Page 128 of The Complete Truth Duet
She was smiling at the camera, her brother’s arm draped around her shoulders. Pictures of her used to break me. Now, I was worried that they were going to break Cora too.
Turning the screen of my phone in her direction, I finished with, “And then she found you.”
I saw the exact moment recognition hit her. Her face paled and then her small body turned to stone.
“No,” she declared, scrambling away from me. “No, that’s not possible. That’s Lexy.” And then just when I thought I couldn’t hurt her any worse, a light of understanding hit her eyes before it shattered her. “Oh, God. Oh, God, you’re Shane. You’re Lexy’s Shane.”
Cora
Four years earlier…
“On a scale of one to ten, how bad would it be if we hit a drive-thru for dinner?”
“Bad?” River asked from the back seat. “That would be awesome.”
I smiled at her in the rearview mirror. She was getting so old, looking more and more like her dad every day. “Okay, but just this once.”
She threw a fist-pump into the air.
I laughed and put my blinker on, cutting across traffic to get into the turn lane. “You find any good books at the library?”
“Meh. Not really. They were all so pagey.”
“Ah, yes. Those evil books are notorious for that. Real downer, huh?”
“Total. How’d your test go?”
“Ninety-seven.” I brushed invisible dirt off my shoulder.
She laughed. “Hey, nice job!”
“Thanks. I got approximately the same minutes in sleep last night, but whatever. I can sleep when we get our mansion in the sky.”
“Oh, that reminds me. When we get the new house, I want to paint stars on the ceiling.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I can get you some stars to stick up there for now if you want. Or you can take a few of your dad’s off my ceiling.”
“Nah, those are yours. I want to paint them myself. One in. One out.”
Pride soared in my veins. “Yeah. Of course. Any chance you’ll let me help?”
“Depends. You gonna let me get a milkshake with dinner?”
My smile stretched as I narrowed my eyes on her in the rearview. “You seriously going to blackmail me like that?”
She giggled. “This is what happens when you deny a child sugar for years at a time. They turn to a life of crime.”
Jesus, she was a smartass. Definitely her father’s child.
My phone started ringing when I turned into the parking lot of our favorite burger place. “Fine. Chocolate or vanilla?”
“Have we met?” she smarted.
“Once or twice. But I keep hoping to convert you into a chocolate lover.”
“I wouldn’t hold your breath.”
I stuck my tongue out at her as I got into the drive-thru line and lifted the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
It was Brittany, and the panic in her voice hit me like a Mack truck. “Dante’s here.”
The hairs on my arms stood on end. It was funny how two words could cause such a visceral reaction, but that was all it took with me. Two words and the core of my soul shivered.
“I’m on the way.” I dropped the phone in my lap without so much as hanging up first.
“Hey!” River complained when I wheeled out of line. “What about my milkshake?”
“Dante’s at the building,” I rushed out, my heart going to war with my ribs.
I mentally played out that morning in my head, reviewing my every move. I’d put my textbook away. My money was hidden. That week’s deposits were ready to go. River was with me. And all the girls had been accounted for. He hadn’t been by in a while, but we were always prepared.
God, I hoped we were prepared.
I glanced back at River and tears were already falling from her eyes as she silently peered out the window.
“It’s going to be fine. I’m sure he’s just dropping off a new girl,” I lied. “But when we get back, I want you to go straight upstairs and lock yourself in your room. You know the drill.”
She nodded without looking at me.
“Hey, baby, look at me. It’s going to be okay. He has no reason to take you this time.” I’d only gotten her back the night before. Manuel had had her for over a week that time. My blood turned to sludge when I thought of him taking her again. “It’s going to be fine,” I repeated for both of our sakes. “I swear.”
“Truth?” Not even her whisper could hide the shake of her voice.
I flicked my gaze to the mirror. I didn’t want to lie to her. I didn’t even want to tell her it was a lie. I wanted it to be the truth with every fiber of my being. So much so that I didn’t hesitate when I replied, “Truth. I won’t let him take you.”
It took us about five more minutes to get home. As soon as we pulled up, I saw a congregation of women huddled around the stairs and peering up. My heart stopped when ten pairs of terrified eyes flashed my way before I got the car in park. The sound of River’s door slamming came at the same time I cut the engine. I scrambled out after her, watching her brown ponytail sway as she ran toward the steps.
