Page 125 of Born for Starlight

That got my attention. “Do you really think so?”

“I know so. They were going to have that auction whether you were there or not. We just found out about it, and were able to stop it. Dantas was able to arrest all of those buyers. That’s because of you. Because you stirred up that hornet’s nest. Because of you. Angelica Drakos.”

I shook my head. “Don’t, Matthew. Don’t try to make this all better than it is. Don’t make me some kind of star in my own movie. You and I know better than this. I was the patsy. You were using me to get to the big fish.”

“I was. To begin with, I was. I admit it. But like every other movie you’ve ever starred in, the guy fell in love with you, and did everything he could to save you.”

“You—”

“Angelica, you know damn good and well that I gave up on the Salgados and did everything I could to save Luzia. So yeah, I might have started out one way, but I ended going another way. Are you telling me that there is no room for redemption in an Angelica Drakos movie?”

“You've got your redemption, Matthew. Right up to the bullet. It's the seven weeks after I'm asking about.” I turned away from him. I couldn’t bear to look him in the eye. I was afraid he would say something easy and I would believe it because I wanted to, not because it was believable.

“Angelica, I was done with my job the moment Luzia lived. I was done. I’d made my choice and it was her and it was you. I was packing up. You’ve got to believe me.”

“Then why the great escape?”

“Dantas.”

“What about Dantas?”

“He got sent a video. It was a meeting, and you were mentioned. You were a target, and I couldn’t let that stand.”

“So why not tell me?”

“You needed to be kept in the dark. If you did one thing differently than your normal routine, they would accelerate their timeline. I needed to get to them fast.”

“Fine. You couldn’t tell me. Couldn’t you have called? Did it always have to be texts?” I hated how my voice sounded. So weak. So needy. Then I saw his face. Torn. Wrecked.

“I don’t know if I could have handled being away from you so long if we’d talked. I’m not sure I could have kept going. The only way I knew to stay on the path, was to not talk to you. I was a coward.”

“Oh, Matthew.”

Chapter Forty

“Is that a good ‘Oh Matthew’ or a bad ‘Oh Matthew’?” I asked.

“It’s a what am I going to do with you, ‘Oh Matthew’,” she answered.

There were tears in her eyes, and they about killed me. I wasn’t here to make her cry. I wanted to make her happy. That was my new life’s goal. Make Angelica Drakos happy. Hell, that’s why I’d moved Heaven and Earth to have Luzia arriving tomorrow.

“Maybe you could kiss me?”

“I think it’s a little too soon for that.” She pulled her hands out of mine.

“Why?”

“I’m still dealing with the fact that you’re here. That you didn’t just abandon me.”

There she was sitting on the couch, looking smaller than normal. Bereft. I imagined her as that toddler in the orphanage where Jase and his brothers had found her. She must have looked a million times more forlorn. And what had they done?

Slowly, so she had all the time in the world to draw back, I reached up and cupped her cheek. She nuzzled into my palm.

Good. That was a good start.

“Can I hold you? No kisses. Just hold you. I need to feel you in my arms, Angelica.”

Her brown eyes searched mine, and then she nodded.