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I can guess what he’s implying, but my mind won’t wrap around the words. The very idea feels like a foreign language, something I can’t understand taunting me.
Ice knifes through my heart as it all comes flooding back.
The questions about the past Mom always dodged.
How secretive she was about our little family.
About our dad.
What Janelle Bowden said about my mother and the flipping Arrendells.
“He’s your father,” Grant clips, reaching for my shoulder, the only point of warmth grounding me to a reality that’s just flipped upside down. “You always wondered. Montero Arrendell is your old man—and Ros’. That means—”
“No! Oh my God...” If it wasn’t for his steady hand, I’d throw up right here. I clap both hands over my mouth, staring at my knees, wretched bile climbing up my throat. “Aleksander, he’s—”
My throat clamps shut.
I can’t even say it, to speak aloud the full insanity lodged in my throat.
“If it’s any comfort, Lucia said they haven’t—y’know. Not yet.” Grant clears his throat.
“Holy shit. Holy balls. Are you sure? Grant, you’resureshe’s been holding out?”
That’s definitely the Ros I know, a sweet, old-fashioned, shameless romantic at heart.
But with the way she is now and that leering creep all over her, I figured there was no way he hadn’t lured her into his bed.
“Yeah,” Grant agrees grimly. “We have to find her before that twisted prick does something she can’t take back. Before he makes this worse than it already is. You understand?”
Sickeningly, I do.
And I don’t blame him one bit for dancing around saying it.
My sister and Aleksander Arrendell.Engagedwhen they’re half siblings.
I rake my nails over my thighs, grounding myself with the stinging sensation.
“God.” It’s the only thing I can say coherently, but after a moment something clicks. I lift my head, staring at him. “You think he knew? He knew and... butwhy?”
“Considering his own fucking brother said he liked murdering women because being rich was boring before he died, tricking his half sister into sleeping with him is probably a parlor game. That whole family is completely fucked in the head—” Grant stops and stares at me. “The ones who know what they are, I mean.” His voice drips with disgust as he sighs. “Are you okay?”
“No.No, I’m not, but—oh God, it’s too much.” But I can have a breakdown later.
Montero, Montero, why would my mother ever...?
Why ishemy father?
Why can’t my dad be any other man on Earth?
But if I think about it, I can see it.
Terrible little hints of him in my face, in Ros’, in our striking green eyes.
When I swallow, it’s like sandpaper, and I shake myself loose from my circling thoughts.
Ros has to come first while there’s still time to help her.
I shoot to my feet, legs wobbling.
