Did I really want to know if he let Adahlia fall to her death? Although I know my husband is a dangerous man, would he go as far as killing for me? I’m scared to know the truth, but I think I need to know the truth if I want to know the real man.
I respond by nodding. I need to know how far he’s willing to go to keep me safe since I’m starting to realize how dangerous my life is now. How far will he go to keep our children safe?
He sits next to me and looks into my eyes. The intense emotions swirling in his gaze are almost heart-stopping, but I’m not in the right frame of mind to decipher any of it.
“I told you from the beginning that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. Adahlia dying was the only way to keep you safe. So, when she pleaded for my help, I reached out for her hand. Once she grabbed onto mine, I let her fall to her death.”
I let out a gasp, and he takes hold of my hand.
“I’m a man of my word, Beauty. No one will ever harm you. No matter who it is.”
“She wasn’t working alone,” I mutter.
Although I don’t know what he’ll do once he finds out my father was involved, I don’t want him dead over it, even if he does deserve it.
“I know,” he says, anger clouding his eyes. “My father knew Adahlia was coming after you. And one of the men whom I thought was loyal to me was loyal to him. That’s how she got in.”
“What?”
“Nothing for you to worry about anymore.”
“You killed your father? You killed the man who let her in?” I ask even though I already know the answers.
His father is dead, and the man who let her in will be dead if he isn’t already.
A younger version of Florian appears from the kitchen before he can respond. “What’s going on?” he asks.
“Didrick, this is my wife, Arabelle. Arabelle, this is my brother, Didrick.”
“You’re married?” Didrick asks, looking from his brother to me. “When the hell did that happen?”
“I am. We’ll talk about it later,” Florian says. “Right now, the police are on the way.
“The police?” he asks, concern and fear covering his face. “Does it have to do withFar?”
“No, it doesn’t, but I do need you to stay in your room until they leave.”
“Okay.” He nods. “No problem. Whatever you need me to do. Nice to meet you, Arabelle,” he says before disappearing down the hallway.
When the door to his bedroom clicks, Florian sighs. “He’s had some issues with drugs. He’s just come back from rehab, so he’ll be staying here under my care until he turns eighteen.”
I’ve had a lot of experience dealing with addiction, and he’s so young. I hope Didrick’s recovery is better than my sister’s. Hopefully, he’ll take sobriety more seriously than Raven.
“My father told Adahlia about the infidelity clause in the contract.”
Even though I don’t want him to hurt my father, I can’t keep him from knowing. I don’t want any secrets between us, especially one this serious.
Florian exhales and pinches the bridge of his nose. I can feel the anger radiating off him. I understand why he’s angry. My father deserves to pay for what he’s done. However, I still don’t want my father to die because he made a stupid decision.
“He was trying to save me from you.”
His gaze meets mine, yet his expression remains devoid of any emotion, making it hard for me to read where his head is.
“Don’t kill him, Florian. Please.”
His fingers gently trace my jawline, causing my eyes to flutter. “Still trying to save the bastard, I see.”
“He’s my father, Florian. I don’t want him dead for doing what he thought would help me. He doesn’t know the real you, Florian. Not like I do. He was trying to do what he thought was the right thing for me.”
