Page 21 of Rescued By the Marine

“Yes, she’s threatened lives and is a danger to herself and others.”

I look over at Zoe. “Why? Can you tell me why you’d torture me like this?”

Zoe looks like she’s going to deny it and then a vicious smile crosses her face. “You always get what you want, even things youdon’t care about. Your story of how you got your first television show because you auditioned for extra credit? I auditioned for that show and didn’t get the part because you did. My parents wouldn’t take me for another audition until I was eighteen. Then you got the movie that I made it to callbacks for. You get everything that should be mine.”

“Zoe, I’ve never meant to hurt you. I didn’t know we were going for the same parts. I’m so sorry that you didn’t get those parts, but it’s not my fault.”

“Yes, it is. You were doing something to make them give you the part.” Zoe starts pacing back and forth. “Now, you’re trying to steal my brother. I know the only reason you’re sleeping with him is because he’s another thing you could steal from me. I thought he’d be off limits to you and you wouldn’t think I was leaving the letters since I was helping you hide with my brother for protection.”

“I am not sleeping with him to steal him from you.” I’m so angry now I want to slap her across her face. “I’m madly in love with Kane and I can only hope that he feels for me a fraction of what I feel for him.”

“I’m in love with you too, gorgeous.”

We all turn when we hear Kane’s voice. I run into his arms. I don’t know how this is going to go, but I can’t lose him. I can lose everything else, but not him.

“Zoe, what was the endgame with this plan?” Kane gently asks his sister.

“With Violet out of the way, I would get the parts that she’d try to steal from me. Then once my career had taken off her stalker would disappear. She would’ve been gone too long to get her career back or maybe not want to come back.”

“All of those vile things you wrote and making me afraid to be in my own home was to try and steal my job?”

“Yes, and I kind of succeeded. You told me last night you didn’t want to make any more movies.”

Kane turns to look at me. “Is this the cabin, baby thing?”

“Later,” I assure him and turn back to Zoe. “I don’t know what to say. I thought you were my best friend, like a sister, and can’t believe that you felt that way about me.”

The police walk in, and Liz talks to them. I’ll have to sit for questioning and give over all my evidence, but I can do that in the comfort of my home, and it doesn’t have to be this second. She has enough evidence for them to hold Zoe. Kane asks that she be evaluated for psychological issues, and I agree that’s best.

Kane offers to drive me home and since I no longer need a personal bodyguard, I say yes. There’s a tension between the two of us that wasn’t there before, and I’m afraid that might be something that love can’t conquer.

16

KANE

My own fucking sister.How can someone I’ve known her whole life be completely different than I thought she was? I need to call my parents and tell them what’s happened.

The drive to Violet’s house is quiet. She’s holding my hand like she can’t let go— like she’s afraid to let go.

We pull into the garage, but neither of us makes a move to get out of the car. Finally, Violet breaks the silence.

“We’re going to be okay, right?”

I can’t answer her at first. I’m not sure how she can forgive me, she had a feeling about Zoe, but I didn’t listen to her. My own fucking sister was the one terrorizing the love of my life.

“Kane, we’re going to be okay, right?” she asks again.

“Violet, I want to tell you that everything is going to be okay, but I don’t know. I don’t know how to move past it being my family that was hurting you.”

“You are not leaving me because of something your sister did. This terrible thing also brought us together and for that I’m thankful. I love you, Kane and that’s not going away because of what Zoe’s done.”

“I love you so much and hate what you’ve been put through. The idea that someone I share blood with could do that to you makes me feel sick.”

She gets out of the car and enters the house, giving me no choice but to follow her. She’s made it to the living room and is sitting on the couch when I get to her.

“Sit down. We need to call your parents and make sure that they know exactly what’s going on. Then you and I are going to talk about what I want to do next and how you feel about it. We are going to keep living our life because we can.”

I sit for a moment, looking at this amazing, gorgeous, loving woman. She’s right, we deserve to be happy, and I can only be happy with her.

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