“Bell,” I whisper.
All the color drains from Nellie’s face. Why did Oscar bring her with him? She can’t be here.
“I think we’re all overwhelming the poor girl.” She stands and clears her throat. “Why don’t y’all let me and Scarlet have a few minutes alone. Let me work a mother’s touch.”
She’s not my mum. Oscar can stuff his trouser snake into her fanny all he wants, but she will never be my mum.
“Is that okay, Ruby?”
Oscar can’t have her. Not now. Not ever.
“Ruby? Did you hear me?”
I nod slowly. Oscar squeezes my hand once. Then he kisses Nellie on the cheek before following the doctor and nurse out of the room.
Nellie rubs her non-orange-lipstick-covered lips together and stares at her feet. This is completely sane Nellie. Has Theo seen her? Did she already tell Nolan and Harold?
“How?” she whispers.
“He’s going to kill you.”
Her head snaps up. “Why would you say that?”
I stare at her for a few moments. This is something so far beyond a nightmare, I can’t even begin to make sense of it. “Because he came here to kill Braxton Ames.”
She sucks in a breath as her hand covers her mouth, eyes wide.
“Your friend had an affair with your husband.”
Tears fill her eyes. “It was—” she mutters behind her hand, unable to finish her words.
My name is Scarlet Stone, and I was not put on this earth to judge anyone.
“An accident. I know. And another man went to jail for years for a crime he didn’t commit.” I’m thinking aloud, that’s all. I can’t judge her, not one bit. I took a life. I may not have pulled a trigger, but someone died because of what I did, and I let someone else do the time for my crime. I’m Nellie.
“Does Theo know?” She moves her hand from her mouth to her cheeks, wiping the tears as fast as they fall.
I shake my head.
“Braxton?”
“He’s alive.”
A bit of relief washes over her features.
“Does he know? Does Braxton Ames know who hired him to go to prison?” I want to ask what the going price is for willingly accepting life in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. I don’t ask. My previous profession gave me too much experience with putting a price on things that should be priceless—untouchable—sacred.
She shakes her head. “Harold handled everything. Money buys a lot of dead ends. No one will ever know unless…”
I close my eyes and exhale. This is all on me. I am the gatekeeper. “I can’t.” She doesn’t understand this is exactly thetype of life that nearly ended mine. This is a secret that will kill me.
“What if Theo…” Fear paints her face.
“Then turn yourself in.” I can’t believe those words came out of my mouth. I’m such a bloody hypocrite.
She bites her lips together, her gaze fixed to mine. What’s going through her head?
After a long silence, she nods. “OK,” she whispers and turns. Before she reaches the door, she stops. “Thank you, Scarlet.”
