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Something in my response, or maybe it was the sheer disgust at the prospect of what Edward was accusing me of, must have shown on my face or resonated in my voice because the last remaining traces of suspicion in Luc’s eyes fell away before he nodded in acceptance of what I said.
“Come on.” Luc stood and held out a hand for me.
I waved it away and got to my feet myself, not wanting to risk more unsettling contact between us. We walked side by side, and I felt all the last remnants of distrust melt away, which toppled the barrier our mutual attraction had hidden behind. My teeth sank into my lower lip as I realized how complicated things could become between us if we weren’t careful. I needed to be careful.
We headed back toward the dining room, where we ran into Max, who waited for me with Lil. She gave me a reassuring smile before turning her attention to Luc.
I left Luc behind to talk with Lil while Max ushered me down a long hallway and into an office, probably the same one he’d spent the hour or so in with Luc earlier. Once inside, he closed the office door then settled into a chair across from me.
“After I intercepted Luc leaving with you from the security office in his building, I placed a call to find out more about you.”
That couldn’t be good. I clasped my hands together in my lap to keep them from trembling. I didn’t say a word, just waited for him to continue.
“I know about the fake IDs. And your real age.”
Then he knew Tracy had also lied for me when she hadn’t sent human resources all the paperwork. He leaned back in his chair, and I knew it was to try to diminish how intimidating he was. It didn’t help. While he waited for me to speak, I deliberated over what I could say then finally decided to stick as close to the truth as possible. There was only one part of my story that had to stay hidden. If I spilled anything about Lauralee and her mob boyfriend or the blackmail, I risked him using me somehow. It wasn’t a gamble I was willing to take. So I told him about everything but that.
“I left my boyfriend a few months ago and needed to get a different job. The ID was to get a position that pays more than the crappy ones I’m qualified for. And being a few years older gave me a better shot of being taken seriously.” I forced myself to shut my mouth. Silence settled between us, and I squirmed in my chair as he observed me with those unusual gray eyes that I swore could see through me.
“You can talk to me or Nicole. Any one of us if there’s a problem.” He waited, but I didn’t trust myself to speak. “I know where you came from. You’ll find that many of us understand what a shitty parent is like, what they can do to you both mentally and physically.”
I gave him a slight nod and whispered, “Thank you.” Confusion marred my thoughts.
He stood and opened the door. “Nicole will show you where you’re sleeping. Luc will be nearby unless you don’t want him to be.”
Despite how angry I was with Luc, he was familiar. “No. That’s fine.”
There was meaning between the lines of what he’d said about being able to talk to him or Nicole. It gave me the sense that he knew I was in trouble, but maybe that was only because of the way Luc had dragged me there and the false accusation. We walked out together, and the entire time, one question nagged and rolled through my mind:Does he know I’m a target of Ben Amato’s? And if he found out, will he turn me over to him? And on that note, what’s on Lauralee’s phone? It had to be big if it got her killed.
CHAPTER NINE
LUC
After Summer talked to Max, Lil and I had a few moments alone. She motioned for me to follow her to the all-seasons room, and I did. It seemed to be a favorite place of theirs to gather, aside from the kitchen. The opportunity to get to know her was what kept me there, the only thing making me consider accepting the position of boss.
Lil sat on a couch tucked in a corner and surrounded by plants. It was secluded and almost like we were in another world. She had a quiet confidence about her that made me happy.
She tucked her hair behind her ears then smiled. “I’ve been waiting to meet you for a while, but it wasn’t the right time to contact you until recently. I wish”—she briefly squeezed my forearm—“that you could have met Mom.”
Anger stirred at the mention of her. She’d abandoned me first. And while I wouldn’t have changed my childhood—because then Breanna and I wouldn’t have become so close—the rejection still bothered me.
“I’m sure you have questions.”
“No.” I didn’t mean to snap, but that was how it came out.
She nodded slightly then dropped her gaze. “I want to tell you a little, just so you understand. I didn’t know everything, not at first. You deserve to know too.”
I leaned back, waiting. It was important to her, so I would listen.
“Mom was a dreamer. An artist. She was wonderful. Amazing. And I loved her with my whole heart. We would sketch together in the yard. She loved being outside and would take me to the beach, the botanical gardens, where we would spend all day laughing, playing tag, picnicking, and of course, drawing. She’d teach me about the different types of flowers. She used to call me Lily.”
“Was it just you and your mom? What about your father?”
“Benito adored and indulged her. But he didn’t go with us and instead surrounded us with dozens of soldiers. I don’t remember much of him when I was little. But he wasn’t cruel. That happened after she died.”
“I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to protect you, Lil.” I couldn’t go back in time to help her, but I was there in the present, and I would do whatever I could to build a relationship between us.
“It would have been wonderful to have had an older brother back then, but I wouldn’t wish Benito on you.” She waved the words away. “It seems we both had terrible fathers.”
