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“How are you here?”
“Malcolm helped me.” He shakes his head at my protest. “It’s a long story.”
“The dean was here. He told me—” I stop and stare at my hands. “He wants to kill me.”
“I know. Come on. I won’t let that happen.”
I move toward him, but stop.
It’s Emilio. I want to go to him so badly it hurts. I think of him saving me not once, but twice. I think of his lips, his body. Fucking him on the boat. Spending those hours with him in the hotel room. The joy of being at Calico House, of feeling like I belong somewhere, like I belong to someone.
I know he cares about me, but he still lied.
“I can’t.”
He tilts his head. “You can’t?”
“How am I supposed to trust you, Emilio?”
“I withheld information from you. I should’ve told you from the start, but I have my reasons. Dean Wotherspoon will kill you if you stay.”
“What are your reasons?”
His face twist and he glances at the door. “We don’t have time for this.”
“Emilio—”
He steps toward me and I flinch back. That makes him stop and he stares at me with pure pain in his eyes. I shake my head and hold up my hands, and he takes a calming breath and doesn’t move.
“If you knew about the dean, you would’ve been in danger, just like you are now.” He stares at me and I believe him, even though it breaks me, I believe him. “Once I started this shit with the dean, I couldn’t stop it, not if I wanted to make sure my people were safe. It stopped being about me very quickly, and became about Lesley and Paola and Dirk. Hell, it’s been about you and Dom and Nathan, too.”
“Not Terrence?”
He shakes his head. “Terrence is no longer part of the society.”
“Did you kill him?”
“No. I sent him home. And I’ll take care of his sister. But Kaye, none of this matters. Dean Wotherspoon is desperate and dangerous, and if we don’t get out of here right now, he’s going to hurt you. I can’t allow that to happen.”
“You said Malcolm got you in here?”
“He’s helping for now, but he’s got his own problems.” He moves closer. This time, I don’t flinch away. He holds out a hand and I stare at his fingers.
Can I forgive him? I came here to find out the truth about my sister’s death, and after struggling and fighting, I finally uncovered the truth. Even though Emilio hid what really happened, I believe that he did it for the right reasons.
And now I understand something even more important.
I can let Lucy hold me back for the rest of my life. I can cling on to her memory like a drowning woman and pretend like my sister actually loved me.
Or I can move on.
I can start over.
I can have my own life, without her dragging me under.
Emilio’s hand wavers in the air.
He’s my chance. He’s my future. If I can leave Lucy behind—I can have him.
