Page 100 of Forget Me Not

I nod, accepting that fate, for now. “You’re going away for life; therefore, you’ll have a lot of time to think about what could have been. If you ever want to talk, you know how to reach me.”

Being raised by a crime lord his entire life, I’ve learned that Ian is a cold and calloused young man with no empathy for others. His only goal in life is to rule. There isn’t a doubt in my mind he would end my life at this very moment if he had the chance. But given the opportunity, I wouldn’t do the same to him. He’s my blood, and for that reason, I can only hope one day he’s able to change. Though, I’m not holding my breath.

“We’ll see about that,” he snickers. “Never know, I might just make a grand escape.”

I fold my hands behind my back, expression stoic. “In that case, I wish you the best.” I leave the room, knowing there’s a good chance I’ll never see Ian again. He’ll be in solitary confinement with no access to the outside world, and that’s assuming he’s not given the death penalty. The list of crimes he’s committed are a mile long, ranging from multiple rapes and murders to money laundering and extortion.

I may be what some would refer to as morally gray, but I am nowhere near the sadist Ian is. It breaks my heart that the chance to know my son was stripped from me. I hated Grayson for that and planned to screw him out of our deal the minute it was finalized. But then Rhea came in and sent him straight to hell for me instead.

The detective asks Rhea questions, but I find out she was knocked out and doesn’t remember much. Luckily, my girl is a proficient liar and con artist, so even when the detective asks questions that would have had his brow lifting at the truth, my girl lies through her teeth like the professional she is.

She plays the part of a woman held captive so well, it actually has a knot in my throat. It isn’t until the detective looks away and she winks at me that I catch on to her game. She is playing them, and damn, do I love seeing her at work.

Once all our statements have been given, I take my girl’s hand and lead her to the door.There’s a tow truck waiting for us at the car, ready to pull me out of the bank. That’s all assuming Chloe hasn’t hijacked it and taken off.

“I heard your conversation with Ian,” Rhea says softly. “Why didn’t you tell me he’s your son?”

My back stiffens a little, not wanting her to know that I was responsible for the life of the man that hunted her.

“That’s a tough question and I’m not really sure how to answer it. I’ve never told anyone but Arnold. Finding out you have a child should be elating, and it was at first. There was hopefulness inside me that Ian would be excited to learn he was my son. I tried the best I could, but it wasn’t enough for him and I've accepted that now.”

Rhea presses her head against my chest when we stop, holding on to me tightly. “I’m sorry.”

I wrap my arms around her, soaking in the fact that she’s really okay and letting my body finally relax. “Don’t be. Ian’s going to get the help he needs. Or at least, that’s what I keep telling myself.”

“So, it’s really over?” Rhea asks, still skeptical that the threat is completely gone.

I pull her closer, surrounding her with my body like a shield but also giving her the confirmation I know she needs. “It’s really over, baby. It’s time to start living.”

We step outside and I exhale a heavy steam-infused breath when I see Chloe running toward us. She trips over her own feet, face-planting right into the snow.

“Oh my God,” Rhea huffs, running toward her. “What the hell are you doing here?” She grabs Chloe by the hand and helps her up.

I can’t help but laugh because she looks like a fucking train wreck.

“We’ll fill you in on the ride home, baby.” I look at Chloe as I point at my vehicle, now pulled out to the road safely. “Back to the car.”

She slumps her shoulders, pouting. “Seriously? It took me, like, twenty minutes to get up here to try and help and now I have to walk back?”

“I’m so confused,” Rhea says as I wrap an arm around her waist, leading her through the snow.

“It’s a long story. But, Rhea, meet Chloe.”

ChapterThirty

RHEA

Two Weeks Later

I throwmy arms around Alaric's shoulders as I pepper his neck with kisses. “You are the absolute sweetest.”

He closes his laptop on the desk in his room and spins around in his chair, immediately pulling me onto his lap. “And why is that?”

My arms envelop his neck and I narrow my eyes.“I just talked to Chloe. She told me all about how you paid off her debts. She was beside herself.”

Alaric told me what happened and Chloe filled me in on how Ian manipulated her and threatened her life. While it wasn’t fun to hear, I also understood her. How many people had I thrown under the bus in my life in order to get ahead?

That’s the reason I went to Tyler for her. He knew a little bit, thanks to Alaric, but I filled him in on a bit more, giving him the actual truth about who I was. He was shocked, but in the end, he hugged me and said he was happy for me that I found Alaric. He agreed to start fresh with Chloe and they have a date tonight.

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