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“You know I had high hopes for you. From the very beginning you reminded me of your mother. Like you, Pigeon’s clever.”
I couldn’t pull my eyes off Nebraska as she absorbed that blow. And she had yet to recover when Maddon twisted his knife deeper.
“But, unlike you, your mother’s willing to do what needs to be done. She doesn’t quibble over stupid things like morality. When there’s a job to do, she simply does it.”
Nebraska might not have been literally bleeding out, but figuratively speaking the woman was hemorrhaging. Her hands trembled, she blinked rapidly, her eyes darted around the room looking for something to focus on.
She caught the present tense.
Good fucking Christ.
I made quick work of getting into her space and when she still hadn’t looked at me, my hand went under her chin to force her attention to come to me.
Blue eyes swirled with uncertainty and pain.
I gave her a sharp shake of my head and held her gaze, willing her to regain her strength.
I knew she found it when her shoulders stiffened and she said, “Sorry to disappoint you.”
Her words almost came out steady.
But not quite enough for Maddon not to have heard the shakiness.
Seeing as the jackhole knew her well, he pounced. “Oh, dear, that’s right. No one’s told you.”
My hand went from under her chin to cupping the side of her face.
Any doubts I had vanished.
Nebraska had no clue her mother was alive.
None.
And right then, as her world shattered before my very eyes, she was dangerously close to breaking apart.
“Stay strong,” I mouthed.
Her nostrils flared. Her eyes widened. Her breath came out in choppy pants.
“It would seem ol’ Charlie Buck’s got some explainin’ to do.”
With that the motherfucker disconnected.
“Fucking asshole,” Smith growled.
I kept hold of Nebraska’s face and her gaze.
“Need answers, Zane,” I stated the obvious. “But first I need to see to Nebraska.”
“Dove,” Zane called out.
She didn’t even blink when in a bleak, dead tone she answered, “Yes?”
“You might not get it right now, why people do what they do, especially when they’re backed into a corner. But you will. One day, you’ll get it and understand that some of the most fucked-up lies told are the ones that are selfless and shrouded in love and protection.”
Then Zane disconnected as well.
“Did that sound like a preface to you, too?” Smith asked.
