Carlos nodded, unbothered by my surprise. “Yes. Make sure they get you signed up as soon as possible so that you can start your transition. It’s a full-time, ten-hour school day, so I’ll have you withdrawn from Granby High as soon as you’ve got a start date.”
Oh hell.My sweaty hands shook with nerves. This was it. I was really going to fucking leave.
“And what happens when I finish with this Bible study camp?”
“Well, from what we can tell, you just go about your life. As Olivia Lane, of course. We haven’t been able to find any details regarding their membership process, it’s not exactly public knowledge the inner workings of their church. But once you’reofficially a member, your sole focus should be steering your relationship with Theodore towards marriage.”
“What am I supposed to do once I’m married?”
He scratched his stubble, “It will depend on the timing of when you get married, but I need you to just sit tight, play the endearing and devoted wife for as long as I tell you.”
Why does this sound so easy? Pretend to love someone that already seems to like me and that’s it?
My phone vibrated against his desk, and we both eyed it. I unlocked the screen, reading Theo’s response. I flashed it towards Carlos and he smiled.
“See? I told you he was infatuated.”
I rolled my eyes, my stomach already filling with nervous butterflies at the prospect of meeting with Theo alone tomorrow.
“Why exactly is my marriage to Theo so important? Why not any other member of church leadership?”
Carlos was silent for a long moment, and I was beginning to think he wouldn’t answer me when he finally spoke. “With Walsh in our pocket, we will have all the power in this state. We need you on the inside, Shiloh. We need you to earn their trust so we can get close enough to incentivize Kit, to fund his campaign and to push the policies we need put in place. This isvital, Shiloh. Vital to our family’s livelihood.”
I flexed my hands to relieve the ache of clenching them so tightly and nodded in resignation.
I was determined as fuck. I could fucking do it. I could. I didn’t want to, but I fucking would. Because as much as I held no loyalty to Los Siete, agreeing to Carlos’s demands meant that I wouldn’t have to be trapped in Granby, wouldn’t have to do anything else that would taint my conscience.
“Okay.”
Carlos chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest, the material of his black button-down dress shirt stretching over hismuscles. For someone who rarely got his own hands dirty, he had a significant amount of muscle. But maybe it was just to bolster his intimidating presence. Make you think he would snap your neck in an instant because he looked exactly like he could and would.
I’d never seen Carlos get his own hands dirty. I guess he didn’t need to when he had people ready and willing to do the job. People like my brother.
I stood from the leather chair and didn’t bother to say goodbye before leaving the room.
Thirty
November 16, Tuesday
Shiloh
The hot cups of coffee in my hands were doing nothing to help my sweaty palms as I walked from the free cafe inside the church’s lobby over to the table where Theodore was waiting. I could feel his stare tracking my every movement, but I refused to meet his eyes until I reached the table that we were sharing.
Just like Sunday, his blue eyes felt like they were penetrating my soul. He looked at me with such intensity that I was beginning to think Carlos was right. He was obsessed with me for some bizarre reason, but I was going to use that to my advantage.
“I should have asked how you take your coffee,” I said with a shy smile as I placed our drinks on the table. “Sugar and milk?”
“Yes, the half-and-half and two sugars. Thank you, love.”
I carried his cup over to the small station set up with various options to doctor your own coffee. I removed the lid to his drink and made it as he asked. When I turned around, he was on his phone, and I was relieved to know that he hadn’t been staring at me the whole time.
Theo placed his phone in his pocket when I returned.
He immediately sipped his drink and hummed with contentment. “Perfect.”
I smiled and grabbed my own drink for something to do with my hands. I didn’t need any more caffeine in my body. Certainly, wouldn’t help my mood to be even more anxious than I already was.
“I was disappointed to hear that you weren’t staying at the shelter.”
