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Daniel held onto Vivian a little more tightly. “I thought it was best to keep you away from that world. I don’t regret it. But maybe it was the wrong decision.”
“How could you have this other person in your life? Someone important enough you’d go to prison for? He’s obviously a dangerous man. Why do you associate with him?” Inch by inch, my temper ratcheted up.
“I don’t know any other way,” he said quietly, tugging on my heartstrings. “If it weren’t for him…”
“If it weren’t for him none of this would have happened!” I shouted. They didn’t seem to understand that. All of them were far too calm for my liking. I loved Daniel as much as I’d ever loved anyone, but this was a flat out betrayal.
“He helped me when I didn’t have anywhere else to turn.” A strained expression formed deep creases around his eyes. “I don’t like to deal in what ifs, but there is a very real possibility that if I didn’t know Donato, Vinny would have been the one to find you in that shipping container.”
We stared at one another, fear for what might have been bouncing between us. “He’s the one who wanted to kill me last night?” I managed to clip the words out as horror choked me. Just like that, I was back in the darkness of the container, terrified when I’d heard voices. There’d been someone else there that day, someone Daniel had prevented from seeing me.
Daniel nodded. “I don’t expect you to agree with my choices, but I need you to try to understand them.”
“Maybe I could if you’d been at least a little bit honest.” I pointed at him. “And don’t tell me you didn’t lie to me. Omission is why we’re here.”
Daniel pulled Vivian against him like a lifeline. “I have to do this.”
Panic, fear, and anger swirled inside me. He didn’t have to; he was just too stubborn to realize it.
Vivian reached for me despite that I was too far away. “Last night, I was exactly where you are now.”
That explained the scene in the stairwell. And while I didn’t doubt that was true, it did little to comfort me. I felt like I’d been cast out of our boat, left to tread water on my own.
“I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me about this,” I said, not bothering to hide the pain.
“I didn’t want to burden you, to hurt you.” He shifted toward me without letting go of Vivian, eyes full of remorse.
“Well, you have.”
I sat there for a moment, staring at Daniel. Over the last few weeks, I’d experienced real anger toward him for being so foolish about throwing Vivian away. But now? I was furious.
“Did you think you’d just go away one day and I wouldn’t notice?” I asked, voice rising.
“No. I explained in the letter why I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to suffer along with me.”
My heart shattered for the man I respected more than any other person. He had always put me first, even when he should have been thinking of himself. Yet I couldn’t piece together his logic. I understood the words, but not the reasoning.
“How could you keep this from me? You knoweverythingabout me, yet it’s all shadows and secrecy with you. If you’d been honest about what was going on, we could’ve tried to figure out another way. Instead, you chose to go it alone.” I leapt out of the chair and got right in his face. “You say all this is in the name of protection, but that’s a lie. It’s a lack of trust. In me. In Vivian.”
They all stared at me. Daniel said nothing. Not a protest. No denial. Nothing. I loved him, but I deserved more than that.
“Muriella—” he finally started.
I slapped his cheek. “I don’t want to hear it.”
His stunned expression quickly smoothed over. “I promised I would always protect you. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing.”
“No. You’ve been hiding while telling yourself this was for my protection. I know this has to be terrifying, but we’re supposed to be here for each other. You’re a fool if you think Vivian and I wouldn’t have found you. We love you, Daniel. Why can’t you accept that?” I held his face in my hands as I searched his eyes.
“I never meant to hurt you. Either of you,” he said, gripping Vivian’s thigh.
“Well, you did.” I let out a long breath as I dropped my hands in disgust. “I can’t—I can’t be around you right now.”
I stumbled toward the door. Everything inside of me hurt.
“M!” Vivian called.
I held up my hand without turning around. All the anxiety of the day crashed down on me. I needed time, but I wasn’t sure I could ever forgive Daniel for this.
