Page 133 of Unspoken Truths

“Is she alive?” Nacio asks softly. “We really don’t?—”

A slug hits the ground in front of us, making at least two of us flinch. We may act like badasses, but we’re still seventeen and stupid shits. Fuck, my heart is thundering now, the shotgun returning to point up instead of at us.

“I cannot believe this is escalating to this point,” he says. “You allowed your sister to be entered as the King’s bet. She’s innocent in all of this.”

The present tense he uses makes me relax just a little more, but since he is still holding the shotgun, I’m still on guard.

“You married someone with a kid, and basically told me I had to suck it up,” Nacio says, his voice still calm despite his pain. “I handled it badly. It can’t be changed now. If she’s not here, where is she?”

I forgot to check the psychiatric registries. Fucking rookie mistake.If we sent her to the funny farm, all of this worrying is going to make me feel like a real idiot.

“I gifted her a vacation for her birthday, and we decided it was best for her to leave today with Lili,” Mr. Reyes says. “I did not book it under any name that you know, they will only use cash during their vacation, and they will remain unmolested or I will murder the four of you without prejudice. Do not fuck with my daughter.”

I want to remind him that she’s only adopted, however I have some self preservation. Swallowing hard, I gaze at a man who is clearly on edge. The only thing we can do is retreat. The little mouse is alive and on the run to regroup.

She’ll have to come back at some point.

“Yes, sir,” I say, taking a step back.

The others follow my lead, though Jared flinches when Mr. Reyes racks the slide of the gun. It’s a very loud, jarring sound. I don’t blame him for it at all.

“I mean it,” he calls out.

A woman with gorgeous dark hair who looks a lot like Rachelle steps outside, and I recognize her as Julia Reyes.

“Come to see if you killed her or not?” Julia asks, stepping closer to us. “It wasn’t enough for you to write all over her beautiful skin, terrorize her, and then throw a girl who can’t fucking swim into the creek, huh?”

“How can’t she swim?” Jared asks, eyes wide. For someone who lives and breathes the sport, I can understand how it feels like a foreign concept.

“It’s none of your business,” she says.

I wouldn’t mind knowing either, as a complete busybody. Information is power. Julia is walking closer and closer, until she’s right in front of Ignacio. This isn’t going to end well.

“We should really get going,” I begin to say.

Except it’s too late, because she grabs his shirt, pulls him down to her height, and smacks the fuck out him. Nacio is too stunned to move, his eyes wide as he gapes at her.

“You are the worst kind of scum,” she snarls.

Mr. Reyes moves quickly to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her back, his gun out to the side so she can’t grab it from him.

“You’ve angered my wife. Get the fuck out,” he says.

Not needing to be told twice, we walk backward until we can get into the vehicle, the four of us breathing hard as we leave.

“That mama bear is pissed,” I rasp, eyes wide.

“My cheek still hurts,” Nacio says absently, shaking his head.

“I think he really wanted to shoot us,” Elijah adds. “Why do I feel like we need a time machine?”

I can’t bring myself to tell him that history has a way of repeating itself, and that we would probably make the same mistakes.

CHAPTER25

LILIANA

My fingers are linked with Rachelle’s as we walk along the beach, the ocean water sliding over the sand as it does its thing. You’d think she’d be afraid of how powerful and dangerous the ocean is since she can’t swim, but she told me she’s in awe of how pretty it is since she has no intention of getting in.

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