Page 68 of Bitter Lies

Silas flicks his ashes onto the street as he tilts his head, looking up at the sky.

“Rico’s answer was to marry her off. He had a list of men he felt would tolerate her while keeping her comfortable. She told him to fuck off and left. Tried to make her own way.” The evenness of his voice is a sign of his anger. “Got involved with the wrong man. Trusted him. He betrayed her. Which is why she called me.”

“Who?”

His jaw clenches, fingers tightening around the boot’s edge. “My father.”

Well, damn. I’m not sure I saw that coming.

“What did you do about it?”

Bringing the death stick to his lips, he inhales deep, like he needs the nicotine to get him through. “I went and picked her up. Walked straight into where he had her stashed… and walked right back out with her beside me.”

A slight edge of danger creeps into his voice. “Dared anyone to touch the future leader of the Doyle family and live to tell about it. No one dared. It was my first act of rebellion against my father. He was furious when he found out, ordered me to return her to him immediately and let it be.”

This is the first time I’ve heard that story. It never surfaced during any of my intense searches. Which can mean only one thing: Trent buried it. Dealt with his son himself, keeping everyone else out of it.

I have to wonder why. Why would he allow Silas to openly disregard his authority?

Unless?

“Where was he keeping her?”

Silas’s body tenses up. A low groan slips out as he brings his hand up to work at the tight knot in the back of his neck.

“His home in Soulcombe. He’d just bought it a few months before. Told me it would be a great location for his new business. Offer the family privacy far away from the eyes of anyone watching.”

For the next few moments, the only sounds are from the neighborhood. A dog barks off in the distance. The breeze stirs the tops of the trees as it rustles the leaves. Someone a few houses down slams a car door before an engine roars to life.

Lost in his own world, Silas’s expression is unreadable.

“I took care of her the best I could. It was obvious someone had hurt her, but she refused a hospital. Wouldn’t tell me who.” Silas stares straight ahead. “Said it didn’t matter. That it was over. Told me to let it go. I respected her, so I did. Then took her far away.”

I wait, not about to rush him. Tucking the information away for later to reexamine when I’m alone. Right now, I need to hear what he’s willing to share.

“Three weeks. That’s how long we had. How long it took before my father found us.”

His attention drifts to my front door. “Isabel looks so much like her. Didn’t see it at first—been years since I’ve even thought about Sofia.” A quiet breath leaves him. “But I see it now, and it brings back memories.”

“That sounds like more than friends.” I step back when his eyes shift to meet mine.

A bright fire glows behind them, lighting up a past he hasn’t let go of. “It didn’t start off like that. We were friends. She came to me when nobody else was there for her. Things happened. She begged me to help her forget. So, I did.”

He shakes it off. “I won’t lie. It crossed my mind to go after her.”

His words hold a silent weight, hinting at something deeper. “But then King Ramon and she became a couple. She appeared to be happy. That spark was back in her eyes. So, I let her go. Got on with my life.”

With a frustrated sigh, he pinches the bridge of his nose. “But I never forgot Sofia. When I heard about the scandal surrounding their deaths… it hit.” His hand falls away. “Got me thinking. What if I’d not let her go, would that have saved her?”

I hate to think this, but it sounds like Silas cared for Sofia. He doesn’t even like his wife; perhaps this is why. Was she the one who got away? And if she was, I’m betting there are questions in his head he’d like answered.

The weight of Alma’s words crash down on me, spiraling my thoughts to take off and start putting the pieces together.

I should let it go, but I can’t.

“Ever wonder if maybe you were Isabel’s father?” I don’t know why I’m planting that seed. Not when I have no proof or would even want that for Isabel.

“No.” A quiet chuckle slips out as he shakes his head. “It was common knowledge that Ramon and Sophia were involved. That’s another reason her father was so upset with her. He’d heard the rumors. Wasn’t happy his daughter was messing around with a man closer to his age than her own.”