Page 67 of Cruel Possession
I roll my eyes and lean a little closer to her. “I need to get out. I can’t do things the way Noah used to do them. And I sure as shit can’t do them the way I’m being told to now. I thought things would get easier after Noah’s death, but my life has only become more of a downward spiral.”
“I don’t think it’s so much a downward spiral.”
I give her a flat look, the hair on the back of my neck standing. I turn and look over my shoulder, but there’s nobody sitting there.“I can’t keep spending the rest of my life this way. I’ve seen the way Aiden does things. The Lyndes respect their people. And they show them that respect.”
“And they’re still going to die for all the problems they’ve caused.” Her voice gets a little louder.
“Keep your voice down!” I lean back in my chair, forcing a smile and trying to make the discussion look as casual as possible.
More eyes turn toward us, sending a shiver down my spine.
My hand hovers near the knife on the table.
Even though I don’t want to believe it, she might have brought some of the Rinaldos with her. I don’t know who else is sitting here and listening to our conversation. I don’t know who else is waiting for whatever chance they have to fuck up my life more.
Morgana runs her hand through her hair, her eyes narrowing. “I don’t think this is the best idea for you. I know you think this might be the way out of a life you hate, but you’re going to get yourself killed.”
“I’m dead if I leave the Lyndes. You know that as well as I do.”
Her eyes are a little glassy as she nods, her shoulders deflating. “I know. I know. Have you found anything that might keep you alive?”
“No. I’m not looking for anything either.”
Except that list of businesses and accounts. I’m keeping those in case I run out of all other options.
“Zoe, you need to be realistic about this.” She smiles as the waiter sets the burgers and beers between us. “There is a lotgoing on right now, and switching sides is going to get you killed.”
“Anything I could do right now could get me killed.” I pick up my burger, pressing it down before taking a bite.
“Which is why you should keep moving forward with the plan. You know there’s a path out of this, but it’s all about choosing the right timing and not fucking up.”
“I have Gia and her family to consider too. Especially now, with the new baby.” I sip my beer before setting it to the side. Another glance around the room shows people still paying too much attention to us. “I can’t put them in harm’s way any more than they are.”
“She’s a traitor. This would make you a traitor.” Morgana’s eyes harden, her jaw clenching, her food forgotten. "I can't let you do this. I can’t see you sign your fucking death certificate because you don’t want to play the game anymore.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to play the game anymore. It’s that I can’t keep going on the way I have been. I can’t be on the wrong side of this war while still hoping to protect the people I care about.”
“And who says you’re on the wrong side?”
“I do.” I take another bite of my burger, but all it does is make my stomach turn more. “Morgana, people are dying constantly, and the Lyndes wanted to negotiate. And the boss held me back. He told me to tell them to fuck off when this could’ve been done. People might not be dying right now if I hadn’t been given the orders to hold back.”
Morgana says nothing, picking up her burger and eating half of it.
The tension at the table only seems to grow thicker when she puts it down. She leans forward, pushing the plate to the side, her arms folding on the table.
“I can’t see you get yourself killed.”
“I can’t keep being the person I am.” I chug half my beer, trying to get the strength to power through the rest of this conversation. “I can’t continue to be the boss’s scapegoat. I won’t do it.”
“You might not have a choice. You know that, don’t you?”
“I do have a choice.” I pull out my wallet and take enough money to cover lunch. “I can make my own choices, and this is the one I’m making. I’m choosing me and the chance to have more of a shot at life. I’m choosing to have a future.”
“And if the Lyndes turn around and kill you?”
I shrug and toss the bills on the table, standing up and grabbing my purse. “Then at least I tried to get free. At least I did something to make myself feel good before I died.”
“What am I going to tell the boss?” Morgana rolls her bottom lip into her mouth before blowing out a breath. “Zoe, please. Just give this a little more thought and a little more time.”
