“You’re so strong. I know you’ll end up in the place you’re meant to be with Cassie.”
“I don’t feel strong. I’m kind of in a state of suspended animation, similar to my first day of prison. No idea what to expect, waiting for everything to explode in my face…”
He kissed my shoulder and drew me close. “I won’t let anything hurt you. Not anymore.”
I closed my eyes, thinking about what lay ahead.
***
At five o’clock, the Uber dropped us off at Cassie’s house in Coral Springs. It was very pretty, with its salmon-colored stucco and Spanish tile roof. Colorful flowers ran along the curved walkway to the front door, and I could see a large yard behind the hedges.
Gabriel held my sweaty hand and squeezed it tightly as I pressed the doorbell. I hadn’t called ahead, hoping that if I came unannounced, Cassie wouldn’t have time to rehearse a speech or pretend not to be home. The door opened, and for the first time in over six years, I saw my sister. Her eyes grew wide, and then she did something I never expected. She burst into tears and flung her arms around me.
“Oh my God, Ronan. What’re you doing here?” She held me close, and wetness spread over my neck. “I thought you couldn’t travel.”
She smelled like her favorite Jo Malone perfume—pear and freesia—and I almost lost it too as the familiar memories crashed over me.
“I got permission from my PO to see you. Can I come in? I mean, we?” We let go of each other, and she gazed up at me with watery blue eyes. “This is Gabriel. My boyfriend.”
A smile broke across her face. “Come on in.” She stepped aside to let us pass and shut the door behind us. “The kids are in the back with our housekeeper.”
We stayed in the foyer, and I couldn’t help drinking in the sight of her. We were unmistakably brother and sister, both of us favoring our father with dark hair and bright-blue eyes, but Cassie was tiny, only an inch or two above five feet.
“Is Marty home?”
She shook her head, the shining waves spilling over her shoulders. “No, he’s showing houses tonight. He won’t be home till after eight.” She bit her lip. “Maybe we should talk with him here, though?”
Hearing he wasn’t in the house or due home for hours, relief rushed through me. “You’re my sister. I came to see you and meet the kids. Can we sit and talk?”
A nervous smile flickered. “Of course. Follow me.” She walked into the house, and I spied an open living room with a large couch and a big flat-screen television, and then a kitchen, all sparkling white tiles and quartz counters. Cassie led us to a sunny-yellow family room with loads of green plants.
“Beautiful house.” Gabriel sat on the couch, and I settled in beside him.
“Thank you. We’re renting it until we can figure everything out.”
“Marty told me that, but I thought he didn’t believe in renting. He said it was pouring money down the drain.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears and laced her fingers together, but not before I saw them trembling. “I told him it wasn’t right, after hearing what you went through and seeing you on television.” Her voice quavered. “I didn’t think so far ahead, Ronan, when Marty told me you’d agreed to say you took the money. I never dreamed you’d get hate mail and all the terrible things happening to you. I didn’t realize how selfish we were being. I just didn’t want to go to prison.” Crying now, she put her hands over her face. “I know I deserve it. You always helped me, and Marty said he’d figure a way out.”
“Meaning me. I was your way out.”
Sniffling, she nodded. “Yeah. And I was pregnant, and had Nicky to look after, and I was so afraid. Oh, I know that’s not an excuse. I didn’t know Marty was doing it at first, and when I found out, I was just as mad and scared as you were. But he explained he was going to pay the money back to the trusts, that it was like a loan and he’d even give them interest.”
Was she really so naïve? Or did she purposefully turn a blind eye to what was happening because she reaped the benefits and lived the lifestyle she’d always wanted?
“You had to know that was against the law.”
“I thought if he paid it all and no one ever found out, it would be okay.” She twisted her hands together, and I shook my head.
Naïveandstupid.
“That’s not how it works.”
“I know that now. But Marty said you’d help us and we’d pay you over time when we got the money.”
My jaw hurt from the tension simmering inside me. “Marty said he had no intention of paying me. Did you know that?”
“What? No, that’s not true. We might not ever be able to pay you everything, Ronan. But I hoped, once Marty started working for his father and made some big deals, that we could give you something, to show good faith.” Her horrified expression couldn’t be faked, but I’d learned to be wary.
