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Dante looked like he wanted to cry. I knew he felt guilty about missing so much. There wasn’t anything I could do other than try to reinforce he was doing a good job.

“This is my fault. We haven’t had a chance to sit down and go over everything.”

“It’s been a bit chaotic,” Danny agreed.

“Why don’t you let Dani play with the girls outside, and the four of us can sit down and talk?” Haizley offered.

“I don’t know,” Dante hesitated, and I agreed with him.

“Amber and Aspen are both out there along with five brothers, and where Aspen goes, Diesel goes. She will be perfectly safe,” Haizley assured us.

“Ok.”

Haizley led us into church, assuring us she had permission from King to use the room. Dante sat between Danny and I on one side of the table, and Haizley sat on the other.

I knew what she was doing. She wanted to appear as impartial, and I got it. But she was my friend. We had agreed never to shrink each other.

“Now, Missy and I have been friends for a long time. But I have also been working with Danny and Dante for the last few weeks.” Haizley sat back. I noticed she didn’t have a notebook or tape recorder. “There are several things we need to talk about before we get to the topic of Danika. Would anyone like to go first?”

“I’m angry,” I started.

“We know you’re fucking angry. You made that abundantly clear,” Danny clipped.

My hands fisted in my lap. I wasn’t sure how to express my feelings.

“Tell us why you’re angry, Missy.”

I looked at my friend. My eyes burned with tears I didn’t want to shed. I was an angry crier. Sure, I cried when I was sad like everyone else. But when I was angry, it was like I couldn’t control my emotions. The rage just burned and burned until there was nothing left to feed it and the tears spilled out, trying to douse the flames.

“I’m angry they left. I’m angry that Danny lied not only to me, but to Dante. I’m angry that he lied to Danika.”

“How the fuck—”

“Danny, wait,” Haizley cut him off with a hand in the air.

“Dante, how do you feel about what Missy said?” Haizley asked him.

Dante was looking at me. But my eyes were on my hands. I didn’t want to see whatever he was going to say on his face. Hearing the words would be hard enough.

He reached over and grabbed my hand. “I’m angry too,” he said. “I’m angry Danny lied to me, not just about when he left, but about Melissa, about my mother.”

I gasped loudly. “He knows who your mother is? Is she alive? Does she know where you are?”

“Missy,” Haizley called to me. “Let Dante speak. You are not a therapist right now.”

With a heavy sigh, I closed my mouth. She was right. But I glared at Danny. How could he keep that information from the man he claimed to love?

“Continue, Dante.”

“But I’m also thankful. I’m thankful Danny found Melissa, and I’m thankful Melissa took care of Dani for us.”

I smiled at Dante. He was a peacekeeper. It was easy for him to forgive Danny. He loved him. Love was powerful enough to forgive almost any transgression.

Almost.

“Danny?” Haizley urged. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh, I’m fucking angry.”