My fingertips dig into my thighs as the truck moves over the bumpy road, heading toward the hotel where Connor plans to drop me off. He wants to get out of Brazil as fast as possible in case Carlos has any government friends who might try and stop him from bringing Carlos out of the country.

My dad is sitting opposite me, with the back of his head against the wall and his eyes closed. His cheeks are hollow, and his skin is weathered, with age spots smudged into splotchy patches beneath his eyes.

He’s getting old. When did that happen?

We still haven’t spoken since I turned the gun over to Cade.

I haven’t talked to anyone, in fact.

I keep running through everything that happened in my mind, trying to digest it all.

My scalp prickles and goose bumps bloom over my skin at the feel of Cade’s eyes on me.

Our eyes connect, and his Adam’s apple moves in his bronzed throat.

Slow and steady breaths, his chest lifts and falls, and I can’t stop looking at him, even when he rips his attention away.

If someone had injected me with a steroid, I wouldn’t be surprised, because I feel like I’m on something. Unstoppable.

Maybe tonight didn’t go quite as planned, but we came out on top with no one hurt, and that’s what matters.

“You okay?” Mason sits next to me. “We can drop these guys off at the hotel, and you can come with us.”

As much as I want to take Mason up on his offer, for my dad, at least, I know I need to deal with this situation on my own. I can’t run forever, and that’s what would happen if I stay in this truck and leave Brazil tonight.

“No, I’m good.”

“If you change your mind, let me know.”

I close my eyes, and my stomach wrenches as I remember the feel of Carlos’s hands on me and the sound of Cade firing a gun shortly after.

I would have loved to see that man die, but Connor may need to pump him for more information. And, just as importantly, I wouldn’t want Cade becoming a murderer because of me.

“I’m sorry, by the way,” I say as we near the hotel.

“For what?” Mason asks.

I clutch the bench on each side of my thighs. “For running into the compound.”

He nudges me in the side. “Hey, I would have done the same thing, if it makes you feel better.”

I force a quick, closed-lip smile. “Thanks.”

Connor pulls my attention away from his brother when he hollers, “We’re here.”

I have to face my father now, and I’m not sure how to do that.

Dad heads to the exit without even making eye contact, which suits me fine.

“You ready?” Cade’s gravelly tone makes me wonder how pissed off he is at me.

Maybe my father forced him to come? That would make the most sense. Then again, could anyone force Cade into doing something he didn’t want to do?

“Yeah, I guess,” I murmur, placing my hand inside his warm one, and I almost shut my eyes at the feel of his touch.

My knees wobble as I stand, but once I’m upright, he lets go of my hand.

“Let’s go see Mya. She’s probably worried about you.” His fingertips splay against the small of my back as we walk to the exit.

He hops out first and holds both arms up in the air, offering to lift me down.

I take a hesitant step back, staring down at him as he waits for me.

“Gia.” For the first time, I hear something different in his tone when he says my name. It’s like a plea, and it catches me off guard.

It takes me a moment, but I crouch down and press my hands to his shoulders and he lowers me.

My lungs contract. I try to remember to breathe.

I can’t seem to drop my hands from him, and he’s not in a rush to let go of me either.

Someone from behind fakes a cough, and so I stumble back out of Cade’s arms and face Connor and a few of his men.

Connor points to the other truck that was following us, the one with Carlos and his guards packed inside. “Once we get those assholes to safer ground, we’ll take a look at the files. I’ll be in touch soon.”

“My mother’s name is Sara Oliveira.” I know Mya told him, but I need to look into his eyes when I say it. I need to believe Connor will do everything in his power to find her.

Connor and Cade exchange a look. It’s dark outside, despite a few lampposts off in the distance near the hotel, so I can’t get a read on whatever unspoken message is passing between the two of them.

“We’ll call. Don’t worry.” Mason pats my shoulder and offers me a half-smile like he’s trying to reassure me without setting me up for disappointment. Maybe they don’t think they’ll find her, but they don’t know how strong my mother is . . .

“Thank you.” I scan the faces of the men who helped bring Carlos to justice tonight. “Everyone.” Emotion starts to catch in my throat, and I reach out for Connor’s forearm. “Kiss your daughter for me.”

“Will do.” He climbs out of sight, and I wait until the trucks are gone before turning in the direction of the hotel.

My dad and Cade trail behind me. And it’s so damn weird.

It’s one of those moments when you can’t decide if you’re actually asleep or dreaming inside of a dream.

It can’t be real, can it?

Silence swallows the air, suffocating even the sounds of our heavy footsteps as we head to the hotel.

Once inside, the fluorescent lighting has me blinking a few times, as black spots appear before my eyes.

My arms go tense at my sides when we begin to rise in the elevator. It’s as if we’re all stuffed inside a coffin together. The space is too small.

I can smell everything, too. Cade’s sexy, natural scent, plus blood, and maybe something that smells like gasoline. I need to get out so I can suck in a breath of fresh air. The two of them consume all of the oxygen.

I drag my attention up the mirrored doors to Cade’s face.

My lips twitch and flatten as his eyes drop to my mouth.

The last time we were together, he was deep inside of me, and now—now what happens? Where do we go from here?

The doors part and I barely make it halfway down the hall when I see Mya darting in my direction. “Oh, thank God. Connor called and said you were good, but when he told me he left you alone with these guys—” She cuts herself off and flings her arms around my neck.

“I’m okay, but if you squeeze any harder, I might not be.”

“Oh, shit. Sorry.” A nervous laugh falls from her lips as she drops her hold on me. “Hi, Cade.”

He scratches at the back of his head as if this situation is making him uncomfortable. Well, yeah, me too.

“We should get inside,” he says instead of a greeting.

Mya nods, but she doesn’t take her eyes off my dad. She sneers as he moves past her and goes into our room.

This can’t be happening right now.

Once inside, Cade goes over to the small sink next to the mini fridge and starts to scrub at his hands, as if washing away the fact he shot a man tonight.

I stand by the door. Part of me wants to escape.

My dad removes a gun from the back of his pants and rests it on his lap once he’s seated on the couch.

“Um. No.” Mya marches in front of him and holds a hand out. She’s fearless, and I admire the hell out of her. “No guns in here.”

“I’m not going to shoot anyone, but it’s not so comfortable sitting on the thing.” A slow smile rolls over his lips so fast I wonder if I imagined it.

I take quick breaths as I absorb the scene.

My dad. Cade. Mya. Me.

No one is being tortured or killed.

Progress?

“You should have never gone after Carlos like that,” Dad scolds me.

I take a few steps farther into the room, still unsure of what might happen.

Cade tosses a towel into the sink and faces me. “Your dad’s here to help.”

His words have my knees buckling, disbelief pulling at me like the strings from a puppeteer who can’t decide on the choreography.

“No. That’s not true. Don’t believe him.” I cross my arms, a coldness spreading through my limbs and settling in the pit of my stomach.

“I wouldn’t be here with him if it weren’t the case,” Cade says.

It’s like someone went into my head and vandalized it. It’s all fucked up in there.

I don’t know what, or whom, to believe right now.

When I still don’t speak, Cade diverts his attention to Mya and my dad. “We need to be alone.” He’s not offering them a choice, but there’s no way my dad—

“I’ll get a room.” My dad’s back on his feet, tucking the gun away before I have time to be shocked.

“Uh, Gia? You okay with this?” Mya stands before me and squeezes my shoulders.

I stare at Cade now, transfixed by his blue eyes. “Yeah.”

“You sure?” she presses. “I can stay.”

“No, you can’t.” There’s an icy edge to his voice, and it has Mya stepping back. The woman can face down drug lords, but Cade is able to knock the wind from anyone’s sails.

Maybe not mine, though. I know his heart.

“If you need me, I’ll be in the suite across the hall where Connor was staying.” Mya releases an unsteady breath.

My jaw goes slack as my dad leaves, and a tingling in my chest spreads like fire into my arms and fingertips.

When it’s only us, Cade hides one hand in his cargo pants pocket and looks down at the carpet. Yeah, the khaki fatigues aren’t a look I ever thought I’d see on a man like him.

Cade, a rugged hero?

The man can’t help it—he’s always sexy. And even in a moment like this, I’m still inexplicably drawn to him. My thighs squeeze tight as a burn throbs between my legs. How is that possible after a night like this?

The adrenaline, I suppose.

I don’t cross the room and go to him, though. I can’t get my stubborn self to move, and so I stay rooted halfway between the door and the living area, standing eight or so feet away from him.

“You ran.” He doesn’t look up, but the tone of his voice is hard and unforgiving.

“I know, but—”

“You left.”

I fumble for the right words as knots of unease wedge in my throat.

He lifts his hand from his pocket, and he’s holding something.

My card.

I take an immediate step forward. Just one. I’m not ready to move more than that yet.

“That was for your protection. I didn’t want anything happening to you.” I fight back the pull of emotions that are luring me into a sudden sob.

He flicks the card, and it flits around, drifting from side to side, until it lands on the floor.

“You shouldn’t have left me.” He levels me with his gaze, and my insides tremble, the need to run to him overpowering. All of my senses are in overdrive, and all I want is to be in his arms.

“I’m sorry.” I shake my head, my mouth pinching tight.

“Don’t do it again.” The words rumble from deep in his throat, and then I do it.

I go to him.

I throw myself against him, frantic with the need to be near him. I plant kisses all over his neck before he seizes my face, forcing us to be nose to nose.

“I missed you,” I cry.

His irises become a darker blue, almost a charcoal gray, and his breathing grows heavier. The want and need are there, but it’s more than lust. Whatever it is, I feel it, too.

He doesn’t say anything back, so I press my lips to his.

His tongue twines with mine, and he deepens the kiss before walking backward, still maintaining his grip on my face.

We stumble into the adjoining bedroom, and then he releases me to lock our door. “We still need to talk.” He rushes out the words, but I don’t want a voice of reason right now. I want to lose control.

Carlos is in cuffs.

Connor will find my mom.

And right now, Cade is with me. He came for me, even if he shouldn’t have, even if I wanted to keep him safe. He still came.

“Later.” I rip my blouse over my head and toss it to the floor, going for my bra clasp without hesitation.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t talk first?” His hands are fisted at his sides, but he keeps his composure. Always in control.

“No talking.”

But there’s a grim twist to his mouth and a pensive look on his face that has me wondering whether this is a good idea. I press the heel of my hand to my chest, trying to steady my heart so I can hear my thoughts clearly.

But he grabs me and gently tosses me over and onto the bed.

I rush to get my pants off as his drop to the floor.

“I can’t wait,” he grinds out and positions himself on top of me.

“Then take me.” I buck my hips up, more than ready for him.

I’ll always be ready for him.

He kisses me again, a rough, almost bruising connection of his mouth to mine.

But it’s when he lifts his head and finds my eyes that my heart stutters. The head of his cock presses against my opening, but he doesn’t move.

His eyes close. “I need to hear you say it.”

I grip his biceps and rock my hips up, needing him to fill me. “What?”

“That you’ll never run again.”

Ohh. “I’ll never run.”

“We face problems together from now on. You got it?” He opens his eyes, and the color has warmed again. He’s back.

“I promise.” He nearly kisses my words as they fall from my mouth, and then he buries himself deep and hard inside of me. I growl out some sort of strange cry.

He thrusts in and out, filling me more and more with each and every movement.

And this man . . . God, this man could go all night. His strength and stamina—I’m no match for him. I orgasm too fast, my body totally spent.

“Flip around and grab the headboard,” he commands even though my legs are jelly. But he’s still hard as a rock.

I do as I’m told.

He moves in and out, slowly at first.

He squeezes my flesh, twists my nipple, and I gasp as my thighs clench again, every time we connect.

My body quivers and my knuckles start to hurt from holding on to the headboard so tight, but I can’t let go. He’s driving into me with everything he has now, and I’m getting so lightheaded from the desire sweeping through me yet again, that if I even loosen my grip, I might pass out.

He bites into my shoulder, and I press my ass back against him, knowing I’m hitting that sexy V above his cock.

“Fuuuck.” He releases, his warmth filling me, and I lose control again.

We’re both breathing wildly.

He rolls me over a minute later, and I’m wet and sticky and covered in his come. My hand plops across my chest.

He looks at me, and our noses almost touch. “You wanna grab a shower with me?”

“You do kind of smell.” I half-smile.

“Well, I haven’t had a chance to really clean up since your father kind of doused the car in gasoline.”

My mouth falls open. “Explain.”

“I told you we had stuff to talk about.”

“Well, him almost killing you is important information that you should have led with.” I bite the inside of my cheek, hating that this is all my fault. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, some people get to bond with their girlfriend’s father over drinks, but your dad—”

“You did not just use the words bond and father in the same sentence!”

He grins. “I wouldn’t go quite so far as to say we bonded, but there was something we discovered we’re both very passionate about.” He sits upright and ropes a hand around the back of his neck. “You.”

“You still have a lot of explaining to do.” I get off the bed and start for the bathroom, assuming he’ll follow. He does have a weakness for my ass.

There’s a sting on my flesh a moment later, and I shriek and turn around. “Did you just slap me?”

His teeth sink into his bottom lip as he lowers his attention down my body. “I couldn’t resist.”

“I’ll pay you back for that.” I start to pivot around, then halt halfway. “Wait. Did you say girlfriend earlier?”

He grabs me and pulls me against him, my back to his chest, his length already springing back up, hard and ready.

“Like you said, we have a lot to talk about.”

---

“Jesus Christ.” Cade sits upright and rubs his eyes.

“Who is it?” I call out, forgetting where I am. The banging on the door is incessant and obnoxious, and I’m tired as hell.

“It’s your father.”

My world spins. Everything starts to go black again. The color drifts from my sight and darkness swarms all around me.

My dad.

He’s here.

But . . .

“He’s going to know we had sex.” I tuck the sheet beneath my chin in a panic. “He’ll kill you.”

Cade reaches for my cheek and palms it. “Sweetie, I’m pretty sure he figured it out back in Havana, and he didn’t kill me.”

“He didn’t kill you. Right.” I release a ragged breath. “Okay.”

“But you should probably get dressed, so we don’t tempt him into shooting me in the leg. He’s still a father and all.”

“Hurry,” Mya hollers.

She’s with my dad? Seriously?

“We don’t have much time to prepare. Rory’s on his way,” Mya adds.

Holy shit. “How?” I scramble out of bed.

Cade pulls on his pants so casually I want to scream.

“What?” He shrugs.

“Didn’t you hear her? Rory’s coming.”

Cade smiles. “Yeah, I know.”

I drop my shirt over my head but don’t put on my jeans. I’m too astonished to do anything until answers come my way. “How do you know?”

“Your dad and I came up with a plan. Jessica helped out, too.”

My spine straightens. My body goes stiff. “You’re serious right now, aren’t you?”

“Would I joke about something like that?” He raises a brow.

Indecision pulls at me. This doesn’t feel right. “My dad must be tricking us. I don’t believe he’s on our side.”

He stalks toward me and grabs hold of my hands. “Look at me.”

I swallow and nod.

“Good. Now focus on what I’m saying.” He leans even closer, so our mouths are almost touching, and then he does it. He presses a soft and slow kiss to my lips. When he lifts his head, there’s a smile in his eyes.

“What was that for?”

“To calm you down.”

“Oh.” Maybe it worked. I’m not quite as tight. “Okay. I’m focused now.”

“I trust that your father is on our side. I know it sounds crazy.”

“Because it is,” I snap, the tension springing back in place. He doesn’t know the man. My father is a liar.

“Gia.” His large hands tighten around mine, and I take a deep breath. “I left New York to protect you. I followed you here, even when you tried to push me away. I think it should be clear at this point I have your best interest at heart. So, when I tell you that your father’s objectives align with ours, you need to believe me.”

I wrangle my hands free and spin away.

“Guys!” Mya’s voice cries through the door.

“Give us one goddamn minute,” Cade shouts, effectively silencing her.

I cup my mouth and his hands find my shoulders and gently grip them. “Your father has been lying to you, but it was because he thought he was protecting you.”

“And you believe him?” I whip around, and his arms go to his sides.

“I’m pretty good at reading people.”

“Oh, yeah? Read me.” I circle an index finger around in front of me. “What does my face say to you right now?”

He huffs a frustrated breath and turns away.

“Tell me.” I grab his bicep, trying to get sight of his eyes again, angry that he’d believe a murderer over me.

“No.”

“Tell me,” I say, my voice cracking.

He looks over his shoulder at me with a hard expression. “You’re scared. That’s what I see. You’re so scared you can’t even see straight.” He shirks his arm free of my grasp, grabs his T-shirt off the floor, and slowly rolls it down over his hard abdomen.

“Yeah, I’m scared my dad is going to ship me back to that prison of a life in New York.” I grit my teeth together.

“No. You’re afraid you’ve been lying to yourself for the last ten years.”

“About what?” My head jerks back like I was smacked. I don’t understand. But when his eyes land on my angel wings tattoo, the heaviness in my stomach turns to lead.

“Wait,” I whisper the word as he grabs hold of the doorknob.

“You need to hear the truth.” He swings the door open, and I blink a few times, realizing I’m still without pants.

Once fully dressed, I go into the living room. My father is next to the TV stand, and he extends a coffee my way.

“I’m good.” I roll my eyes and look to where Mya’s sitting on the couch next to Cade. He’s got a coffee in his hands, too, and I can’t help but wonder if my dad laced it with poison.

“What the hell is going on?” I lean against the wall by the bedroom door and cross my arms.

Dad looks down at his watch. “Rory is on his way from the airport.”

“What?” My head’s pounding, the pain growing in my temples. “And I assume you’re the one who told him where we are?”

“Of course.” My dad sets aside the coffee I turned down and takes a sip of his own.

How is everyone so damn casual right now?

“Rory wouldn’t have come himself if I didn’t tell him I needed him here.”

“And why would we want Rory here? Why have him come unless you’re planning on bringing me back to that hell?” I shove off the wall and stare at him in disbelief.

“It’s the only way to ensure you never have to go back. Well”—Dad looks over at Cade and then back at me—“unless you want to, of course.”

New York with Cade?

How is that possible?

“I’m two seconds away from running out this door.” I stand before my father as if we’re in a showdown, but he doesn’t look angry. He looks tired. Sad, even.

Cade doesn’t have to say anything, because when I look over at him, I can see it in his eyes. No more running.

I hiss, but say, “I’m listening.” I don’t have to believe him, but for Cade’s sake, I’ll give my father a chance.

“Mya, let’s give them a minute alone.” Cade rises and motions for her to follow.

“No. Don’t go,” I plead.

He stares at me for a long moment but finally settles back onto the couch.

“No lies. Just the truth. You owe me that much after chaining me to a life of death and fear.” I head to the window before swiveling around to face my dad. But all I see is a pair of dull, lifeless green eyes looking back at me.

His shoulders sag, and for some reason, he doesn’t look like the boogeyman anymore.

“I’ve always been honest. I just didn’t tell you everything.” He starts to walk toward me.

His hands slide into the pockets of his slacks, and he angles his head but keeps his eyes on me. “Your mother’s name won’t be on that USB drive.”

I swallow, knowing exactly what he’s going to say next—understanding why Cade looked at my tattoo, but still, I refuse to believe it. “No.” My hands ball into fists at my sides, and I bury my fingertips into my palms as tight as possible until my own nails cause me pain.

“I’m the one who buried her,” he says in a low, throaty voice.

“You’re lying.” I take short, quick breaths.

He steps closer, and I can’t move anymore with the window to my back. My emotions catch in my throat, a bubble of pain ready to explode.

“Your mother was a fighter. And as soon as those pigs bought her, she fought so hard against them they ended up killing her.” Pain edges through his voice, sadness overtaking his face. “She was willing to die, rather than let those bastards near her body. You need to understand. You need to know that what she did took courage. She refused to be a prisoner.”

“No. Fighting to live—to see me again—would have been courageous.” But that’s not fair . . . and I hate myself almost immediately for what I said.

She was in an impossible situation. There’s only one person who was weak. The man who took her.

My hands tremble as they cover my face, and my dad wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his chest, and I don’t even have the energy to fight him. I sob into his chest until there’s nothing left inside of me.

When he lets go, I wipe away the rest of my tears and look over at Mya and Cade. His palm is to his forehead, his eyes shut, and Mya’s softly crying.

I turn away from everyone and plant a palm to the window, lowering my head against the glass. “I’m being selfish,” I whisper. “I wanted her to still be alive so I could have my mother again.”

The truth grips hold of me, and I want to let it go. I want to go back to being naïve, to being hopeful she’s out there. “I want you to take me to her.”

“I told Cade where she’s buried. After all of this is over, he can take you.”

“This doesn’t change the fact I still don’t trust you.” My voice quavers, emotion threading heavier than normal through each of my words. “Why do you want Rory here?”

“So I can bury him, too.”

When I face him, I see the slight twitch in his jaw. It’s obvious that he’s angry. He hates Rory. How could I have not known this until now?

Cade’s on his feet, and he’s working at the tension in his neck, his eyes cast down at the floor. I’m not used to his silence, but I guess he’s decided to give my father the driver’s seat in all of this insanity.

My shoulders hunch forward, my body aching to rest and let go of today. But that’s not possible.

“Why now? Why do you want to stop him now?” If I’m going to trust him, he needs to prove he’s worthy of it.

“We don’t have much time,” Mya says from behind.

“I know, but I won’t agree to any plan if I don’t know what the hell is going on.”

“You don’t need to. This is on me. None of you are leaving this room, not until it’s over.” Dad turns to face Cade. “That includes you.”

Cade nods, his eyes meeting mine for a moment, and I can tell it’s hard for him to take orders, but it doesn’t look like he has much choice right now.

“I never wanted you in this life, and I’m sorry.” My father clears his throat and forces his gaze to mine. “I’m not a good person, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I was trying to make things right for you . . . but you expedited things by running.” He fakes a laugh. “You’re definitely your mother’s daughter, all right.”

I fidget with the bottom of my shirt, twisting it around my finger as if I’m that little girl again, looking out the window, wondering if my dad will ever show . . .

And here he is, and it’s as if I’m actually seeing him for the first time.

“How will killing Rory protect me? Won’t his people want revenge? Won’t I be in even more danger?”

“Not with the plan Jessica and I came up with,” Cade says.

“The one we talked about?” I think about the conversation we had with Jessica, and it feels like an eternity ago. “Is your friend dirty, or is Rory a snitch?” My forehead tightens as I look back and forth between Cade and my father, waiting for clarity.

“My friend is dirty.” A film of unease shadows his face, the reality of the truth unsettling for him. “But that doesn’t mean Rory’s people have to know that.”

“I don’t understand.”

My dad reaches out for my shoulder, resting a palm there, and I don’t flinch, which is surprising. “I’m the one who turned the McCullens in. Richard is in prison because of me.”

My eyes widen, and my stomach falls.

“Rory should have been locked up, too.” His brows pull together. “I anonymously provided the Feds with everything they could ever need to imprison both Rory and his father, and yet, Rory never got sentenced.”

“You’re the snitch?” My thoughts are growing fuzzy, and nothing in my world makes sense right now.

“I was trying to get you a way out of this life, but when Rory took over, I realized I had to come up with a new plan.” Dad turns his back and retrieves his gun.

It’s big and black, and I have no idea what kind it is, but if it’s meant to kill Rory, I don’t even care. I’m okay with murder. In this case, I’m okay.

“We think Rory made a deal in exchange for his freedom,” Mya says. Apparently, my father caught her up on everything while Cade and I were rolling around beneath the sheets last night.

It’s like a punch in the gut, being the last one to figure everything out.

“So what do we do?” I ask.

Cade looks at his watch. “Jessica will be forcing Jerry to phone Rory’s main crew a few minutes after Rory’s arrival. He’ll be letting them know Rory’s working with the Feds.”

“But you said Jerry’s dirty.”

“Which is why I don’t feel guilty about having Jessica hold a gun to his head to make the call.”

My fingers fan against my breastbone, taking this all in.

“Nobody likes Rory. His own people can’t stand him, and you know that. They won’t be too shocked to learn of his betrayal. They loved Richard, and they’ll turn on Rory with even the slightest doubt planted.” Dad twists a black cylinder to the end of his gun.

“So, why do you need to kill him?” Not that I’m against it.

“To protect you,” Dad says. “To prevent anyone from bothering you after all of this is over, his crew needs to think Rory’s an informant—which he is. But to keep you safe, Rory needs to die.”

“What if something happens to you in there?” My stomach lurches at the thought of losing another parent, which is crazy, because I’ve spent ten years trying to get away from this man. Ten years hating him.

“There’s a chance I’ll get caught in the crossfire if Rory or his guys start shooting at each other. Rory might try and do something stupid.”

“Tell her the truth. She deserves that.” Cade’s words have my attention switching to him.

“What?” I mouth the question while looking back at my dad.

He lowers the fully assembled gun to his side and cocks his head, eyeing me.

“I should go. They’ll be expecting me.”

Realization barrels at me like I’ve been shot. “You want to die, don’t you? You don’t plan on coming back, do you?” My lower lip trembles, and I rush to him and throw my arms around his neck.

He’s a killer.

And he belongs in hell.

But he’s my dad.

“I love you,” I whisper into his ear, even if it doesn’t make sense.

He holds me tight against him with one strong arm. “I’m so proud of you. Your mother would be so proud of you, too,” he says with a strained voice. “Bury me next to her, will ya?”

A quick kiss on my cheek, and then he pulls back and starts for the door.

“No!” I rush toward him, but he doesn’t look back.

“Gia, stop,” Mya calls out, trying to reach for my arm as I go past her.

The door slams shut, and Cade wraps his arms around me, holding on to me as I fight to break free.

I drop my weight into his arms, sliding to the ground, and he goes down with me.

“He has to do it. Let him do it,” he says into my ear as new tears flood my face.

“No,” is all I can say.

I can’t lose two parents in one night.

“You’ll never be safe with him alive. He doesn’t want someone using you against him,” he says in a rush to try and get me to understand, to calm me down. But it’s not working.

“He’s going to die because of me, just like my mom did.” I close my eyes, but finally, stop resisting.

“He wants you to be free to live your life.”

I tuck my knees to my chest and rock in place, trying to maintain my sanity, but I think I’ve lost it.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs. “Always.”

“Shit,” Mya says, and I look up to see her hurrying to the door. “Did you hear that?”

A few minutes later, the fire alarms sound, and the hallways grow loud with commotion.

“We gotta get out of here.” Cade stands and reaches down to help me to my feet.

Mya opens the door and people are running down the hall. “Wait,” I rasp, my voice hoarse.

“I’ll get it,” Cade says before I can move, reading my thoughts.

“Thank you,” I say once he retrieves my sketchpad.

I clutch it to my chest and join the frenzied people in the hall, but we walk slowly. We move cautiously.

We know there’s no fire.

We can only hope Rory is dead.

But my dad just might be, too.