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We’re quiet for a moment, each lost to our own thoughts. “It couldn’t hurt to hear him out, though.”
“Hear him out? I’ve heard enough already. I don’t know how this is forgivable!” I say indignantly.
“I just… I mean, it’s obvious he’s in—” I peg her with a glare so sharp and intense she switches gears. “He obviously cares about you. If only you had seen him, he wasdistraughtwhen we were looking—”
My stomach flips, but I don't want to hear anymore. “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t excuse everything he’s done. Everythingthey’vedone.”
“Running Brad off the road and not even stopping is terrible. I know that. But… I don’t know, I can see why they felt the need to avoid arrest. They had bigger fish to fry, so to speak.”
“Okay, but what about the pen? He was completely fine withusingme for this ‘greater good’!”
“It’s shitty, but I get it. He was desperate! He wanted to stop his dad, and for good reason, it sounds like. But he obviously fell for you unintentionally and now—”
“That doesn’t make it better!”
Char looks at me sympathetically. “Look, you gotta do what’s best for you, toots. If you can’t move past this, then don’t. But no one needs a third-act breakup, so try to make a choice and stick to it.”
“A third-actwhat?” I ask.
Char sighs. “You really need to start reading romance books.”
“I—” My head throbs and I decide I don’t care about what it means. “Nevermind. I think I need to lie down.” As I move towards the staircase, I suddenly feel like I need to be clean. “Actually, a hot bath sounds nice.”
“Go. I’ll be right here.” She lays down on the couch and pulls out her phone.
I return to the bedroom I was in with Lorenzo earlier, having seen a door I believe was the ensuite. Opening the door confirms there’s a luxurious bathtub stocked with soap and towels. There’s no shampoo or conditioner, but then again, Lorenzo said he’d only been here once before.
I remove my clothes and sink into the bath, ignoring the sting from the gash in my leg.
I can’t deny how much more alive I feel, despite the weakness in my body. The fire lighting me up is returning to my soul and I know it’s for one reason only. It’s obvious that I’m already hoping for the best, wanting this all to be permissible for some greater good.
But what if I burn alive?
Chapter Sixteen
May 1st - Lorenzo
“Trytogetasmuch information from them as possible,” Ted says, pinning the hidden mic into the waistband of my jeans. Santi nods from beside me.
“What if we can’t get them to say anything?”
“Between the video footage and the massive amounts of cash we found, we have grounds for arrest. The meet in August was ideal, but the recent…eventschanged things.”
I nod, but I can’t ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. This is all my fault. Getting involved with Kate resulted in her being kidnapped, and our ultimate mission potentially being ruined.
“Don’t overthink this,” Ted says, bracing my shoulders before stepping back. “You’re human. You should have never been put into a situation like this to begin with.”
“Let’s get this over with,” Santi says stoically from behind me. I silently thank him with a head nod. I need to get out of this headspace and focus on what we’re about to do.
“We’ll be parked on the next street over. Once you’re in, I’ll send the team to surround the perimeter and work on removing the guards. Once I hear the right moment, I’ll send them in.”
We all nod our heads and he walks towards his office door.
“Ted,” I call out. When he faces me, I ask, “Do I have permission to shoot?”
His eyes give away his sympathy. “You’ve already shot a man. On acceptable and excusable grounds, yes, but it’s still murder. We don’t have justifiable reason here.”
I grit my teeth but bow my head. He’s not wrong.
