“I don’t want you anywhere near her.”
I take a deep breath, digging for a calm I don’t have, before finally saying, “I don’t give a damn what you want, Ethan. Wait for me. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. We’ll talk then.”
Abandoning the coffee, I throw on my pants and shirt. I slip on my shoes without socks. I head back to the bedroom and sit on the edge of the bed, wanting to look at her a little longer. As much as I don’t want to disturb her sleep, I don’t want her to wake up worried because I’m not here. I need to come back and tell Lilly about Ramon.
I don’t plan to mention the videos.
I won’t allow that bastard to make a beautiful girl like her spend the rest of her life ashamed of something she wasn’t to blame for. But she needs to know her fear was real.
“Baby, I have to go.”
“No . . .” she murmurs, still half-asleep.
“I’ll leave someone outside watching over you. Don’t go out without telling me, okay?”
She nods, but since I’m not sure she really understands what we’re talking about, I leave a note on my side of the bed.
After breathing in her scent one last time, I force myself to get up and face what will be the hardest conversation I’ve ever had.
For the first time in my life, I punch in the code to our apartment without the slightest desire to go in.
It used to be my refuge, a place where I knew I could leave the world outside. But since Lilly left, the place feels empty and meaningless.
Anyone looking at her would never guess she was raised by absent parents or never shown affection.
She has so much to give—she breathes love with every breath she takes.
I remember her interaction with Bruno and know that when she has children of her own, they’ll never be neglected.
Lilly is pure giving. She has no armor against evil—and that is both wonderful and terrifying.
When I finally reach the living room, the blinds are partially closed. I can make out Ethan’s silhouette on the couch, head tilted back on the cushions. His clothes are wrinkled, and his face shows exhaustion. I can tell just by looking that, like me, he probably didn’t sleep.
“What happened?” he asks, skipping the pleasantries.
“With Ramon?”
“First of all, yes.”
“I need coffee first.”
While I wait for the coffee maker to finish, I think about how there’s no way to sugarcoat what I’m about to tell him. Igrab two steaming mugs and sit in the armchair across from him.
“He’s not who everyone thought he was.”
“I already knew that.”
“What?”
“What do you want me to say? I knew about the brothels. I didn’t know they involved minors because I didn’t dig that deep, but I knew the car dealerships were just a front.”
“And you still let that pervert stay around Lilly?” Fuck, I’m so pissed. I grip the coffee so hard my knuckles turn white.
“The truth is there was nothing I could do to get her out of there. She was underage, and if I’d made a wrong move, Nora would’ve banned me from seeing her. When she moved to Paris, I thought she was finally safe.”
“Safe?”
“I’m a man, Amos. I noticed the looks that idiot gave my sister. But she was hardly ever home after he married Nora. Most of the time it was just holidays—and I was always around.”
