Page 9 of Twisted Truths

“So, how’d you find out?” I suck my bottom lip into my mouth, biting it.

“When I was out with Dad running a good Samaritan ruse, and her goons approached us. They made it clear that Uma was tired of waiting and that every day that passed, the interest accrued.”

That explains my dad wanting to cash in on that billionaire I saved.

“You should have told me.”

He scoffs. “What would you have done? Picked up an extra shift at the bar?” Bastion shakes his head.

That guilt that gnaws inside me because I left them digs deeper. “How much does he owe her?”

“It’s a lot,” he says. “Well over anything we’ve ever owed or swindled.”

“How much, Bast?”

He sighs but tells me an amount that makes my breath come out in short spurts.

My dad will never be able to get that kind of money together. Not in this lifetime.

“What did her guys say to you tonight?” Tears overflow my eyes, blurring my vision as hopelessness spreads throughout my veins.

He presses his lips together and doesn’t answer.

“Bastion, tell me.”

“They said he has three months to pay up. Otherwise, they’ll pay another visit to me.” He swallows hard. “And you.”

The fine hairs on the back of my neck prickle.

I cannot believe my father got us into this mess. But should I really be surprised? He’s been pushing the limits for years. Getting into more and more unsavory things. Never satisfied. Always looking for the big payoff. The one that will leave him set for life. Which is why I finally opted out of the family business.

Running scams at the local flea market or on other criminals was one thing. Taking elderly people’s life savings is quite another. I just couldn’t do it anymore, even if it ostracized me from the only family I have.

The two of us sit in silence for a couple of minutes. I’m trying to take in the information, come up with some type of feasible plan even though it doesn’t feel as though there is one. Bastion is probably just thinking about how fucked we are since this isn’t news to him.

“We could run,” I say.

He looks at the ceiling. “Might buy us some time, but you know she’ll find us.”

“Yeah…” The last thing I want—besides being tortured and murdered because of my dad’s poor decision-making—is to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. Always wondering if today is the day my past catches up with me.

“Face it, we’re fucked, Ari.”

I shake my head. “No. There has to be something we can do.” My hand goes up to the gold locket that hangs around my neck, and I slide the smooth metal between my thumb and index finger.

“What are you going to do—ask Uma?” Bastion laughs because it’s a completely absurd idea but…

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Chapter

Five

ARIANA

“You can’t just walk in there uninvited, Ari.”

The only reason Bastion is in the driver’s seat beside me is so I know he won’t go tattle to our dad. But I’m sick of listening to him, and I’m this close to sending him back home.

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