Matt rolls his eyes. “My point is that they didn’t react. They just stood there.”
“So? Guards are supposed to be unobtrusive. We’re taught to fade into the background unless our presence is needed. Enrique and the others were probably just hiding their reactions, like any good guard would.”
“No, that’s not it.” He cups my chin in his hands, gazing into my eyes. “Aron, theyknew.”
That can’t be right. Why would Dad’s men follow Lucinda if they knew about her crazy machinations and what they wrought? My daughter … her parents … God, what person in their right mind would take orders from a woman who orchestrated something that fucked up?
I wait for Matt to get disgusted with me, to turn away from me, but he doesn’t. He holds my gaze, those sapphire eyes searching mine.
Shame forces me to break eye contact. I can’t look at Matt after learning what I’ve done.
“How can you stand to touch me?” I ask, backing out from his grip. “What I did with Emily … Holy fuck, she’s mysister!” Another bout of retching seizes me, but I’ve already emptied what was in my stomach. There’s nothing left but bile and acid.
Strong arms wrap around me from behind, holding me tight. I try to break free, but Matt’s relentless.
“I don’t deserve this, Matt. Let me go.”
His lips brush against the back of my neck. “Shh. Don’t talk like that, Aron. Don’t assign guilt to yourself that you haven’t earned.”
“But I—”
“You didn’t know, Aron. There’s no way you could have. Emily was born well after we thought Mom was dead, and Javiernever gave any indication of an affair with my mother. They hid their crimes too damn well.”
That’s all true, but it’s also true that I married my sister. I fucked her. Got her pregnant.
God, I’m going to fucking Hell for this.
“Don’t do this, Aron. Don’t go down this hole. You’ll never climb out if you do. I can’t lose you to this of all things, not after all we’ve been through.”
“Matt … God, Matt, what have I done?”
He strokes my hair and kisses my neck. “Nothing intentional. Nothing you were aware of. You are as much of a victim in this situation as Maria is. In my humble opinion, for whatever that’s worth, neither of you are slated for Hell just because Mom’s fucking nuts, and so is our sister. Now, the two of them?They’redining in Hell together as soon as we end them.”
I turn in his embrace to face him. “You’d kill Lucinda? Matt, you and your mother were always so close. Are you sure about this?”
He answers me first with a tender kiss.
“I’ve never been more sure about anything. Mom hasn’t earned mercy, and Emily’s even worse. She seduced her fucking brother for what? A place in the Empire that Mom and Javier were building in the background?”
“What are we going to do about the Syndicate? They’re not going to be pleased when you bring me back alive.”
“I’ve already got a plan for that. Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
Matt threads his fingers through mine and guides me through the woods towards the mansion. My heart thunders in my chest, and that queasiness just won’t go away. I can’t imagine how Matt’s going to stop his men from killing me on sight.
Sure enough, the guards at the gate raise their guns the second I come into view. Matt holds up his free hand, and they freeze, exchanging confused glances.
“He’s here for asylum,” Matt says, never letting go of my hand. “I’ll explain it all later.”
That seems to do the trick. They lower their weapons and stand aside as Matt practically drags me through the gate. I stumble behind him, humiliation causing my shoulders to hunch. All I want to do is disappear, but that’s not easy for a big guy like me. Dozens of eyes follow me and Matt as we march up the drive towards the mansion. I can feel their stares burning into the back of my head.
This is worse than any walk of shame I’ve ever done in my life.
Several of Matt’s top-ranking officers await us at the mansion’s front steps. Yancy looks bemused, but Creed and some of the others don’t even bother to hide their fury. Cinder, who was probably ready to fake some joyous reunion with her “boyfriend,” raises a brow at our joined hands.
Cinder’s been helping Matt cover for our relationship since he took over the Syndicate. She’s as smart as she is deadly, though I’m not worried about her turning on us. She’s in a relationship with Gia, her bodyguard, which is also a secret. I’m not proud about the possibility of their connection getting exposed when Matt explains what’s going on between the two of us, and I hope no one tries to take advantage of the secrets that are brought to light today.
Word travels fast in the Syndicate, and it seems everyone already knows about my plea for “asylum.” The crowd splits, making way for Matt and me as we mount the steps and go inside. Without pausing, Matt glances at Yancy and says, “Meeting. One hour. My office.”
