Total pages in book: 15
Estimated words: 14744 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 74(@200wpm)___ 59(@250wpm)___ 49(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14744 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 74(@200wpm)___ 59(@250wpm)___ 49(@300wpm)
“You wanted me to kill someone you scammed?”
Phillip waves a hand. “That’s not honest money anyway.”
The tension builds in the air like a gathering storm. Luca’s shoulders stiffen, his hands clenched into fists on the table, knuckles turning white from the pressure. Every breath is shallow and sharp like he’s trying to hold back a tidal wave of anger. “So you left Lila alone in that house, knowing full well Dalton’s going to come to collect?”
“I asked her to come with us.”
“Mentioning the note would’ve changed her mind.”
Phillip has the audacity to roll his eyes. “What does it matter? All is peachy.”
Mom chooses that moment to insert herself into the conversation. “That’s true. Everything’s well and good.”
Discomfort roils in my stomach. “You knew, Mom? You knew men were going to the house, and you didn’t warn me?”
Phillip and Mom exchange a look that says, ‘Are you hearing this?’ She fluffs her hair and takes one last glance at the mirror at her makeup before gazing back at me. “I told you it was dangerous.”
“You said you would go on vacation. I only found out about the dangerous part when you were on the way to the airport.”
“Like Phillip said, what does it matter? It’s all resolved now.”
I stare at her, trying to process what she just said. Disbelief washes over me, but the disappointment following it cuts so deep it almost feels physical.
I knew she was a shitty parent, but part of me still hoped she would come to her senses. I didn’t need her to coddle me, shower me with praises, shop dresses together, or bake cookies with me. I just wanted her to be a mother. Yet, even in the face of danger, she couldn’t do that.
“You’re not even going to ask if I’m okay?” My voice breaks at the last word, and Luca turns to me, worry replacing his anger.
Phillip and her exchange another look. “Lila, you’re not a child anymore. You can take care of yourself. You’re twenty-four years old, and you have Luca.”
“Damn right, she does,” Luca says in a low, steely voice, turning the screen so it’s facing him. “She’ll have me forever. I’m going to marry her, and neither of you is invited.”
If the attempt on my life didn’t get a reaction, this little revelation does.
Mom raises his voice. “She’s your stepsister!”
“Oh, now you care? I said what I said.”
Phillip matches Mom’s tone. “Are you trying to get back at me, Luca? Because this—”
“This isn’t about you. I love her.”
My mind races to catch up with Luca’s words. Did I hear him right? He loves me and wants to marry me? Shock floods my senses like a sudden jolt, and my heart thuds in my chest.
Luca ignores Mom and Phillip’s protests and turns to me with a smile—a smile that seems only reserved for me. The shock dissolves, warmth spreading through me like sunshine breaking through clouds.
Despite the hurt I felt from Mom, a burst of joy fills me, and my lips curve upward.
“Luca, you stop this right now. Aren’t you too old for rebellion? You’re crazy. You can’t—” Phillip is more riled at having his son fall for his stepdaughter than stealing money and letting thugs kill me. His priorities are skewed.
“Did I stutter?” Luca doesn’t wait for a response. Instead, he pulls me to him and captures my mouth in a kiss that has me melting into him. Mom and Phillip’s voices fade into the background, their words blurring into meaningless sounds.
Then, it’s just me and Luca.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
EPILOGUE
LUCA
It took me a while, but I finally righted all my wrongs. Apathy and turning the other way, even as I watched my father steal from others, made me an accomplice. I couldn’t do that anymore.
So, I spent the next few years gathering evidence against him and, at the same time, paying back what he owed. He’s currently behind bars. When Lila’s mom realized that her dreams of a grand life were coming to an end, she divorced him and found a new, rich husband.
It’s safe to say that both of them won’t win the “Parent of the Year” award anytime soon.
And as for my job, I’m no longer going around on missions. Just as I was about to hand in my resignation, I received a promotion and became a handler. It requires me to travel from time to time, but not as often as before, and definitely not as risky.
Lila prefers it this way, and while she likes ordering me around, my job is something she lets me decide for myself.
And it’s this job that kept me away from her for eight days, but I’m back. I’m here crouching behind the kitchen island, my heart pounding as I wait for her to come home from work.
The single-story farmhouse is eerily quiet, its silence amplified by the emptiness of the space. We moved in two weeks ago, and the rooms are still bare, save for the bed in the master’s bedroom, a wardrobe cabinet, and a few kitchen appliances.