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“They grew up in the type of environment that enjoyed the idea of awholesomenuclear family. They were religious and used it as an excuse to hand me over.”
At that point, the anger I had been feeling never left and just continued to rise as her admissions stroked the flames.
“What do you mean they handed you over?” I asked. “Were they in some type of trouble?”
“Maybe handed me over is the wrong word,” she said. “Though it felt like it. I was young. Seventeen at the time, and he was thirty-five. My family grew up telling me that I was meant to get married and have a bunch of babies. It was a miracle I was even able to get a degree online with him or my freaking parents.”
“They set you up with him, and being the good girl you were, you married him.”
“Your turn,” she said. I couldn’t help but frown.
“I have traveled to thirty-seven countries,” I shared. When she was silent, I knew I had to dig deeper. “I… worked with Alistar Lockridge once.”
Maybe that was too much. Giving her the name of your target?But I don’t want to reveal anything about Rolf or any other childhood trauma.
“Wasn’t that the royal who got his throat slit?” she asked.
I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.
“The very same,” I said. “Pity. He had the prettiest golden eyes.”
Rolf didn’t let me take them because of how visible the crime was. My gaze shot toward Blake, but she gave no indication that she pieced it together or that if she did… she didn’t care.
A bubble of hope filled me.
“I wanted to fight back, but I was so… scared,” she whispered. “So I went. We had a small wedding in a church down the street from my house with only a few people in attendance. I thought that would be the end of it, but…”
“Why you?” I asked. “How did he even pick you?”
I divided up the soup, ready to hand her a bowl, but the look on her face stopped me.
“He was living in that area doing… business. He said he saw me one morning going to school and then approached my parents. I think he knew I was vulnerable and unable to fight for myself.”
“But you learned,” I said and walked to the small, round dining table to place the bowls down.
She didn’t follow me.
“You’re not his,” she said. It wasn’t spoken as a question. Just a cold, hard fact. I turned to look at her.
I wanted to tell her I wasn’t, but even I couldn’t say for sure.I fucking shot him and still wasn’t sure if he was the one who was going to pay me.
Either way, I wouldn’t have changed what I did.
“Do you know what he does?” she asked. “What he helps transport? You can’t, because if you knew, there is no way you would even be here. You think we are safe here? We will never be safe.”
I didn’t speak yet. Giving her the space to talk. When I was sure she was done, I motioned for her to come to the table.
“It’s not great, but it’s something. Come eat, Bl—”
“Do I need to spell it out?” she seethed. It looked like anger on the surface, but her eyes showed me it was fear. “He’s not some white-collar criminal. Do you know who he works for? His name is literally Russell Cro—”
“Don’t tell me,” I pleaded. “Donottell me who he is connected to.Please.”
“Because you already know? Is that why you’re here, because of who he works for?” Her voice was rising with each syllable. All the fear and anger she had been holding back since the night she forced a gun to my head was coming to the surface. “That’s why this started, right? It’s fake? It’s the least you can tell me. This isn’t your house. Your job isobviouslynot a contractor. Now what? Is Quinn even your real name?”
“It’s real,” I said, my eyes burning into hers. “I didn’t want to use it at first, but it’s real… what we do is real. Even if the way we met wasn’t. And don’t forget, I know Tiffany Yates isn’t your name but unlike you, I don’t care about the past you. All I care is about the you right now and the you of the future. Whatever happened in the past… that shouldn’t exist as a barrier between us. ”
Her face softened just slightly.
