AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The missing girl whose twin sister you helped fourteen years ago,” I reply.
Aria glares up at me for several seconds, her gaze never leaving mine. My pulse quickens. She knows. Knows that Amethyst isn’t an only child. Knows there’s a chance the sister who was either taken or sent away has returned for revenge.
“Put down the guns and come inside.” She disappears behind the door.
Camila and I exchange glances. I flick my head, motioning at her to watch my back. While I don’t think the sisters are dangerous, they’re connected to the oldest crime family in New Alderney. Elania could be inside, calling for backup.
After placing the weapons on the desk, we step past Aria into a tasteful office of black walls and hardwood floors covered in a charcoal rug. A black desk takes center stage, along with two leather chairs. The decor reminds me so much of Amethyst’s little study that my heart aches.
If I had protected her the night the first man from X-Cite Media came after her, instead of tormenting her from the shadows, she would have known the contents of that video would be impossible. Now, I’ll do everything I can to make things right.
The woman standing behind the desk is Elania Salentino. She’s identical to her sister, but with features softened by layered brown hair with highlights. She wears light makeup, with a figure similar to Amethyst in her body-hugging black dress, convincing me of the family connection.
“What’s this about twins?” Elania asks.
Aria stands beside the door, keeping a hand hidden inside her jacket, ready to draw her concealed weapon. I position myself by the wall between the windows, where I can keep an eye on both sisters. Camila stands by the corner wall, out of sniper range.
“I know Amethyst didn’t kill her mother, and I have footage of two identical-looking women at the airport.”
The Salentino twins lock gazes.
“Who are you?” Aria asks.
“Amethyst and I have been in a relationship for months.”
Elania snorts. “My niece is practically a shut-in. Besides, she’s too wrapped up in that prisoner to make time for men.”
“I never said we went out on dates,” I mutter.
“What do you want from us?” Aria asks.
“Anything that can lead us to Dolly.”
“We haven’t seen that one since she was a baby,” Aria says with a sigh. “Melonie was married to our brother, Giorgi, who was an abusive piece of shit. She skipped out on him a year after she had the twins and disappeared on us for nearly a decade.”
My heart skips. “Did he track her down?”
“Giorgi met with an unfortunate accident before he got the chance,” Elania says with a smirk.
“Melonie returned to us ten years later, looking for help,” Aria says. “She told us her new husband was dead, Dahlia had been trafficked, and Amy was abused so badly that she needed to be institutionalized. We sent private investigators looking for Dahlia, but she’d disappeared.”
“Which institution?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “It was such a long time ago. Most of the men my uncle sent to raid the asylum are dead. I don’t even remember the name.”
“What happened to the husband?” I ask.
Their eyes meet again before Elania says, “He died in a car crash.”
“Was Amethyst with him?”
“How did you know?” Aria asks.
“She mentioned losing her memories in a car accident, but she never said a word about having a sister.”
Elania walks around her desk and approaches me, her gaze sharpening. “Tell me about the footage at the airport?”
“Can I show you?”
