His laugh is bitter. “Hope the cash was worth it.”
The truth is on the tip of my tongue as he leaves. About how I earned nothing from that kill. About how killing Seth and leaving Guy had me crying myself to sleep for weeks afterwards.
About how Seth dying didn’t bring my sister back.
Chapter 16
Guy
Istare at my plate, my elbow resting on the arm of the chair, my chin on my fist. We’re sitting at the patio dinner table, the night warm, the sky clear of clouds and filled with stars. The kids went to bed a while ago, exhausted from a day of swimming, and Ella has been going into detail about her next book. Gable is listening with rapt attention, a frown on his face as he concentrates, asking questions, mouth agape as she reveals plot twists she’s considering.
Lina hasn’t said a word the entire meal, and neither have I.
“Okay, what is going on?” Ella asks, gesturing at us. “Why do you look so grumpy?”
I lift my eyes to her. “Sorry, baby, I’m just tired.”
“From doing what? Gable and I have chased the twins around most of the day. We cooked?—”
“I cooked,” Gable says.
“We cleaned?—”
“I cleaned.”
“We got two toddlers into bed, before six, bathed and happy!”
Gable nods. “Okay, that one is true.”
“So tell me, Father, what has been so tiring about your day?” my daughter asks. “Is it this woman you had over for Christmas? You’ve been different since then.”
It takes everything in me not to look at Lina. It seems Gable has put two and two together, because he tips his head back. “I think I can see the big dipper. Gibson, can you see the big dipper?”
Ella frowns and looks between us all. “What the hell is going on?”
“It isn’t about her. That’s over,” I say.
“Oh,” Ella takes my hand. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. It wasn’t anything anyway.”
Gable is still examining the sky, but Lina is staring at me. Her eyes are sad, and for a moment, I can’t look away, because like a fool, I want to believe that she’s actually sorry.
She looks it.
And maybe she is.
But it doesn’t change what she did. When I saw on the news about Seth Sinclair, the pain from her leaving resurfaced and I felt used all over again.
“Knock knock?”
Everyone’s head whips toward the gate to the patio, where Kate stands, holding a bottle of wine.
Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Lina grabs a knife, and Gable moves quickly, twisting it out of her grip. She tries to bite him, but he successfully removes all the cutlery from her and tosses it into the lake. He stands, gesturing at Kate enthusiastically. “This must be Kate! Everyone, it’s Kate!”
Ella stares at her husband, brows furrowed. “Are you all right?”
