Page 67 of Unspoken Truths

“I promise whoever did this will pay for it,” Emil says. “I thought I had already dealt with this, but it seems I was mistaken. My warning wasn’t as loud as I thought it was.”

“Emil,” Mom grunts. “You’re speaking in circles.”

I’m surprised she’s able to be so calm about this, but she’s a whole different person with him than she was with my dad. Mom is forceful when she needs to be, however it’s not in a mean manner. Driving forward your viewpoint is simply making sure you’re heard instead of being a bitch.

“Sorry,” Emil mutters. “I’m having a disagreement with someone I work with and I may have delivered his employee to him in pieces at his doorstep.”

“Gross, but I guess effective?” Mom asks, wrinkling her nose.

At first, I thought that she may not have known that Emil was in the mafia, but the way that she’s reacting means that she’s not in the dark at all.

As we’re talking, Ignacio walks into the house, appearing as if he’s going to bypass us to head upstairs.

“Nacio,” Emil calls out. “Please make a point to be available later today.”

Walking over, Ignacio looks around at us. Lili and I both have grass stains on our clothes, our hair is tangled from running, and we’re both very quiet.

“What happened? Why do Lili and Rachelle look like they’ve been crying?” he asks. Ignacio looks at his father as if asking what he did, who simply sighs.

“Someone decided it would be fun to run your stepsister and Lili over with their car and shoot at them while they were walking across the school’s parking lot,” Emil says. “I don’t suppose you know anything about that?”

Pursing my lips, I wait to see what he has to say. I really don’t believe the Kings would shoot into an open school lot, since there were a lot of events on campus. From what Lili has told me, they are protective over the students, even though it may only be when it suits them.

“I was at the swim meet, but I had to leave early,” he says. “I saw you there, Rachelle.”

Blinking, I nod, since I didn’t see him at all while I was there.

“I told the girls that I would find out who did this, but?—”

“There’s not a lot to go on, since I didn’t catch a plate number. I also couldn’t see much when they opened the window to shoot at us,” Lili grumbles.

She’s been frustrated, believing that she should have been more vigilant, and nothing will soothe her about it. Emil is trying, but Lili is really pissed at herself.

“You had Rachelle to take care of,” Ignacio says with a shrug. “Your focus was where it needed to be.”

Who the hell is this version of my stepbrother?

“That’s what I keep telling her,” Emil says. “Your father doesn’t get back until tomorrow, Lili, I would feel more comfortable if you spent the night with us.”

“I agree,” Lili says.

Emil gives us his full attention, not ignoring Ignacio, but giving him the opportunity to leave if he wants to.

“I know you paused your appointments for the weekend, but I’m sure Barrett wouldn’t mind coming by if you wanted him to,” Emil says, his eyes moving over my fingers as they twitch.

“Who the fuck is Barrett?” Nacio snarls, making Lili snort.

Mom purses her lips, but doesn’t respond, because we’re keeping my stepbrother in the dark about the fact that I’m seeing a therapist. Limiting his ability to track what I do is the best way to keep him from hurting me as much.

“What do you think, Rachelle?” Emil asks.

“I’d like that,” I say softly. “I’m cold, so I’m going to go take a shower.”

The chef decides to peek his head in at this time, his gaze taking everything in critically. I have a feeling no one is in the dark about anything that happens.

“Can I send some hot chocolate up to your room in a half hour, Miss Rachelle?”he asks.

Dammit, I’m going to cry again.Sometimes, when I’m on the edge after crying, it doesn’t take much to get me going again. I want to tell him not to be nice to me, but that’s silly. He wouldn’t understand either.

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