“Lily,” Julian whispered. “Come on, we have to move.”

I was struggling to process everything that had just transpired. There were so many questions left unanswered.

Why did she get Dad involved?

Why did she wait for fourteen years to leave?

Julian reached for my hand. I looked down and then up at his face. “I thought I had my mom back. It feels unfair to feel the emotion of loss again.” He pulled me close to his chest. “For a moment, I thought I could enjoy chicken noodle soup again. Now all I want is to pretend none of this ever happened.”

“I’m so sorry, Lily.”

“Why didn’t you pull me from the car? Prevent me from leaving Las Vegas.”

He softly chuckled. “Do you really think I could stop you?”

“No.” I stifled a laugh. “Not with my hot head and fighter ways.”

“Exactly,” he said, pulling me away from his chest. “Maybe what happened was a good thing.”

“We need to make sure Otto is okay,” I said, suddenly remembering there was another person in the damn house.

He placed his hands on my shoulders. “Stay put.” I nodded because I didn’t want to move at the moment. “I’ll be right back, Lily.”

“Promise?”

“You can’t get rid of me that easy.”

I watched him run toward the small house. It was dark out still, so I lost sight of him quickly. Leaning against a tree, I wrapped my arms around my body as a chill ran up my spine. I wasn’t ready to lose Julian. Yet, I had stood silently as he ran back into the belly of the beast.

Minutes later, Julian’s figure ran toward me, but he wasn’t alone. As he approached, I could see Otto’s frame coming into focus.

“Is he okay?”

“His bell was rung.” Julian had to practically carry him.

“What the—” I said, reaching out to help place Otto on the ground. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Your mom is crazy,” Otto murmured.

“Got anything I don’t already know?”

He actually smiled. “My phone is in my jacket pocket. Call my men.”

Julian did as he advised. Within minutes, we were surrounded by ten men all with guns at the ready.

Otto sat up carefully. “They didn’t do this.” He pointed to the house. “She did.”

It felt like we were in the middle of the octagon during a fight for the next several minutes. Otto was barking off commands. Then his boss pulled up and was barking the demands even louder. Suddenly Julian and I were whisked into an unmarked car. I was waiting for someone to hold my arm up and yell winner.

“We need you both to stay in San Francisco for a few more days,” Otto said, sitting down on a chair opposite me.

“That’s fine.” I scowled. “What happens to my mom?”

“She’ll be going away for a very long time.”

“But she’ll get a fair trial, right?”

“She’s already confessed, Lily.”

I stood and started to pace. “The list.” I turned to face him. “She was the one that killed all those people?”

“That’s what she claims,” he said, leaning back in the chair. “Your father is not here to defend her, so we have to use that confession.”

“Because the evidence clearly points in my parents’ direction?”

“Exactly.” He stood and lightly touched my arm. “You’re not in danger.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

It was hard to switch my brain. I was raised to believe one thing. Now I had to see everything from a different lens. What if I wasn’t ready for the change?

“Come over and sit back down for a moment.” When I sat down in front of him, he said, “Here’s what we found out. Your mom’s father did work for the mob but not directly for Giano. He was considered an associate.”

Again, I was confused. Was that news supposed to make me feel better? “And that means what?”

“Her father was marking off people that were obviously not in favor of Giano.” I probably had my what the fuck face still perfectly in place. “We did a lot of research on the Nesta mob. Giano hated people that thought differently from him or talked bad about him in public.” Otto paused for a moment, probably to let me interject. I didn’t say anything, so he continued. “So anyone under the mob fell in line with his orders and more than likely started to believe everything he demanded.”

“If my dad was still here, this wouldn’t be happening right now.”

Otto shrugged his shoulders. “Hard to say. If I had to venture a guess, I would say your mom was plotting to get the list. She probably started devising a plan the moment she left.”

I rubbed my eyes and dropped my head in my hands.

This was too much to process.

“I love you, Lily Bug,” my mom yelled as two federal agents tugged her down a long hall.

Julian had his arms wrapped tightly around my body. I was struggling to fight back the tears. For two days, I let myself stay on autopilot. Now it felt like a dam cracking and every emotion permeating the wall so perfectly placed.

“Julian,” I said through my tears.

“What, baby?”

“I need Charlie, please.”

My best friend was not blood, but she was the only family I could fully trust now. She was the one person in the world I knew who would understand what I was feeling.

He let go long enough to shake Otto’s hand. Then he pulled me close and guided me down to the taxi waiting outside the station that would take us to the airport.