spanned wider—it showed a circular driveway filled with emergency vehicles, a black limo, and luxury cars.

Liliana’s throat tightened.

Her chest ached.

“A breaking story this morning,” the redheaded anchor said, “we’ve just received news that Republican Senator George Earl was found dead from what investigators say they believe to be an accidental drowning in his pool. We will keep you updated as more information develops.”

Liliana blinked.

Cella was still calling her name. “Hey, where did you go?”

“George is dead.”

“What?”

“George Earl—Rich’s father. He’s dead. Accidental, they said.”

Cella made a noise under her breath. “Good fucking riddance. The world won’t miss that enabling piece of shit.”

They said accidental. And yet, Liliana still wondered …

Her father had promised the man, after all. Lucian promised death, and he said no one would know the difference. No one would suspect a thing.

Was he keeping that promise?

She didn’t know her father to break promises.

Yeah, they said accidental.

Liliana still felt cold.

“Well done today, Liliana,” Gordo said.