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We get on the elevator, and Ainsley continues to try to siphon money out of Lennon.
“Can we stop at the mall and play in the Sephora?” she asks with no thought as to what just went down.
“No. Don’t you get it? All the frivolous spending he was accusing Lennon of was because of you, Ainsley. Have a fucking heart. She has nothing,” I bark at her.
“I have a place. I need to go. Will you two be okay?” Lennon looks at us like we haven’t been taking care of ourselves for years before she came along. I don’t need her money. I need her.
“Yes, I stopped the hacker from digging too much into you for a while. I told Ainsley we didn’t need to hide out, but she wanted to stay in a hotel.” I reveal what I really said to Ainsley that started all this.
“Don’t blame me. It’s her fault that someone wants to come after us. If she had just done what she was supposed to, we wouldn’t be exposed. If she hadn’t fallen for a fucking mafia dude… Didn’t she learn?” Ainsley waves her hands around in Lennon’s face, and I feel bad for her. “They only care about themselves. Shit, did you even use protection with him?”
“I’m on the shot,” Lennon says, and I watch as her eyebrows drop in thought.
“Lennon, can you give me a ride?” I ask her, and she nods.
“What am I, chopped liver?” Ainsley whines.
“You have our car. Use it and go back to the apartment. I’ll be there later.” I want to spend some time with Leni; we could both use it.
Lennon doesn’t speak to me the whole way down to the lobby or when the valet brings her car around. In fact, she remains quiet long after we climb into the car and she navigates the streets of Las Vegas.
“Want to talk about it?” I ask, unable to take the silence any longer. She trembles as if she forgot I was sitting next to her.
“No. Where would you like me to drop you off?”
“I’ll go with you to Clare’s House. The new cybercafé is cool, and I don’t feel like being around Ainsy right now.” I tell her the truth and take a moment to gather my thoughts. “He does love you. I think if he really didn’t care, he wouldn’t have punished you for what happened. I’m sorry we got you cut off. I’m sorry Ainsley only thinks of you for money.”
“No. No.” She shakes her head. “You both suffered in foster care your whole lives. She gave you up instead of keeping you. I should help you, and I gave you what I don’t need.”
I hate that Ainsley made her feel this guilt. It was a choice our mother made, not Leni.
“No, stop, Leni.” I can’t stop the tears from forming in my eyes. “You don’t owe us anything except love. Just like your father gave you his form of love and ours didn’t.”
She reaches for my hand. “Ly, you, Ainsy, and Sparrow are all I have left. I don’t know if I can ever forgive him for hitting me. I didn’t deserve that. I deserved to be cut off. I deserved to be doubted, but not for my job or life.”
“You’re right, you didn’t deserve that.” I lace my fingers with hers. It reminds me of Alek. I think of him every night.
I look down at our hands and remember his strong fingers lacing with mine. I want to see him, but I can’t. I need to keep my distance before they figure it all out.
“Tell me about Dmitri,” I say as I lean back and briefly close my eyes. I hide my tears, feeling my own pain, as she tells me about the man I know she’s already falling for.
Our conversation turns to the hacker I’m sure Dmitri hired to look into her, thus possibly exposing Ainsley and me.
We pull into the parking lot for Clare’s House, and she parks in her designated spot. We both get out, and I round the back of the car. I hug her and tell her I love her. Then I tell her to give her father and herself time. As for Dmitri, I advise her to give him a chance. Her father is wrong about him.
“Don’t have regrets like we do,” I say, and she looks at me in confusion. I wish I could tell her about walking away from a man I still crave and want. Instead, I tell her a lie. “We know he’s dead. I haven’t found proof, but he would’ve been bugging me to hack the Lucky Dice more if he were still alive.”
“I’m sorry, Ly.” She pulls me in for a hug, and when I pull away, I turn my back on her, not wanting her to see the pain that lying caused me. I hated doing it, but I can’t have her discover the truth.
No one can.
Alek
Ilook down at my phone in shock. A lot has developed in the past few months. I’ve been named the general manager of the casino. Grayson is remaining in Rhode Island with Erika after Jimmy Duncan kidnapped her and tried to kill her. Andrei had him taken care of, but the hacker is still at it.
Dmitri
We need to meet. I have information on the hacker.
