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Just like every time he mentioned Nerida, my insides turned into stone. “I told you, she’s no one. I’ve never heard of her or her parents before in my life.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.”
The lawyer I’d been assigned (who hadn’t helped my situation whatsoever), had said denial was the only way to protect Nerida, Jack, and Anna.
It was my only weapon.
Denial.
Denial.
Denial.
No, they didn’t house me.
No, they didn’t employ me.
No, I didn’t love them.
No.
No.
No.
What could they do? Strap me to a lie detector?
Who knew...maybe they could?
But it was too late for that.
Jack and Anna had indeed thrown all caution to the wind and confessed to hiding me. Neri clogged immigration’s phone lines, demanding my release, all while Cem prevented any charges being brought against the Taylors in the disguise of being so caring, so kind, so wonderful.
Fuck.
“Honestly, Aslan, I don’t understand why you hate the bloke. He’s looked after the people you obviously care for. He’s paid for all your repatriation. He’s gone out of his way to ensure your trip home goes as smoothly as possible. Why on earth would he do all that if he didn’t want you back, safe and sound? Why would he protect the Taylors for housing you if he didn’t feel completely indebted to them for looking after his son when he couldn’t?”
I winced.
I’d physically thrown up the morning when I’d been dragged into the interview room and heard the sentence with my father’s name and the Taylors mixed together.
He knows.
He probably already had their address, phone numbers, and a comprehensive spreadsheet on their habits and vulnerabilities.
He’d proven in one vicious swipe that no one was safe.
He’d also snared me in whatever cage he’d weaved because he’d proven he could snuff out the Taylors as easily as he’d protected them.
He’s using them to control me.
It made my choice to run the hardest decision of my life because...if I ran, I put them at risk. But if I didn’t, I would die.
Two choices that would ultimately destroy me.
My voice was not my own, full of glacial control as I fought for strength. “He’s playing a game, don’t you see? He’s a master at manipulation and deception.”
The fact that Cem Kara knew about Neri?
