Page 73 of Romeo
“I was there all those years ago,” Jarret told Valencia. “At least during the time before Bea married my brother Jacob. He never went near her. Olivia Claire followed him around and tried everything to get him to be her boyfriend. He never even lookedat her, he always loved Bea. And Bronson was a good man. He unfortunately loved a woman who thought of him as a means to an end and when marrying him did not get her what she wanted…she got rid of him. None of what she told you makes any sense.”
Liv nodded. “Her marriage to Bronson is on record. His death and her fake death are a fact. She got those scars as she underestimated the gas leak timing she had set up to kill Bronson and was caught up in that blast. So that was how she got scarred.”
“Killing was in her nature,” Glory said. “From the time she was a child. No one caused it by doing her wrong.”
Valencia stared at her then at Liv. Suddenly, she seemed to finally understand and the shock was visible on her face. “So, she lied about all of it?” Then she looked up at a silent Deacon to ask, “Is all of that true?”
He refused to look at her and gave her no answer.
“Deacon?” she called to him. “Tell me the truth!”
Still ignoring her, he glanced over at my father and quietly asked, “Are you done with me? I would like to go back to my cell.”
“NO!” Valencia shouted. “You don’t get to just leave, Deacon. You knew she lied to me. All those stories of me as a baby. How she adored me as her little princess. She even cried when telling me of how much she loved my father and how he died in an accident! When all along, my real family was out there searching for me?”
Deacon finally turned to look at her and he explained, “I always believed you were my sister. She was gone for a time in my life. Then when she came back, she had you with her.”
“But the lies about the Walkers?” she asked desperately.
“They deserved it,” he snapped.
“Her reasons for why we always had to hide underground?” Valencia continued her questioning. “That the Walkers were killers. They were the evil ones. Persecuting her. Always coming after us to do us harm?”
Deacon said not another word.
“My whole life was a lie?” she screamed at him.
My father motioned for Tito and Rocky to take Deacon out.
They headed to the other door at the back of the study.
Valencia kept crying, actually you could call it weeping.
Julianna went over to console her.
I clenched my hands. I wasn’t sure if Julianna would be safe around this woman. We didn’t know anything about her real disposition. She had kidnapped Jarret and had him beaten. I fought the urge to rush over and yank her away from someone that could be as insane as that O woman had been.
Julianna sat on the arm of the chair and took Valencia’s hand.
Her sister looked up at her and asked, “Y-you don’t hate me?”
Julianna shook her head. “Why would I?” She bit at her lip and glanced over at Jarret. “I’m sorry. But we have to realize she was lied to. O twisted her ideals. I think everyone deserves a second chance.”
“And that is what makes you the best defense attorney in the entire South,” my father said as he smiled.
Looking stunned, Valencia lowered her head. “But I don’t deserve a second chance.”
“You’re damned right you don’t!” a voice cut in.
We all looked up.
A young woman stood there, as two men of the Rebel Saints held her upright.
Talon stared at her then looked at one of the men. “Is this the woman you found in the crypt, Bones?”
Bones nodded. “She claims that V put her there to die.”
“I did not,” Valencia defended as she looked over at the young woman. “I knew they would find you there.”
