"Holy shit," Ragnar mutters. "Has Anzo been depositing money into your account all this time?"
He leans closer. "Looks like it. These are regular transfers coming in."
I stay silent. I don’t remember myhusband, the mafia boss, Anzo Ferro. Damn, even the word alone sounds crazy. This man is like a shadow flickering in the darkest corners of my mind. A face in a photograph I saw on the net.
Ragnar glances at Sun, who also stares wide-eyed.
But what I’m most afraid of is checking Snow’s reaction, even though I want to know it.
How does it all look? Strange, for sure. Maybe he thinks I’m some trashy mafia fanboy who agreed to marry a mobster and was paid for sex?
Ragnar studies the transfer history along with Sun.
"Summer is still legally married to him. It really looks like Anzo’s been sending part of his income. I’m not sure why, but maybe there was a prenup involved."
They both glance at me, but I don’t answer. I don’t even remember being married, and surely nothing about a prenup.
Sun sighs, crossing his arms.
"After everything Summer went through, that bastard should pay him a lot more. But either way, twenty million is still a solid sum. A small compensation for everything he’s endured." He says it, addressing it mostly to Lake and Snow, who stand nearby, as I stubbornly stare at the screen.
I'm tempted to ask Sun about the details of my abuse, but at the same time, I don’t want him to saytoo muchin front of Snow. Some horrible details that could turn him away…
My fingers rise instinctively to my neck, slip under the collar of my T-shirt, and find the rough patch on my chest, the scars left by the electric collar, the mark of the shocks.
But that’s not all. While I was in the shower, I also discovered a network of scars on my back, looking like whip marks. That’s definitely not something to ask about in front of the Nolans.
So, I just swallow hard and stay silent.
Ragnar turns his head toward me.
"You’ve got mobile payments set up, Summer. You can buy whatever you need just by tapping your phone."
I keep staring at the display, strangely hypnotized by the number.
The man who kidnapped me and forced me into marriage has transferred money to my account? For what purpose? It doesn’t seem real. But I have no idea what the original circumstances were. I can only assume something at the start made him decide to send me part of his money. Did I resist? Who knows.
Ragnar stands up and stretches. He leans to Sun and pulls him close with a soft gesture, and I catch the look they share, a spark of passion flickering between them.
Only after a moment does he turn back to me and say,
"To sum it up, it’s not the worst news. At least you won’t have to ask anyone for money. You can get in a car you buy yourself and drive to the other side of the world whenever you want."
He smiles to himself, as if the idea of setting out for the other side of the world sounds especially tempting. To me it feels unsettling, and I instinctively glance at Snow.
He’s been watching us this whole time. He’s leaning against the table, arms folded, the shape of his biceps bulging under his shirt. He looks completely relaxed, like none of this conversation stirred any kind of reaction in him. Or does he just mask it?
Our eyes meet. I can’t even name what it does to me. A strange shiver runs through my spine, and I want either to keep staring or crawl under the table. Instead I scold myself silently:Have some dignity, Summer. There's no way around it, you have to face it all, take it all in. You can’t escape your past.
Lake steps closer, like he’s been waiting for the conversation to end.
"Summer and I are heading to the mall downtown, so we should get going if we want to make it before the worst traffic," he says, looking at me but addressing the others.
I can tell he's stopping himself from slipping an arm around me. He must have noticed that the only touch I accept is the kind I start myself, so instead he just makes a small motion toward the door.
I get up, head lowered, and follow him out of the room, aware of Sun’s, Ragnar’s, and Snow’s eyes on me as I leave.
In the hallway I see Lake open a metal cabinet set into the wall, fitted with a small keypad. He takes out… a gun belt.
