Page 2 of Pushed

“How'd you do it? I mean, all this time and no one suspected anything?”

“I'm not going to tell you I haven't done things, because I have. I'm not innocent and I'm willing to pay the price for what I've done, but I won't lie, every last second of it was worth it just to end it all.”

I watched his chest rise and fall as he let my words settle. He knew what I was talking about, I didn't have to spell it out for him.

What I had to do, it tortured me every fucking night, it ate at my mind like the plague. I wasn't proud of the blood I spilled, but I didn't have a choice.

When you want something as bad as I did, you do whatever you need to.

Her life was worth every drop.

What Ben didn't know was what I still had planned. I wasn't going to have to pay for the girls I smuggled in or the lives I took to rise above the scumbags. My past wasn't going to hang me, only my future would.

But I couldn't do anything unless I knew she'd be taken care of. For all the revenge that filled my veins and turned my heart to stone, she deserved what I had promised to give her.

I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she got hurt, if she fell into the wrong hands and was taken away from me.

“Does anyone else know about this? Does she know?” Shaking my head no, he asked, “What about your mom?”

Looking down at the small picture resting on my dash, I touched it softly with the tips of my fingers. “Nobody knows, it's too risky. And my mom. . .” Letting out a heavy exhale, I shut my eyes. “She's been gone for over three years now.”

“Sorry to hear that man, I didn't know.”

“I don't think I could have even told her if she was still here. I'm so close—too close,to finally ending it all. I'm going to get her justice, she deserves that for what happened, for what he put my family through.” Twisting a small strand of leather on the wheel, I plucked it free and rolled it between my fingertips.

I hated thinking about my mother and what was taken from her. All the long nights of looking and searching for something that was never going to be found. All the tears she shed and heartbreak she felt, trying to learn the truth.

She poured her entire heart and soul into getting answers, getting justice. I watched her climb out of the depths of depression and finally come back to life. Letting this go, allowing what happened to fade into the past and be forgotten was something I could never do.

I promised her I'd finish what she started, and I was going to get her the only answer she ever truly looked for. . .

'It's over now.'

Swiping his hand over his mouth, he let his head fall back, lips drawing taut. “I can't believe you did this on your own. I wish you had come to me first.”

“I couldn't, it wouldn't have worked. That right there would have gotten me killed, they would have found out, and I'd be dead already. Taking in one man was risky enough for them, if any word got back to them that we knew each other, that would have been it. You of all people should understand that.”

“Do you have any idea how easily you could have been killed regardless? If they found out that—”

Cutting him off, I snapped. “They didn't, they don't have a fucking clue.”

I lied. They knew, a little birdie had already chirped in their ear.

But that bird couldn't say a damn thing anymore.

Nodding, Bentley raked his fingers through his hair. “Alright, so tell me about the girl, tell me everything you can so we can do this right.”

“So you're in?” Holding my breath, I cocked my head in his direction, surprised he had agreed so easily. I expected more backlash, I thought he was going to rip me a new one for being so stupid and jumping in feet first.

Bowing his head, a smile perched on his lips. “I've been waiting a long time for this too. I'll probably catch hell for doing it this way, but fuck it.” Rolling his hand, he edged me forward. “Talk, tell me everything.”

“Her name. . .” Taking in a deep breath, my eyes stayed on the old, faded picture of my sister. “Her name's Imperial.”

---