Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 68831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
His mouth crumbled a little, the edge of his lips breaking before he pinned them together and brusquely nodded. “It wasn’t us, Bell. Her father… he did this. Not us. Don’t let yourself take on that burden.”
I nodded tightly, and his face softened.
“It’s hard for me, because I imagine, if it had been you, how differently I would feel. And that makes me feel as if I’m disrespecting her—” He broke off the sentence with a swear. “It’s just hell, what you and I are in right now. But, I love you. Miss you.”
He pulled me forward and planted a soft kiss on my forehead. “I’ll see you soon.”
He opened the bedroom door, gave me one final look, and walked out.
Nine
I laid in Laurent’s bed and listened to an engine start, heard the squeal of a belt as it reversed, then left. I rolled onto one side and thought about this disaster. It was like that puzzle that we worked on together, a pile of undone pieces that had to be sorted through and put into place. Only … it felt as if a timer was running, a countdown of sorts, Dario’s hands furiously picking through pieces and snapping them into place, and not quick enough to beat the clock.
What would happen when it hit zero, and the puzzle was incomplete? Would Hawk go free? Would he find and kill me?
I listened as the engine rumble grew softer, and had the sudden, panicked urge to sprint out the front door and chase him down. I got up and found my phone. Scrolled through to the number that Dario had called me from last night. I hit the green phone icon, and it connected.
“Hey.”
I crawled back into bed and pulled the covers over me, curling into a ball on my side. “Hey.”
“I’ll have to ditch this phone when I get on the plane.”
The thought of him being unreachable, of more days of silence and unknowing… I crushed my feelings into a tiny ball and swallowed them, trying to find some inner strength. “How long do you think it’ll take for them to arrest Gwen’s dad?”
He sighed, and there was the sound of wind in the background, static on the line. “I’m battling with the feds over what they’re doing now—which is trying to lure him into leading us to the professional who killed her—or finding something minor to arrest him for. Then, once he’s in custody, they’re hoping to search his homes and find something that’s gonna lock him away forever.”
“So, a hit man?” The words sounded cartoonish when coming from my lips. “He hired someone like that?”
“That’s my best guess. He would never have mistaken Gwen for you. And he wouldn’t have shot from behind. He would have wanted to confront you before pulling the trigger. He would have wanted you to know exactly why he was doing it. That’s just the sort of man he is.”
He spoke about it so matter-of-factly, and it was almost enough to insulate the impact of the words, of the real-life situation that almost occurred. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the dark blades of Laurent’s ceiling fan. I searched for a new topic. “You said they might arrest him for something minor. Like what?”
“White collar crimes. We haven’t exactly dotted every i in the last ten years. I’ve given the FBI access to our financials, plus they can dig through anything with Gwen’s name on it. Their forensic accountants should find plenty to work with.”
“But that would implicate you, also. Right?”
“Yes. They’ve agreed to grant me some immunity, and are going to first focus on the bank accounts that he and Gwen shared. But there’s a risk I will be charged as well. Legitimately charged—not the fake arrest. I didn’t—“
His voice broke off, and I filled in the gap. I didn’t kill Gwen.
“I know you didn’t.” It seemed like an important statement to make. And I believed it.
“I’ve got to go.” He paused, and the next words came out haltingly. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I whispered the words, and they felt as flimsy as tissue.
Did our love, at that point, even matter? Had it all been for nothing given that our world, our future, had been obliterated? The feds were digging into Hawk, and from that research, Dario might be arrested. He might go to jail. He’d lost his best friend. His empire had lost their matriarch. Would Dario eventually associate loving me with this tragedy? Would he resent me for it?
I rolled onto one side and hugged one of Laurent’s pillows. I wanted to be on my parents’ couch watching television with Dad while I worked on schoolwork. I wanted my mom to come sit with me and brush my hair like she did when I was a kid. I wanted her hugs, and the assurances that everything was going to be okay. I gripped the pillow tighter and fought the loneliness, the desperate urge to call them.