The vein in Bry’s neck pulses, but outwardly, he looks unfazed. “I’m sure,” he coolly replies. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
Silence slices through the air, and everyone feels the tension.
“We have something else for you to do,” Saint says, breaking up the heavy atmosphere.
“Taylor Tamlin,” Theo adds. “We need you to hook up with her again and drill her for intel.”
“Pun intended,” Caz cuts in, wearing a goofy smile.
“We want to know what part she’s played and what she knows,” Galen says.
“Consider it done.” Bry finishes the rest of his beer in one go and stands. “Anything else? I need to get home.”
“We’re good. For now.” Saint says. “Lo will see you out.” Saint sends me a knowing look, and I rise, lifting my shoulder and gesturing at Bry to follow me.
I step out into the cool night air. “If there’s more you know, you need to spit it out,” I say as he throws his leg over his Harley.
“You still don’t trust me.” It’s a statement, not a question. He watches me carefully as he straps his helmet on.
“I get the feeling you’re not telling us everything.”
He places his hands on the handlebars, and his feet are on the ground. He looks me straight in the eye. “Let’s say I wasn’t but the reason is justified, and I believe our goals are aligned, would you still trust me?”
“It’s hard to trust someone who keeps secrets. You know how I feel about that.”
He kick-starts his bike. “I’m not the only one keeping secrets, though, am I, Lo?” he says, staring pointedly at me before taking off and disappearing down the driveway.
_______________
We stay atthe house again on Wednesday after my hospital visit. Things are going to hit the fan tonight, provided Dar comes through. We want to be here to watch Sinner’s reaction when he gets the news.
“It’s good to have you all home,” Mom says, sliding the pot roast to the middle of the table. She’s cooked up a delicious feast, and there’s enough food here to feed an army. But the swelling on her cheeks, cut on her lip, bruising on her neck and arms, and the way she’s hobbling around the kitchen has vanquished my appetite. She hasn’t texted me since I’ve been staying at the barn, and I haven’t made the effort to reach out to her either, and now, I feel guilty for abandoning her to a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
Watching her play the perfect Stepford wife aggravates me, and I’m already in a pissy mood because there’s no change in Sariah’s condition, and the doctors aren’t holding out much hope. “Maybe, now we’re home, your fiancé will stop beating the shit out of you,” I snap, unable to hold the words back.
Sinner stands, lifting the carving knife and pinning me with an evil grin. He starts to cut slices of beef as he talks. “Don’t act naïve, Lo.” His eyes zoom in on my neck, landing on the faded fingermarks and bruises Galen left behind. “Is it so hard to imagine your mother enjoys rough sex too?”
“Her face is beaten to a pulp, and she’s walking with a limp!” I snap, as Giana stands, her chair scraping in the process. Her fists are clenched at her sides as she glares at me, as if I’m the one who inflicted her injuries. “My sex life is none of your business, Harlow, and I’m getting sick of telling you to butt out of things that don’t concern you.” She walks up behind Sinner, draping herself around him. “I love Neo, and I’m happy. Why can’t you be happy for me?”
I jump up, knocking my chair to the floor. “Maybe because you look fucking miserable all the time.” I swallow over the lump in my throat. “I can’t do this.” I storm off to my bedroom, stride into my closet, open my lungs, and let loose the scream that’s trapped inside me. I pound my fists into the wall as I scream, venting all the frustration that’s been building for weeks.
Strong arms wrap around me from behind a couple minutes later. “Let it out, baby,” Theo says, and I scream and scream and scream until my throat feels scraped raw.
I drop to the ground, sitting cross-legged on the floor, my shoulders slumping. Theo sits down across from me, mirroring my position. “What is she doing with him, Theo? Is she that stupid, or is she playing him?”
He runs his fingers through his gorgeous hair. He’s been wearing it down a lot more lately, because he knows how much I love threading my hands through it. “Giana is smart, Lo.”
“You think sheisplaying him?”
He scoots forward, taking my hands in his. “I think she’s protecting you the only way she knows how.”
“I need to talk to her.” I hop up.
Theo climbs to his feet, reeling me gently into his arms. “You need to put your emotions aside and think about this logically. If sheisplaying some angle, she clearly doesn’t want you involved, and we’ve got to assume that’s the safest way of handling the situation.”
“I think Theo is right,” Saint says, leaning against the door to my closet. “It’s better if you don’t know. Trust her to manage it.”
“She’s not managing it!” I cry. “He’s beating the crap out of her!” A sob escapes my throat. “I’m a shitty daughter. All this time, I’ve been hating on her and she’s been trying to protect me.”
