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It was then that my heart had shattered, and the truth of my reality had set in.
Sebastian Shephard had never loved me. I didn’t even know if he liked me. All that sex that I had thought was incredible because of our feelings for each other and our connection—it had been a lie. He’d just fucked a lot of women, and he knew exactly how to use my body to manipulate me into believing his lies. The girl who had never had a man’s love. I was the poster child for daddy issues, and he’d seen it and used it against me.
Then, to get rid of me, he and the others had an elaborate tale that he was in trouble and going to face the boss. He had never been in any danger. They’d probably all gotten drunk and laughed at my naivety. How easy it had been for Sebastian to dupe me.
Never again. I would never again trust a soul with my heart.
I tucked the covers under my chin as hot tears rolled down my face. The irony of it all was, even though it hadn’t been real to him. It had been to me. He had ruined me. No man would ever compare to what I’d thought we had. That might possibly be the saddest part of this all. I was a broken, pathetic, lost little girl who had handed over her heart on a silver platter.
It was almost noon, and Merce hadn’t stopped by with any food, although I had warmed up last night’s meal and fed Grams breakfast. I had no appetite, so I could get one more meal out of it for her before I started to get worried. But Merce would come back. He wasn’t an early riser. Morning to him was often early afternoon for most.
My phone rang, and I tensed as I glanced down at it, but then I saw my dad’s name. I was thankful that Merce had helped him get another phone with his old number. I would need to do the same as soon as I could leave. I didn’t want anything that Sebastian and his Mafia lords could trace. Right now though, this was all I had.
“Dad,” I said in greeting.
“Royal,” he replied, sounding chipper for a man who was as beaten up as he was. “Seems I am in the clear. The Mafia called me and informed me that they no longer needed me. We are free to return home as long as we keep our distance from the Dancastles. I didn’t tell them you were with Merce, but they knew. The man I spoke with said you and Grams had until today to get back to our house in order to clear your name. If you stayed with Merce, then they would believe you were helping him.”
I sank down onto the sofa behind me. “They aren’t mad you escaped?” I asked, no longer believing anything those men said. As much as I wanted to go home, this could be a trap.
“No. Seems I didn’t escape. They were done with me and let me go free. The people Merce sent were just my ride.”
Frowning, I stared at the wall. That didn’t make sense. “Your ride? I thought you were tied up and hung from the ceiling?”
“Yeah, I was all right. But they let me down and untied me. Anyway, it’s all over. Merce ain’t answering, and I want free of them dirty politicians. Got us in enough trouble already. Has he been there this morning? Reckon you can get an Uber?”
I shook my head, still not sure this was all as up-and-up as he thought it was.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“Back at home, and I can’t do a thing with two broken arms. I need you to get on back here.”
“Dad, how did you get home?” I demanded.
He could very likely be sitting bait for Sebastian and those men. Nothing they said was the truth.
“They sent someone to fetch me. Brought me here.”
“WHO?!” I shouted. Merce had said dad was in the hospital and he’d take me to see him today. Who had taken him from there?
“No reason to break my damn eardrum too,” he snapped. “The Mafia. Sent a guy after they called. That’s what they did. Now, get an Uber and pick up some food on the way. Ain’t nothin’ here.”
“Dad,” I said as calmly as I could. “Last night, you called me, then sent me pictures of your injuries, detailing what all the Mafia had done to you. You called Sebastian by his name, not Amory. You knew who they were, and they’d almost killed you. Now, you are telling me, less than twenty-four hours later, that you believe that they are done with us? You left the hospital with these men. The ones who hurt you with no fear of them hurting you again? This does not make sense!”
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go home. It was that I was terrified to trust anyone. And this time, I had Grams to protect.
He sighed heavily into the phone. “Last night, I didn’t know they’d let me go. I thought they were gonna come lookin’ for me. I thought they’d get to me in the hospital. Kill me this time. But they didn’t! They came and got me and brought me home. If they was gonna kill me they would have taken me back to the damn room and finished the job.”
I pressed my forefinger and thumb against my temples and rubbed. He wasn’t thinking this all through.
“What about me? Did you think of that? I ran off too. Sebastian called me several times yesterday, and I ignored it. What if this is a way to draw me out?”
“It ain’t. They said that Sebastian was done with you. He got what he needed. You left and saved them the trouble of having to get rid of you. The man even told me to tell you, uh, somethin’ about,That’s the best you can be, little girl—a beautiful little fool. Or was it,That’s the best thing a girl can… or … fuck, I can’t remember. He said to pass that along, and I did. Whatever. Just get home.”
“That’s the best thing a girl can be in this world—a beautiful little fool,” I whispered, remembering the line fromThe Great Gatsby.
And I’d thought Sebastian couldn’t hurt me anymore. He was right. I was a fool.
“Yeah! That sounds about right,” he agreed.
