I smile. “That’s where Amy Marshall comes into play.”
Arlo blinks. “Come again?”
My fingers tap against the pillow absentmindedly, my eyes focusing on Arlo. “Well, if I could live as Amy Marshall for two years with no one noticing, why wouldn’t Amy Marshall live as Blair Hawke and spend the rest of her life behind bars?”
Realization hits Arlo, his eyes widening. He’s silent for what seems to be an eternity, blinking rapidly. He takes a moment to gather his thoughts, then he laughs.
“You don’tmean—”
“I do,” I cut him off.
“You’re one wicked woman. And God, if I don’t love you for it.”
A beaming smile tugs on the corners of my lips. “You’re not upset with me, are you?”
Arlo shakes his head. “No, I’m not. I didn’t know where you were going with all of this, but now that I know, I’m proud of you. Speaking of which… I’ve heard about Alexander.”
Instantly, the smile drops from my face, and I straighten in my seat. “Oh.”
“Don’t do that,” Arlo says. “Don’t withdraw into yourself, don’t seek my approval. The motherfucker is the reason you’re in the position you’re in, and killing him was always your decision to make. I’m fucking proud of you for doing it. You’ve done well.”
Tears, for the millionth time this month, swell in my eyes. The emotions are running high, and I’m not quite sure how to put everything in words. They die out in my throat, my hands trembling. Yes, I’m proud of myself, too. I’m fucking happy I killed him.
Kaya tortured him in ways I never knew possible, and the fact that he died such a miserable, painful death adds to the satisfaction in my chest.
Arlo notices my expression, and he’s by my side when I blink the tears away. He pulls me into his chest, holding me tightly. The size difference between the two of us is not something I paid attention to, but when I see how I fit in his arms, how his bigger build wraps around me like a shield, all the insecurities wash off, replaced by a sense of safety and security.
“It’s okay,” Arlo mutters, kissing my temple. “You did well, butterfly.”
“Did I?” I swallow the tears. “Because I threatened his son and wife, Arlo. I’m no better than him.”
“You don’t have to be better than him,” he murmurs intomy hair, inhaling the scent deeply. “You just need to be smarter. And for the record, you’re both smarter and better than him. Because I know that you won’t harm his son. You don’t have it in you to hurt someone who’s innocent.”
I pull back, looking at him. “His son… that’s my half-brother. I shouldn’t resent him, but I do. He didn’t do anything. He’s fifteen, for fuck’s sake. He’s a kid, and I’m resenting him for the sins of his father. I’m a terrible person, Arlo.”
He cups my cheeks, stroking them with his thumbs, then gently brushes off the fallen tears. “You’re someone who survived Hell. You’re someone who just found the strength to fight back. Seeing that someone has a life that you never had, especially in a situation like this, it’s normal to feel resentment, butterfly. It’s not your fault.”
A choked laugh slips from me. It doesn’t matter what I do; Arlo will never find any faults in my actions. I could set the entire world ablaze, and he’d pour oil over the fire and watch it burn with me.
“Speaking of siblings,” I switch my position, laying my head on his lap. His hands find their way into my hair instantly, stroking the soft strands with tender movements. “What am I going to do about Theodosia?”
“What about her?”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “Well, from what I managed to pull out of Alexander, she’s either here or in Greece.”
“Do you want to meet her?”
That makes me pause. All along, I’ve been thinking of her safety and how to make sure Alexander, Paul, or anyone else lays a single hand on her. She’s a child, too, and it’s hurting me to think she’d ever have to go through what I went through at her age.
However, not once did I think about meeting her. What would be the point? She’s lived her entire life without me in it, and if she’s happy, healthy, and well taken care of, then there’s no needfor her to know me.
I shake my head. “No,” I mumble. “But I do want to make sure she’s safe.”
“Alright. I’ll send people to keep tabs on her while all of this is going down.”
“Okay.”
“After you were kidnapped, Mom and Dad worked their ass off to shut down Paul’s organizations. They handled it almost all, and the ones that remained got shut down by him. We have testimonies of the girls we rescued that day.’’
