“Not around enough.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I walk over to the office and grab my laptop. It makes me sick to show this to anyone else, but he needs to know that his negligence put his sister at risk.
I can see the hatred building in him as he realizes what he’s watching. After barely a minute, he slams the laptop shut. “Bastard.”
“She still has nightmares, you know? Even without knowing what was going on, she used to wake up in the middle of the night and hide in her closet. That’s why Lilly didn’t want to go back home.”
“You’re the one who leaked everything to the press.”
It’s not a question, but I nod anyway. “And to the police,” I add.
“You should’ve told me.”
“What for? So you could go after him and tip him off? That would’ve ruined everything. I couldn’t risk it, not just for Lilly, but for all those poor girls being exploited.”
“Have you seen the news? Nora’s losing it. She’s called me like twenty times already. But you know what her biggest concern is? Finding the best divorce lawyer in the country.”
I shrug. I couldn’t care less. They deserve each other. “I haven’t checked online yet, but I know he’s been arrested. Blood messaged me on the way here.”
“And the girls?”
“They’ll be protected until they can contact their families. I’ve got a plan to help them.”
“What kind of plan?”
I leave out that the original idea was Lilly’s, because he’ll start asking questions I don’t want to answer yet. “One that gives them a chance to go back to school and build a career without having to use their bodies as currency. For now, it’s just a draft. I’ll have someone running a safe place for them to live until they can get their lives back on track. But that’s only for the ones of legal age. The minors, unfortunately, will either be sent back to their families or placed under government care. Even so, I’ll make sure they know there’s hope—something good ahead. And when they’re old enough, they can apply to the association I’m setting up.”
“All right,” he says, ending the topic. “Now let’s talk about my sister.” I can feel his anger rising to the surface again. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Chapter 57
“She’s mine.” I say it outright. There’s no way to soften it.
“You must be out of your damn mind if you think I’m going to let you ruin my sister.”
“Ruinyour sister? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Come on. It’s me, Amos. The guy who’s known you for almost half your life. I know exactly what women mean to you, and if you think I’m going to let Lilly be just another one-night fuck for you to toss aside, think again.”
I take a few deep breaths and walk over to the window to calm myself. I try to focus on the fact that the man in front of me has always been like a brother. Finally, when I think I can respond without punching him, I begin:
“I’m going to assume you don’t have a fucking clue what you’re saying. And that’s the only reason I’m not making you swallow every word you just spat out.” It takes supreme effort to keep my voice calm when I’m burning inside. “But here’sa warning: don’t ever insult your sister like that again. Say whatever you want about me, but don’t you dare ever say out loud again that Lilly is just a fuck. If you’d bothered to actually see her over the years, you’d know the extraordinary woman she’s become. Erase that image of a fragile little girl. My Lilly is strong and brave. And if you think you can keep us apart—using your own words—think again.”
We stare each other down in silence, and I know that just as I can read him, he can read me too.
As he said himself, we’ve known each other more than half our lives. We probably know each other better than blood brothers would.
“Do you love her?” His jaw clenches with tension.
It’s time to admit what my mind has been avoiding.
“I don’t know if love is even a strong enough word,” I say. “So I’ll leave you with this to think about: I would die a different death every single damn day just to make sure she’s safe and happy.”
His shocked look quickly shifts to relief. “Good. That’s more than I expected to hear. So maybe it’ll be easier to understand why you need to let her go.”
“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
