“I’m not going anywhere, but you are. You should leave.”
“Do you understand that I’ve known? I’ve known since I was dropped off in front of that burned house and investigated more into who would have done it. Your dad killed my parents, and he tried to kill me and Evie.”
“My dad wouldn’t do that. I know he’s been mean to me about a few things, but he wouldn’t kill people. He wouldn’t try to kill children!” she yelled.
“He would, and he did. My family wasn’t the first he ruined, and I know for a fact it wasn’t the last.”
“That can’t be true. He protects people. He runs a security company to protect people and their things, not hurt them.”
“Oh, he does, but it’s not even close to what you are thinking. He protects disgusting, terrible people who can’t find any upstanding company to do it. Do you know what else he did?”I asked, pulling out my phone. “He burned down our business today because he found out who I am and that I’m with you.”
Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the screen and back at me. For one second, I thought she might be on my side about this.
“You’ve thought this from the beginning?” she asked, pushing away from me now. I let her go, thinking she might need a little air until she came back to me.
“Yes,” I said.
“The night I told you my name, I saw the look on your face and the way you stormed off. I thought you wanted nothing to do with me, but then you came back around stalking me. I never understood what that was about and stupid me, never thought to ask because I was just so damn happy that you cared about me in some twisted way.”
“I do care about you, and not just in a twisted way, although that is included.” I grinned, wishing she would come back over to me.
“Shut up, Rook!” she yelled, her eyes wide now. “You knew I was his daughter, and that’s why you cared about me. Because you have some stupid idea that he killed your family, what, ten years ago? That’s the reason you were stalking around here, for him. I thought you wanted me, but you were really looking for him.”
“I was looking for a weak point in his life, yes, and I thought it would be you, but it wasn’t. Not in the way I was expecting. I want to ruin his life the way he ruined mine, and I thought I could use you to do that.” I got up, walking towards her. She stepped back, but I didn’t care. I reached for her hands, forcing them onto my chest. “Using you quickly became needing you instead.”
“No, no, no,” she said, ripping away from me. “You don’t get to act like any of this wasn’t some fucked up plan to use my dador hurt him. Were you going to kill me? Is that what all this was about? All those times I wondered if you were going to kill me, and you were, weren’t you? You were going to take me away from him, so he had to feel your pain.”
“Honestly? No, that wasn’t a part of my plan. It might have crossed my mind when I first found out, but I thought you were worth more than a sacrifice to ruin your dad’s life. And I was right.”
“Yourplan?” she asked, like the words left a bad taste in her mouth. “You are sick. You have a plan? To what? Kill my dad, ruin him? Use me to ruin him, and then what? Walk away whenmylife is in ashes and never talk to me again. What?”
“All of it.”
“That’s still your plan, then? You want to kill him?”
“I want him to see his entire life crumble in front of his fucking eyes. I want him to know there is nothing left on this Earth for him before he dies, yes.”
Her mouth dropped open. “And how did I unknowingly help with this plan?”
“You gave me access to his schedule, his house, his life. I know that he and Elliot are working behind the scenes to steal shipments of drugs from the top drug lords. He wants to become one himself. I know Candy has been one more pawn in his game to hide what he’s doing. He’s using her name on buildings and storage units to hide stolen drugs. He probably doesn’t even want to marry her, but needed to string her along.” I stepped closer, already knowing she wouldn’t believe this. I barely did when I pieced it all together. One thing after another, pieced together like a puzzle. “And I know he burned down Maverick Moto because he found out who I was after he saw us at Sweet Haven. Which I knew could happen, but I didn’t care because I was worried about you, not him. Not that I expected him to burn my business down. I also know that the man you killed tonightwas after us because your dad put word out to kill me. A hit. He is paying to have me killed, and the girl that rides with me. They will be paid more if they kill you first and leave me alive for a while, then kill me. He’s paying more for my pain, Regan.” The anger inside me swelled and surged until I felt like I would burst, but I held it back.
“You think my dad put a hit out on me? His daughter? And that he will pay more for me to be killed because they think you care about me? Have you lost your mind? I understand you are wrapped up in this dark, twisted world, but that’s not where the rest of us live, Rook.”
“I am telling you all of this because you showed me you can be on my side. You want the truth?” I asked, angrier now. “You don’t want to be left in the dark? Well, then, you are going to need to see that the entire fucking world is dark and twisted. You’re the one that’s been shielded from it all. A naïve fucking princess who I thought wanted to know what was happening around her. Nothing I have told you is a lie, and every single thing can be proven.”
“And you thought now was a good time to let me in on this plan? Not weeks ago? Not when I was crying to you that I don’t want to be lied to and left out of things?”
“You also said you could handle the truth. And weeks ago, I didn’t realize you were going to fall in love with me. I also didn’t realize I was going to fall in love with you. So no, it wasn’t an option then.”
“I amnotin love with you. You’re sick. You think my dad kills people and put a hit out on his own daughter? And you, because we are dating? Are you insane? Get out and do not come back.”
“I already know you love me, Regan. There is no way you would have done what you did if you didn’t love me. I liked you the first night we met. I was already chasing you downbeforeI knew who you were. Don’t forget that I didn’t know who you were until after Hallows Night.”
“It doesn’t matter! You still used me after. And maybe I thought I loved you when I did that, but you just made one thing very clear to me.”
“And what is that?”
She squared her shoulders, picking her head up, but I could see the hurt in her eyes. “You never loved me. Never really cared about me, either. Not even close. I was a pawn in your game, and you can’t suddenly change that fact. That’s not what you do to people you love. Now get out.”