I meet Silver's gaze in the rearview mirror, hoping like hell he will take the lead on explaining this one.
And thankfully, he does.
Silver fills Dominic in as best as he can, leaving out key details here and there, like the fact that Ricardo is planning on using Cora as his personal baby-making machine. Cora is indebted to Ricardo, Silver just redacts explicitly how. He explains the somewhat complicated nature of our relationship, Dom nodding along, his own relationship making that part of the story easy to digest.
"So, the deal is off then, if her mother is dead?" Dominic says.
"In theory, yes, although there's still the matter of her father, and the debt that is owed."
"How much is it?" Dominic asks the question we all once wondered, too.
"It doesn't matter. Ricardo already accepted her as payment." Silver scoots to the middle of the back seat, that confession no doubt solidifying Cora's debt to Ricardo in Dominic's mind. "And," he adds. "I'm not certain if Ricardo is aware that Cora knows her mom is dead."
Dom, with his hand on the middle console, turns toward Silver. "She's supposed to go there Wednesday?"
Silver nods and I hate the direction that this conversation is going.
The two of them don't say anything else, a sort of silent understanding falling between them, the same one settling over me.
I grip the steering wheel and keep driving because there's no way I can convince them of what they're already certain of.
41
CORA
"Igot you something," Miller says in the doorway of my bedroom. Slowly, he steps inside, a box in his grasp.
I watch him in the mirror until he's right behind me.
"What is it?" I ask and consider the possibilities. At this point, doesn't he realize that I hate surprises?
"Well." He spreads his hand over the top and pulls off the lid, revealing something shiny and exquisite. "I told you that I'd get you a crown." Miller carefully takes the thing out of the box and says, "May I?"
"You're not serious," I tell him as he sets the delicately jeweled crown on my head. My fingers graze over the hard and cold surface of the crystals and I suddenly grow very curious about how much this damn thing cost. Not because the value matters, but because I'm not convinced he didn't spend an arm and a leg just because he could.
"I want you to wear it, today, to remind yourself that you are our queen, that I have every faith in you." Miller fixes my hair and settles it over my shoulders. "I am so proud of you, how far you've come, how far I know you will go." He presses his lips to my cheek and meets my gaze in the mirror. "I love you, Cora. I believe in you."
Taking a deep breath, I exhale and study the extravagant thing on my head. It's stunning and belongs to someone much more worthy. And yet, I still feel empowered by wearing it, and can't bring myself to take it off. I press the edges down, noting how sturdy it is, how it fits me perfectly, as if it was custom-made for the specific measurements of my skull. Although, I wouldn't put it past Miller to have done exactly that. He had once told me he would get me one and that it wouldn’t betoo flashy, but when has he ever not gone above and beyond?
"I love it," I tell him and turn to face him. "I love you."
He lowers himself and gently kisses my lips, my heart swelling with admiration.
"Do you have everything you need?" He asks me, his hands landing on my shoulders as he looks me over.
"I do," I say, the remainder of our plan having to be revised and me stepping into the role of the only one who could ensure things get finished.
Sure, one of them could have marched up to Ricardo's place and fought their way in, risking their own life tomaybeend his, but my way, it's the guaranteed win—even if I have to go in there alone and put myself in danger.
The plan isn't without risks, we're aware of that, but it's the reward that outweighs them and ironically, with Dominic now included in our loop, he was the vote that pushed the decision in my favor.
I was the one who started this, and I will be the one to end it.
Even if I lose my life in the process. Ricardo may have tortured me, hurt me, scared me, but no one will ruin my life other than me, and today, I'm going to make damn sure of it.
And so, I give one farewell kiss to each of my men and leave them behind in the lavish apartment that Miller bought for me.
Ordering an Uber, I wait impatiently at the front of The Wellerton—my temporary home.
