Her eyes grew soft. “Dad told me about Jonathan faking his death. I’m so sorry he put you through that.”
I nodded. “I’m even more sorry he put Kai through that.”
Her lips thinned.
“Yeah, me too.” Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. “But we’re here for you.”
“Thank you, Sienna.” Pulling her into my arms, I hugged her tightly. “I have to tell you something and it might… change your mind about me.”
She kissed my cheek, then eased back. “I doubt it, but whatever it is, lay it on me. Mom and Dad warned me you might want to talk to me, but they refused to tell me what about.”
My cousin and his wife knew me well and understood the weight of my guilt.
I took her hand in mine and locked eyes with her soft brown ones that reminded me so much of her mother’s. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I finally said, “Your kidnapping… it was my fault.”
Her brows furrowed. “No, it wasn’t.”
“Yes, it really was,” I insisted.
“But I hacked?—”
I cut her off, keeping my tone soft. “The timing of it all was a coincidence, but Jacqueline arranged it all as a warning to me. I kept demanding an investigation into Jonathan’s death, telling anyone willing to listen that his ex-wife had something to do with it. Even though she warned me there’d be consequences.”
She remained quiet, her eyes unfocused, and when silence became unbearable, I continued, “I’m so sorry, Sienna. If I knew…”
My voice trailed off, cracking.
“Stop.” Her gaze bored into me, squeezing both of my hands now. “It. Is. Not. Your. Fault.”
“It is,” I insisted. “I refused to stop after her warning, and you ended up paying the price.”
“Jonathan is at fault for faking his own death. Jacqueline’s the guilty one for coordinating it,” she muttered. “They’re the ones who should be owning the guilt, not you.”
I sighed. “You’re too forgiving. Like your mother.”
She winced. “Not really, because I’ve done something bad myself.”
My brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that we all fucked up, and I’m no exception,” she said.
I studied her, slightly confused. “Are we talking about my role in your kidnapping or something entirely different?”
Sienna smirked, her voice dry. “You had no role in my kidnapping, and I’m referring to my little vendetta against a certain Irish mobster who I thought was guilty.”
My eyes widened. “Sienna!”
Laughing, she pulled me into her arms. “Please don’t tell my parents. I have it handled.”
“Mobsters are dangerous,” I whispered, careful to keep my expression blank.
“Well, this particular one is in jail so…”
I pulled back slightly, searching her face, and she groaned. “I’m safe, I promise you.”
“Mobsters usually have a team around them, Sienna.”
She chuckled.
