"Yeah. Knife to the side of the knee doesn't feel great, but I've had worse."
"Like what?"
My stomach tosses and turns just thinking about it. "Aiden used to run some light torture practice on us when we were younger. He wanted us to be prepared for anything, and I guess he thought that was the way to do it."
"How much did he put you through?" His tone is tight, his hand stilling on my skin.
If I didn't know better, I'd think it was almost protective.
"Enough." I swallow hard, forcing down the lump in my throat. "Listen, I don't know who Robert is to you, but I know a thing or two about fucked-up dynamics."
I'm hoping he's going to start talking more about Robert and the problems he's having with the rest of the Rinaldo mafia. I want him to open up enough to tell me something I can use against him.
He smirks, giving me a slight shake of his head. "You think I'm going to tell you everything?"
I shrug, wanting to keep talking to him. I don't know if it's the small shred of humanity in him that pulls me to him.
Noah gets out of bed, heading for the door and opening it wider. "I have a surprise for you."
"Is this surprise going to be something where you corner me and kill me?"
He doesn't answer, leaving the room and leaving me wondering what the hell kind of surprise could be waiting for me downstairs.
I don't know if I should follow him or not.
My heart races, but then I hear a laugh that sounds familiar.
There's no way it's possible. Not a single way that laughter is echoing through this house.
But I can't stop myself as I fly down the stairs, pulse rushing, hope flooding through me.
As I turn the corner into the living room, my feet sliding on the floor, my entire world comes to a stop.
Am I dreaming?
Chapter Sixteen
SUMMER
This hasto be some sort of sick cosmic joke.
Maybe it's a dream.
Maybe Noah drugged me again, but he used something different this time, and I'm hallucinating this entire thing.
I might be dead.
That's the only reason why Zoe is standing in the kitchen with a spoon stuffed deep into a container of ice cream. She licks the spoon clean, her eyes locking on mine, a smile curving the corners of her mouth.
I rush across the kitchen and pull her into a tight hug. "What are you doing here?"
Zoe laughs and holds the ice cream out of the way. "Well, how could I refuse a visit to see you?"
"But why?" I look over my shoulder, but to my surprise, Noah isn't lurking there.
I don't know where he's gone, but I'm going to take advantage of whatever time I have with Zoe while I can. It's so good to see someone from home. Someone who can tell me that I'm not going crazy.
"Because I was told you were behaving." Zoe shrugs and goes to sit on one of the bar stools on the other side of the aisle, nodding for me to take a seat.
