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Charlotte attempted to collect her scattered thoughts.

“I’m not the person I was when I was recruited to do this.

Before I had any idea who Alex was, I only cared about two people in this world. My brother Jayson and, to a lesser degree, myself.”

“The cop.”

Nodding, Charlotte continued, trying to put her life into words. In the past year, she’d opened up more about herself than she had in her life. “I used to think it was eat or be eaten, you know? That unless you got yourself ahead, no one else would.”

Stephanie’s jaw twitched but she didn’t speak. Had Alex told her the whole sad tale?

“Like I said, I’m not trying to make excuses. I just frankly didn’t give a shit if some strangers had to answer to the cops for running an illegal business. Especially not if it got me something I’ve always wanted.”

“So the Miami-Dade Police Department instructed you to seduce Alex to get incriminating evidence from her?” She sneered. “I’d like to see how that will play out in court.”

“No one told me to do that,” Charlotte corrected without breaking eye contact. She needed Stephanie to know she was telling the truth. “My job was to earn Alex’s trust with my work and get indisputable evidence of the shadow business. I was explicitly told not to interfere and not to make anything happen.”

“And yet—”

“And yet my feelings for Alex have always been real,” she insisted. “Everything I’ve ever told her is genuine and everything I’ve felt for her is as true as it gets.”

Stephanie’s sharp features remained unmoving. “You think you can call something prefaced on a lie true ? Not just a lie, actually.” She cocked her head to the side. “The intention behind the first word you ever uttered to Alex was to ultimately destroy her.”

The truth burned. “I never gave the cops anything. Not a single shred of information. Not even my brother. When I went to him, I lied right to his face and told him Alex wasn’t some clandestine madam. That she was innocent and there was nothing to find here.”

Tears stung Charlotte’s eyes despite her best e orts to hold them back. Stephanie was the last person on Earth she wanted to see her cry.

“It's not just Alex then. You have no loyalty to anyone.”

“It’s not like that,” Charlotte protested. “I was caught in an impossible situation. By the time I realized I loved her it was too late. I was already here, and all of this was in motion.” The roof of her mouth burned as tears streamed down her face. “The only way I could protect her was to make sure the investigation was dead. When I went to do that, I learned about Eric. I told Alex about it immediately.

What else could I have done?”

Stephanie stared at her, not a hint of compassion in her face. “You could have done y

our dirty job without going after her personally. Do you have any idea how badly you hurt her?”

Charlotte winced. If it was half as much as she’d hurt herself, it was unbearable. “I know and that was never my intention. All I want to do is protect her, and by extension, all of you. I would do anything to keep everyone out of trouble.”

Stephanie searched her face. “We’ll see when push comes to shove exactly what happens.”

“I know you don’t believe me, but I’ll prove it.”

Standing, Stephanie spared her a second glance as she started for the door. “For Alex’s sake, I hope you’re right.”

For the remainder of the day, Charlotte could barely concentrate. Locked away in her o ce, she waited for the hour when she could finally go home. At least there she could sob into her pillow.

An unknown number called her cell as she got in her car, ready to end the miserable day. She ignored it but checked the voicemail a few seconds later.

Ms. Castro, this is Detective Devonte Holder with the MDPD. I need you to come down to the station .

Charlotte listened to the message ten times. She didn’t recognize the name.

Fuck .

CHAPTER 44

DIRT, black and cold, covered Alex’s hands as she worked in the flower bed. With too much free time suddenly, she’d finally started building the haven for pollinators she’d been putting o . A cool Sunday morning in February was just the right time to do it.