Page 80 of Twisted Truths

That makes no sense.

“A few days ago her goons picked us up and beat the shit out of us until we told them,” her dad says.

“I tried contacting her to give her a heads-up as soon as they let us go, but she hasn’t answered my calls or texts,” Bastion says.

I think back. Ariana has had her phone on her at all times. I’ve seen her using it, and she hasn’t been sending any calls to voicemail.

Bastion must see my thoughts on my face. “She had another phone she was using to contact me.” He cringes.

My hands drop from my hips and fist at my sides. “Why do you think she’d want to hurt Ariana?”

“One of her guys was talking about how Uma was pissed we were probably going to be able to pay off the loan. She’d wanted to use it as leverage to force Ariana to work for her.”

“Ari’s got the gift. Uma could see it, too,” her dad says like a proud father.

I scowl. “Uma’s here.”

Their expressions drop, eyes wide, panic slowly masking their faces.

Bastion steps forward. “What do you mean she’s here?”

The panic in his voice causes my pulse to spike. “She showed up a few days ago. Said her name was Leah and claimed to be the one who saved me from drowning a few months back.”

“Ari’s the one who saved you,” Bastion sneers.

I step toward him until we’re almost nose to nose, and it’s all I can do not to pummel them both into the ground. “I didn’t know any of this until a short time ago. Only you two and Ariana knew about the deception you were running.”

“If Uma’s here, then Ari’s in danger. Where is she?” her dad snaps.

The words “Ari’s in danger” snap me out of my rage and thirst for retaliation. I blink several times.

A feeling worse than when I found out she betrayed me moves through my veins like sludge. I cannot let anything happen to her, no matter how complicated my feelings are for her.

“She’s in the east wing.” I run from the room and hear footsteps behind me, but I don’t bother to stop and see who might be following.

I have to get to Ariana and make sure she’s okay.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

ARIANA

My cheeks sting from all my saltwater tears, and my chest aches. The look of utter devastation on Obsidian’s face when he figured out I had betrayed him will never leave me.

What hurts the most is that he believes that me loving him was all part of some plan. He doubts my feelings for him are real. It reminds me of the broken man I first met who thought he wasn’t deserving of love.

Maybe in time, he’ll understand that I do love him. I know he’ll never forgive me or give me another chance, but I need him to know it was all real.

A knock at my bedroom door causes hope to soar. Maybe he’s cooled off and is ready to talk to me. He could just as well be here to tell me to gather my things and leave though.

I swing open the door, and Uma bursts into the room. I slam the door behind her and spin to face her. All of my anger and frustration at my powerlessness where she’s concerned comes to the forefront. “What do you want?”

She has that stupid caustic grin as she always does. “I came to make you an offer.”

I fold my arms. “What kind of offer?”

The only thing I want from her is for her to leave and to forgive my dad’s debts.

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