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My stomach churns because I wish he had asked me anything, just not this. “I can’t right now, but maybe in a couple of weeks.”

There’s silence.

“I know I shouldn’t have taken Bron. I’m already paying for it. Don’t let me die alone here.”

The squeeze in my belly is so tight it hurts. “You’re not going to die.”

“Do I need to beg?”

Beg? I’ve never heard this tone of his.

“No. I’ll come see you. I’m just busy right now.”

“Cam has the right to be angry with me. The mutt does too. But I was a good dad to you, Luciana. You have no excuses.”

The nausea rising up my throat is eclipsed by the rage.

“Don’t call him a mutt. Chase had no fault. You and Marilyn made the choice to— You know what? I can’t do this. I’ll talk to you some other time.” I hang up and take a couple of minutes to compose myself.

CJ is still screaming. The clock on my phone tells me it has only been two minutes, but God, that felt so long.

How can he be so evil? So horrible.

He and Marilyn decided to pay a debt with her body. She got pregnant with Chase from that night and chose not to terminate and not tell Walter until it was too late. He took it out on Chase when he was the innocent. They’re lower than dirt for what they did and how he treated my brother.

I open my messages app and text my brother.

Me

I love you.

His reply is quick.

Chase

Well duh. Are you drunk again, or do you want me to take you shopping?

I laugh out loud, and the nasty energy leaves my body. I head inside because I need to put Walter out of my mind. Bron is rocking CJ, and Cam is hovering around, trying to soothe him. Adri is in the kitchen, cooking something. Ayla is helping her out.

I say hi to everyone and go kiss the crying boy, but he doesn’t want to come to me. He holds on tighter to his sister. I go back to the kitchen.

“What’s my role here?” I ask Adri.

She turns around and hooks a thumb to the fridge. “Salad.” She turns to Cam. “You and Bron take CJ for a walk around the house. Ayla, do you want to go with them? I can handle things here.”

“I’ll stay and help you, Lux.” Ayla appears at my side. Her smile is contagious as she grabs the knife.

I hold up a hand. “Wait, should you handle that?”

She laughs. “I’m thirteen.” She takes one of the cucumbers and begins to slice it in perfect wheels. She’s better at it than I could ever be.

Adri is staring at us with a smile. She and Lauren are convinced that this is what I need to get to know Ayla better. It shouldn’t be like this. Her father should be brokering this. I’m not looking forward to telling Adri that things may be kaput with Ollie.

I wash the lettuce and add the cucumbers on one side. Ayla has started on the tomatoes. “I can make my dad’s dressing.”

“At this point, you’ll end up doing all the work. Wait, you know how to make dressing?” I ask, shocked she knows that much.

She giggles. “It’s super easy. Papi says all Dominicans know how to make this one.”