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Kayla and I lapse into silence.
“See? This is what you do. You know you aren’t protecting me by leaving me in the dark. You’re shielding him from ever having to deal with what he’s done. Talk to me and stop treating me like a baby.”
I breathe loudly into the phone. “Don’t you get it Trin? Our refusal to say anything is because we don’t want to see the truth dim your light.”
“It was Daddy, wasn’t it? The person Aris spoke about yesterday. Daddy’s been using us to keep you in line?”
I can’t see her, but the broken quality as Trinity connects the dots paints a sad picture. “Yes,” I whisper.
“Niyah… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Just stay safe. Depending on how you look at things, Aris’ men are worse than our father’s, so you’ll have better protection than we’ve ever had.”
“Tell me about it,” Kayla grumbles. “They’ve caught me trying to sneak out so often that I’ve given up to regroup.”
I snicker. “Why am I not surprised?”
We spend hours talking on the phone. By the time we hang up, my father’s threatening words have no more effect on me. I go in search of Aris, not surprised to find him cooking dinner.
“Smells good,” I compliment.
“I hope it meets your expectations.”
As we eat, I catch him contemplating me over dessert.
“Something wrong?”
“What job was your father referring to?”
“Oh.” I put my fork on the plate.
“At first, I thought he meant your job as part of the peace negotiations, but after further thought, I’m not so sure.” When I don’t immediately respond, he leans forward. “Agapiméni mou, don’t hamstring my efforts to protect you.”
“My father intends for me to kill Ignacio Arroyo, preferably on our wedding night.”
“You aren’t a murderer.”
“I know,” I say with a shrug.
“Even if you succeeded, which is highly unlikely, you wouldn’t have left his home alive.” Aris’ voice sharpens the more he speaks.
“I know.”
“And if you know, so does your father.”
I flinch at the murderous intent belying his words.
“He’s a dead man.” Ice frosts the blue and green of his eyes.
I’m used to my father’s anger being hot and burning unrestrained, but Aris’ rage freezes, reaching subarctic levels.
He pierces me with his frigid gaze. “And nothing you say will stop me from killing him myself.”
CHAPTER TEN
I glance nervously around the busy streets of Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, wishing I had Ferb with me. Although Aris’ men are around, they blend seamlessly with the people on the streets that it’s difficult to feel secure without Ferb’s familiar presence.
Why did I let Aris convince me to go out today?
