Page 55 of Sweet Lies

“There’s no reason for this to be unpleasant, Bec. Your brother wishes to speak to you about your last encounter.”

“You mean when I shot him?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I imagine so, yes.”

“Why would I come with you when I have so many other plans?”

“We both know he’ll find you. You didn’t think you could show up how you did and shoot him with no consequences?”

“I’d hoped he would have bled to death—then I’d see him at the family reunion in hell,” she spits.

“If you wanted him dead, I’m sure he would have been. I taught you better than that. You wanted their attention; now you have it. Let’s end this game.”

“I’m not done playing. They left me in hell. You know that, and you’re still taking their side. Why?” she hisses, stepping closer.

“I’m not taking sides. Your brother returning to his seat is good business for me. He wants to speak with you, and we both know he’s running out of patience.”

“Poor guy. For the first time in your life, I think you’re betting on the wrong game,” she says as the sound of a gun firing fills the air.

For a moment, shock overwhelms me—I’ve underestimated Rebecca and her desire for revenge. I’ve been shot so many times I’ve lost count, but I can tell by where she hit me that I won’t die if I’m seen to.

“Oh, Bec, I didn’t know you cared,” I mutter sarcastically, pressing my fingers to the wound. Blood seeps through them.

“I don’t. You’re my next message to my brother. Simple as that. Next time it will be a different one. Now move,” she orders.

I have my gun on me as well as other weapons, but I don’t think I can harm her. Or at least not yet. I still see the girl I pulled off the street—the girl who was broken in so many ways but still lived. This woman in front of me is very different though. I worry we’re all going to have to come to terms with that, but I don’t want to be the one to kill her. That’s one job I might just refuse.

I watch as she slips into the night, then breathing deeply, I make my way to the car and head to her brother’s. He’ll have a doctor on call who will keep this quiet.

Damn the Rossi siblings.

ChapterNineteen

REBECCA

The sun is warm against my face. The park is filled with people, from little old ladies feeding the birds to families with kids running around. It seems as if the whole city is at the park today. I remember coming here with my family. My mom loved to watch people while my siblings and I ran about playing. The memories flash through my mind, but I don’t gain any pleasure from them. They’re just there, but the feelings that used to be attached to them don’t surface. I’m thankful. I don’t need those emotions. They only get in the way of what needs to be done. From a distance, I watch.

Elijah is smiling as he bends to place a kiss on his soon-to-be-wife’s lips. Lily steps back and holds her hand out—he takes it and spins her in a circle. She stops tight against his chest with her hand resting on his shoulder. They’re happy. I feel the wetness on my cheeks, and I hate them for their happiness.

He left me to rot without a backward glance, him and Claire both. They went on with their lives with no thought of me. I want them to pay. After everything I’ve been through, I deserve my revenge.

Unable to continue watching the touching scene, I turn my back. I try not to think about everything that happened in the months following the attack. I want to focus on who I’ve become. Sometimes the old me slips in, and I hate her with all my might. It took everything for me to become the person I am today. I had to destroy everything I was in order to survive. What happened after they left made me stronger.

They left me in hell. It’s only fair that I return the favor.

* * *

CLAIRE

The familiar feeling of being near someone you know well—it’s a zinging sensation, almost like déjà vu. The connection is pulling me closer to her. Rebecca’s back is to me as she feeds the ducks in the lake. I know she knows I’m here.

“Thought I’d find you here,” I say softly.

“You just don’t know when to stop. Neither of you do. It’s your character flaw.”

“What’s your flaw?” I ask as she hands me a piece of bread.

“Back then, I guess, caring too much. Being afraid of my own shadow at times. But whatever flaws I had are long gone now.”

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