I should tell him I know he's lying. That I can feel the secrets between us.
But I don't.
I step back.
Dante's eyes open. Find mine.
Something flickers in his expression. Relief? Disappointment?
I can't tell.
"Get some sleep." I move toward the bathroom. "You need rest."
"Marina—"
"We'll talk later." I don't turn around. "When things are calmer."
I close the bathroom door behind me.
Lean against it.
My hands shake.
I know I'm making a mistake. I know that stepping back now, letting him keep his secrets, will cost me something.
But I can't push. Not today.
I wonder how much I'm going to regret this.
How much I'm going to regret stepping back again.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Marina
Iwill never forget the sound of Sophia's screaming.
It echoes in my head. Three days later. Still there. Still raw.
I hear it when I close my eyes. When I try to sleep. When the house goes quiet.
I hear it now. Standing in front of the mirror. Buttoning a black dress I borrowed from Sophia's closet.
Today we bury Lorenzo.
My hands shake. The buttons slip through my fingers.
I try again. Fail again.
My right hand cramps. The familiar pain shoots up my wrist.
I stop. Breathe. Wait for it to pass.
The door opens behind me.
Dante appears in the mirror. Black suit. Black tie. His face is pale. The scratches from the explosion have started to heal. Yellow bruises bloom beneath them.
He crosses the room. Stands behind me.
