Page 20 of The Revenge
“That’s…” Syn frowns. “That’s true,” he says, slowly.
Tori folds her arms, a challenge in her eyes as she glares back at Syn. “Let me guess: exactly what you’d expect of me? Well, I don’t care what you think, because if that’s what I need to do, I’ll do it.”
“That’s not—”
“No one needs to be using sex to accomplish anything,” I say, earning a look of disbelief from Tori. Clearing my throat, I shift my weight and fold my arms. “Anymore.”
Tori reaches for her mug and takes a long sip. I can hear the strain in her voice getting worse as she speaks, but before I can suggest we take a break, she sets the mug back down. “Staying here makes less and less sense. If Preston wants me dead, he’ll try again, and I can tell him then. That’s not important. What is, is seeing Cole and telling him to tell the truth. We could spend Christmas together.”
Syn cocks his head, looking at her in surprise. “If he changed his story today and said he didn’t really do it, do you think he’d just be released?”
Tori shifts, uncrossing and recrossing her legs. “Well, if he explained what happened… Not right away. There’d have to be an investigation…”
“Tori, it’s not that simple,” I tell her, as gently as I can. “Even if we do find out the truth of what really happened and provide a truckful of evidence, Cole confessed to murder, and he’s already been charged. You’d need a really good lawyer and to get an appeal, and even then, it’s not a guaranteed acquittal. It might require a retrial. The fact that he’s not facing a death sentence is a bonus because time isn’t going to run out, but this whole process could still take years.”
I’ve tried to be as kind as possible, but my words seem to take all the hope out of Tori’s eyes. Just as I’ve witnessed hopelessness in Syn for the first time, I’m also seeing it in Tori.
“Your brother confessed. Given that we don’t think he’s guilty, the only reason he’d do that is to protect someone—probably you and your family,” Syn tells Tori, surprising me with the gentleness to his tone. “To willingly spend his life in prison means he’s scared of whoever’s forcing him to do that. So you should be scared, too.”
VIII
Tori
“No… That can’t be right…” Something heavy settles into the pit of my stomach. “If he’s innocent, they’ll set him free. This is America.”
Gemini lets out a little cackle. “Sure, because there isn’t a single person in prison who claims they’re innocent.”
I’d just barely turned sixteen when my brother was sent to prison. Since then, all I’ve done is try to find proof that he didn’t do it. I knew it wasn’t going to be simple, and I’ve been saving every extra dollar that I could in case I needed a lawyer—but that was in case I couldn’t find any evidence. I’ve always just assumed that when I did find the evidence, they’d just let him go.
I am such an idiot.
Or… am I?
Maybe I’ve been focused on this task, but Penny—or even Payne—haven’t pointed this out to me before now, and they know what my plan is. Maybe this was just another cruel twist of the knife from Syn…?
I glance over at Royal, finding his unwavering gray eyes locked on me.
SynandRoyal.
As Gemini had pointed out, there were plenty of people in prison who claimed they were innocent. It might not be thequick and easy process that I was expecting, but there’s no reason to let the despair their words bring me take hold. There will be time to fact check themafter.
“You’ve been through a lot. You should head upstairs and rest.” Syn offers.
The kindness is almost enough to disarm me.
Almost.
Even if he finally does believe me about my brother, there’s no way I buy his sincerity. “I’ve been through a lot because of you.”
“Mmmm.”
As I curl my hands into fists, I stand. “Syn, the last place I feel safe is anywhere near you. Someone already nearly succeeded in killing me because they got into this house without you knowing. But you’re also a part of the very group of people who wants me dead. How could you possibly think I could trust you?”
“Because you’re not the only one who wants to find out who really killed JP,” he tells me. “And I can’t do that without you.”
I scoff. “The great and powerful Synclair Keyingham can’t do something without me?”
“Are you not hearing me, Victoria? Your brother is in prison because he was forced to confess to killing my brother, James Patrick Keyingham. The person the XXXVII had planned to becomepresident. Do you know how dangerous a situation has to be for a person to think lying to the XXXVII is the better alternative?”
