“There’s no love between us,” Chas told me quietly.
“You haven’t been together long.”
“No. It’s not that,” Chas told me. “It’s just a mess,” she breathed.
“Chas,” I said, suddenly worried about her. “Is everything okay between you both? If something’s wrong—”
“Nothing’s wrong. I’ve just gotten myself into a situation, and I don’t know.” Her eyes started to grow glassy again.
“You can tell me.”
She looked at me for a few moments, most likely weighing up the pros and cons of telling me what was on her mind. I couldn’t blame her. Then she whispered the words, “It’s an arrangement.”
“An arrangement?” I echoed.
Chas turned away, angling herself so her face couldn’t be seen by those there to protect her. A gesture that said she was taking a risk in talking to me about this. “He found me. It’s no secret that I want out, Mia. Gabe promised to help me. Cash, passport, new identity. Anything I needed to get away from all this if I just attended some events with him. Then Xavier left and Gabe needed me to move in and then he did this,” Chas explained, pointing at the open grave where her father was. “He was furious.”
“Because your dad tried to kill him.”
“That’s what I thought but...” She trailed off. “I don’t think that’s the case. We used to talk so he could prep me for events and fill me in on everything I needed to know. When I moved in, things got a little blurred. It’s been a lonely few years, Mia. I didn’t want to risk pulling anyone else into this. Gabe, he can be so gentle when he’s away from everyone. One thing led to another. I don’t know. I thought it would be only once.” She didn’t need to draw me a diagram. “We were two strangers who signed a contract. Ever since the shooting, he’s been different. I’m worried he won’t let me go.”
“But you signed a contract,” I repeated.
Chas looked at me. “Do you really think that matters?”
I let out a shaky breath. “What do you plan to do if he doesn’t keep his word?”
“I’m waiting to hear about Dad’s will,” she said, wringing her hands. “To see if he left me anything. It’ll be the last bit of business before the Perkins family is just me. I don’t answer to anyone. I don’t have to look over my shoulder.”
“Gabriel,” I said, seeing the fatal flaw in her plans.
“I’ll figure it out,” Chas said to me. “I have to. I can’t stay here when this is all there is.”
In telling Gabe about Silas, I thought I was helping Chas out, but I had locked the cage and thrown away the key. There were plays I wasn’t aware of panning out, and I’d stuck my foot in it and pushed it off course.
My hand slipped into Chas’s and I squeezed it tight. “If you need help, all you need to do is ask.” It was the least I could offer her when this boiled down to my misguided actions.
Chapter Nineteen
Dante
“That makes a lot more sense,” I said, staring up to the heavens. I’d taken my usual position at Mia and Luc’s place — on the floor, in front of the fireplace with Cerb dozing beside me. I was proud to say the big slobbering mongrel was keener on me than he was on Luc.
“And it’s to be resolved between themselves,” Luc pointed out and I rolled my head to the side to look at him. He lounged on the couch with his head on Mia’s lap.
“There’s nothing we can do to help her?” Mia asked, raking her fingers through his hair.
“There’s plenty we can do,” I told her.
“But we won’t do a thing,” Luc finished.
“That doesn’t seem right,” she muttered, and Luc sighed.
“We are not getting involved, Mia. There’s a target on our backs and you want to get into more trouble?” Mia had stopped moving her fingers and stared down at him. “You got lucky with Gabe. Don’t let it get to your head.”
“The way things get to yours?” she replied without missing a beat.
I sucked in a breath. “Shot’s fired.”
