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So, when my sister pulls Mav’s gun on me and tells me I’m not to contact her again, I don’t bother to hide the tears that slip free as my heart shatters. I’m powerless as I’m forced to watch her leave with him, the emptiness that remains so bare, I worry I’ll never be whole again.
“How could you do that to them?” Daph stands on the front steps in one of my T-shirts, her eyes filled with tears.
“I did what I thought needed to be done.”
“You aren’t God, Nicky! You don’t get to play with people’s lives. You don’t get to make decisions for them!”
“YOU THINK I ENJOY THIS?!” I roar, only to wince in agony when pain lances through my shoulder, reminding me of the bullet currently embedded in my muscle. “Do you have any idea how heavy this fucking crown is?”
“No one asked you to wear it.” Daph’s face hardens, her mask a mixture of anger and disappointment. “I need to go.”
“Wait. Shit!” I clutch the wound tighter, attempting to slow the bleeding. “I still need to talk to you.”
“I think I’ve heard everything I need to.”
She’s going to leave. J hates me. My alliance with Mav is as good as dead. And now I’m going to lose Daph, too. She’s never going to forgive me.
I follow her into the house, leaving a trail of blood in my wake. My anxiety climbs to new heights as I watch her ascend the stairs toward my room, each step bringing her closer to exiting my life forever.
Do something, Nick. Think!
“I’m being investigated!” I’m always being investigated in some capacity. How the hell does that help me?
But Daphne stops, slowly turning to face me, her eyes round with concern. “What does that mean for you?”
The story takes shape in my head, any notions of living a life predicated only on the foundations of truth promptly tossed the fuck aside as I weave together a series of lies I can only hope cater to her sympathies.
“If they charge me, it will be chaos. Not just for me, but for all the boys. I need to get ahead of this.”
Daph lowers herself down, perching on one of the stairs as she pulls her knees into her chest. “So, what do we do?”
“Marry me.” I don’t make the conscious decision to say it. The words just slip out. Yet, I don’t feel an ounce of regret once they’re free.
The color drains from her face, her hands going limp at her sides. “I’m sorry?”
“If this goes to trial, you will undoubtedly be subpoenaed. You practically lived at my house growing up. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bulk of their case is built on the back of your testimony given things you’ve seen me do over the years. If we’re married, they can’t force you to testify against me.”
“What about your parents? Or J?”
“My parents don’t know anything, so it’s impossible for them to perjure themselves. And my lawyer’s working on a loophole that would prevent J from having to testify as my sibling.” Lies. Even if such a loophole existed, after what went down today, I’m pretty sure Jones would willingly testify against me. “This would be a mutually beneficial arrangement, demon.”
“How so? What would I stand to gain?”
“You wouldn’t have to marry Lucian.”
Daph’s mouth snaps shut, her head tilting to the side as though considering my proposition. “Can I think about it?”
If I have to forge this marriage certificate myself, she will be my wife. However, things will go much smoother if she thinks she has a choice in the matter. “Of course, but I need to hide you in the meantime.”
“What?! How do you expect me to explain my absence in the middle of wedding planning?”
“I don’t give a shit. Tell your mother you’re going on a spa retreat or say you have a design job in another state. Say anything you need, but I can’t risk the Feds getting hands on you before you make your decision.”
If Yuri was triggered by a snapshot of Mav and my sister, then going public with their relationship will send him careening headfirst off a cliff. I need Daph the fuck out of dodge when he tries to make good on those threats.
“How long?” Her voice comes out small, her gaze directed down to where she fiddles with the hem of my oversized shirt.
“Pack enough for two weeks. Hopefully, you won’t need to be gone longer than that.”
