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No sign of a child though.
“Where’s Samuel?” The question slips from my lips quiet, like a threat as I turn back to Blair and her red-rimmed eyes meet mine, wide and fearful.
“He’s not here,” she croaks. Anger, hot and acidic swells up so fast in my throat that I almost choke, and before I know it, I lunge forward and my hand is flying out in a rage. I slap Blair right across the face, sending her reeling into the cushions with a cry.
“Stop dodging the fucking questions and answer me!” I yell, the screech of my tone shocking to even my own ears.
“I just told you, he’s not here!” Blair sobs into the pillows, “because— because he’s not real!”
Her words hit like the punch of a titan and I’m frozen in place. My suspicions were confirmed and yet I’m not as relieved as I thought I would be.
“What?” I ask slowly, my voice incredibly soft. Archer pushes up from his resting spot by the window and he takes a step closer.
“He’s not real,” Blair cries, “he never was. It was the only thing I could think of that would make Killian listen to me again. It was the only thing I knew he wanted badly enough to let me back into his life.”
Samuel isn’t real. Killian’s son doesn’t exist.
Sickness churns in my stomach and I have to turn away, pressing a trembling hand to my mouth as I fight down the urge to throw up right here. Suspecting it is one thing; I had that little voice in the back of my head telling me it was just jealousy. Confirming it is another.
“Why,” Archer demands coldly and he grabs Blair by the shoulders, hauling her up from the couch and giving her a violent shake. “Why!”
“They made me!” Blair wails.
“Who!?” Archer yells. I’ve never seen him this angry before.
“The Russians! I-I don’t know their names!”
Archer releases her like she’s made of molten lava and she sinks back down onto the couch, tears streaking down her perfect cheeks.
“You don’t understand,” Blair continues, wailing like a child. “Dante and Killian, theybothabandoned me. They both cast me aside like I was nothing, like I meant less than nothing so— so when the Russians came to me in Italy I was happy to help. I wasangryand I wanted my own revenge on them. I wanted you all to hurt, I wantedKillianto hurt.”
“You’re disgusting,” I spit bitterly, turning back to her once I’m certain my stomach is calm enough. “Youwere the cause of his pain, how dare you blame him for rejecting you after you cheated on him and broke his heart like that?”
“I wasangry!” Blair implores but her grief falls on deaf ears.
This is.. way more than I was expecting and way more than I planned for. I glance at Archer and his face is dark like thunder as he regards Blair with his lips curled.
“So you worked with them to try and kill him, is that it?” Archer asks and Blair nods. “So what was last night?” he continued. “We’re at peace with the Russians, why did the restaurant explode?”
“The people—,” Blair hiccups, “the people I work for, when I tried to stop they threatened to kill me. They’re not loyal to the new guy. When he took over, they changed their plans. They want to kill everyone and I-I’m still alive because they knew I could get Killian away from everyone. So I was to set him up and I—…” She dissolves into tears and she wraps her arms tight around her middle, rocking back and forth.
“You know,” I mutter bitterly, “if you’d come to Killian and told him the truth in the first place he probably would have helped you.”
“You thought we were the Russians,” Archer cuts in suddenly, “at the door. That’s who you’re expecting?”
“Yes,” Blair sobs.
Of course. Killian is still alive.
“She can’t stay here,” I mutter, taking a few steps away as the urge to strike out rises once more. “We’ll have to take her with us.”
“I have to call Killian,” Archer says abruptly, grasping Blair by the upper arm and hauling her to her feet.
“Help me get her home first, and then she can tell Killian the truth herself.”
Blair’s glistening eyes turn to me and I can see the thank you forming on her lips before she says it.
“Don’t,” I snap so sharply my jaw aches. “I only want him to hear the truth from you. What he chooses to do with you after is his call.”
