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This year, though, is turning out to be one massive stinker.
“We’ll figure something out,” I whisper. “For now, we need to stop the bleeding.” I roll up his shirt, creating a sort of pad. I wedge it between his wound and his seat. “Lean back. Apply as much pressure as you’re able.”
He continues to stare at me. It’s unnerving.
“What?” I demand.
“Favreaux has my daughter.”
Now it’s my turn to stare. “Excuse me?”
“After the library incident. I came home and found Penelope dead.Favreaux got to her.”
My head spins. This is all too much for me to comprehend. “Penelope’s… dead? This whole time?”
Gabriel nods slowly. “He took Odette hostage.”
“I thought he was in prison.”
“He got out. Either early release or he managed to escape. It doesn’t matter. Point is, he’s out and he somehow knows about the McHale Fortune.”
A part of me wants to rip my hair out.Ididn’t even know about the McHale Fortune. First Lucius, now Favreaux… There’s no telling how many people are after Dad’s money.
“So he… What? Blackmailed you into stealing the McHale Fortune first in exchange for your daughter?”
“Pretty much.”
“So that’s why you agreed to help me.” I roll my eyes, feeling so,sostupid for trusting him so willingly. “And I thought you were doing it out of the goodness of your heart.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you, Raquel.”
“So what was your plan, huh? What were you going to do once we got our hands on the USB?”
Gabriel shrugs his good shoulder. “I don’t know.”
“Were you going to kill me?”
“Fuck, no,” he says, adamant. “Raquel, I…”
“What?”
He struggles to get the words out. “Never mind.”
I place my hands on the steering wheel, numb to everything. I’m torn between laughing and crying. Delirium weighs down my thoughts, leaving my head foggy. I want to be angry. Iamangry, but I’m also sympathetic. If Favreaux really did take Odette to use against Gabriel…
“This is seriously fucked up,” I grumble.
“You can say that again.”
“Was sleeping with me part of your plan to earn my trust?”
Gabriel frowns. “No. No, Raquel, how could you think that?”
“What am Isupposedto think? You were using me this whole time. I have to assume everything I felt for you was fake. Fabricated.Manipulated.”
“Everything you felt?” he echoes softly, barely audible over the rushing air of the car’s dashboard heaters.
I grind my teeth. “I was… I was really falling for you.”
