She left us, shutting the heavy metal door behind her with a heavy sound.
“Sit down, Butterfly,” Beck urged, guiding me toward the uncomfortable looking chair on one side of the table. I shook my head and started pacing. There was no way I could sit still, not at a time like this. My head was so full of secrets and revelations it felt like I might explode if I didn’t keep moving.
Dante working for Catherine.
Katelyn’s murder.
Catherine andher brother.
Catherine and her father.
Richard’s confession about Oscar.
It was all so freaking much. Just when I got past the fact that Delta—and myfriends—had coerced me into murdering a man. Just when we worked through all that betrayal and broken trust ... this happened.
My mind was officially blown.
The door clicking open jolted me from my thoughts, and I gasped as Dante was brought into the room. My hand flew to my mouth in horror as the uniformed police officer escorted my oldest friend to the table and handcuffed him to the bar running down the middle of it.
“Mr. Beckett.” The officer nodded to Beck and offered me a polite smile. “You have five minutes, please knock on the door if you want to leave prior to that. Otherwise, I’ll be back shortly.”
“Thank you,” Beck responded, leaning his back on the mirrored glass and folding his arms over his chest.
The officer left, and I flew across the small space to hug Dante.
For a moment, he froze. Then his uncuffed hand came up and patted my back as I sobbed into the side of his neck.
“Hey, Riles,” he whispered, “it’s okay. I didn’t do anything that they’re saying. This will all get sorted out, don’t worry.”
Hearing his voice helped me pull my shit together a bit, and I released him. Only to crack my open palm across his face in a violent bitch slap. As much as I hated to give that bitch credit for anything, Catherine had helped me improve my slapping form.
“You fucking lied to me, Dante,” I accused him in a harsh whisper. “My whole damn life. It was all a lie. How could you do this?”
“Riles—” He tried to grab my hand, and I snatched it out of his grip as I backed away.
“No,” I snapped. “Don’t fucking ‘Riles’ me. You’re a fake! How long, Dante? How long have you been working for that bitch?”
I was mad as hell now, my fists clenched at my sides as I glared down at him. We’d been friends for a very long time—almost ten years. One day he just showed up and we’d been inseparable since. Now every memory of our life together was under scrutiny.
Dante dropped his head to his hands, the metal cuffs jangling against the bar as he rubbed his hand over his shaved head.
“The whole time,” he finally said, his voice thick with ... I didn’t know. Regret? Surely not. Otherwise he would havesaid something sooner!
“The whole time,” I repeated in a horrified whisper. I’d had my suspicions but to have him confirm it. “Thewholetime. You’ve been spying on me for Catherine the entire time we’ve known each other?”
He nodded, his eyes full of pain.
“No.” I shook my head, denying the truth of his words. “No, that’s not possible. You were just a kid when we met. You were only—”
“Nine,” he finished for me. “Yeah, I know. In case you haven’t noticed, Catherine Deboise doesn’t exactly have many moral boundaries. Blackmailing a nine-year-old is hardly the worst of her sins, don’t you think?”
My brows shot up, and I grabbed that glimmer of hope with both hands. “Blackmail?”
Dante nodded. “Will you sit down and let me explain it? I swear I won’t hold anything back, I’ll tell you everything.”
I wavered a moment, wanting to tell him to go to hell. But this was why I’d come to the police station, wasn’t it? To get these answers?
Swallowing past the hurt and anger, I bit down on the inside of my cheek and slowly sat my ass down in the chair opposite Dante. Beck remained where he was. Silent and stoic. That was all I needed from him, too. He was there, he was supporting me, but he wasn’t fighting my fights for me.
