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I offer her a weak smile before my eyes move to Gypsy, and she gives me a subtle nod of assurance. Birdie doesn’t know I’m the reason for her sister being here, but she’s about to find out.
“Birdie, why don’t you have a seat,” Gypsy tells her. “We need to talk to you.”
Birdie’s eyes move between us, and her smile disappears. “Why do I have a feeling you two are about to drop a bomb on me?”
“Because we are.” I force a levity into my tone that I definitely don’t feel.
She ditches her bags and comes to sit down on the sofa beside me with a somber expression. “You’re going to turn yourself in, aren’t you?”
“I am.” I nod. “This has gone on too long, and I can’t put it off any longer. One way or another, I’ll find out the truth.”
Tears spring to Birdie’s eyes, and she quickly dashes them away. “Believe me, I get it. I get it more than you could ever possibly know. And even though I’m sure Kodiak will kill me, I think you’re doing the right thing. I was sitting exactly where you are at one point, and I couldn’t move forward with Ace until I faced my past.”
I’m almost too choked up to speak, but I force the words out, anyway. “I don’t know what will happen, but I know I can’t make Madden choose. Zoe needs him. All of you need him. And as much as I want to stay right here, it would be the most selfish thing I could do.”
“It will be okay.” Birdie squeezes my hand in hers. “These things have a weird way of working out.”
“And you won’t be alone,” Gypsy adds. “Lucian’s going to meet us there. He’ll make sure everything is done by the book.”
“Thank you,” I tell her. “That’s very kind of him.”
She swings her gaze to her sister. “There’s just one thing we need from you before we go.”
“What is it?” Birdie asks.
“We need your help sneaking Eden out of the clubhouse.”
A mischievous glint flashes in Birdie’s eyes. “Please, I thought you were going to give me an actual challenge.”
Gypsy rolls her eyes, and I listen to them bicker about who’s the better hustler all the way down to the clubhouse. After Gypsy parks, Birdie dashes inside, and we wait in the car. Another wave of anxiety moves through me as I watch the door for ten long minutes. This was my one stipulation when I called Gypsy this morning. I told her I couldn’t leave here unless I knew Eden would be free to go on with her life. Regardless of what happens to me, she doesn’t deserve to be locked up.
“Are you sure she can pull this off?” I ask.
“Trust me, Birdie could do this in her sleep,” Gypsy answers. “She’s a master of distraction, but only because she learned from the best.”
I can’t help but smile at her response, and I find myself wondering about their past. Someday, if I ever make it back here, I intend to ask them.
True to Gypsy’s word, the back door opens a minute later, and Birdie rushes to the car with Eden right behind her. I’m relieved to see her, but it doesn’t look like the feeling is mutual. Eden is hesitant to get into the back seat with me, and I know when she glances at Gypsy in the driver’s seat, she’s questioning if we can really trust them.
“It’s okay,” I assure her. “Get in. We have to go.”
My words spur her along, and she slides into the back next to me, and Gypsy takes off. My heart doesn’t stop racing until the gates to the compound open, and she steers the car onto the highway. It feels like someone’s going to come along and catch us any second now, but as the minutes pass, I slowly relax.
“What’s going on?” Eden hisses under her breath.
“I’m going to the police station,” I tell her.
Her eyes nearly bulge out of her head. “Are you fucking crazy?”
“I have to, Eden. A lot’s happened that you don’t know about, and maybe someday I can explain it, but not right now. Gypsy will drop you off in Vegas, and you can get a bus somewhere else. Or you can stay. It’s up to you.”
As I speak, I realize how far I’ve come because the old me would have been afraid to let Eden go. She was my only friend in this world, even though she hasn’t been a great one. We relied on each other in some weird way, but time has given me a fresh perspective, and I understand now this is the best thing for both of us. I just want her to be happy and free.
“Are they telling you to do this?” She glares at the two sisters in the front seat. “Because you don’t have to.”
