Page 189 of Bratva Jewels Box Set

“Maybe you can talk some sense into her.” Sophie huffs as she throws her hands up in the air and storms out of the room.

“That was intense,” Zoe says, turning and looking at me. “Are you okay?”

Reaching out, I pull her into a hug. “Thank you for sticking up for me.”

“Sophie has no right to come in here and question you like she was. I get that she doesn’t understand how you’ve come back better than you were when you left. It is out of the blue, but I trust you know what you’re doing. That whatever happened while you were away wasn’t as bad as we all think it was. That whoever held you treated you well.”

“They did. They could have given me to Dmitri, but they didn’t They hid me away from him. And as soon as Dmitri came calling for me, they sent me home. They saved me, Zoe. They aren’t the enemy here.”

Zoe lets out a heavy sigh. “You know we came to Pisa to grab you when you called, and you weren’t there.”

I nod in understanding.

“Did they hurt you when you ran?”

I shake my head. “They were upset, but no. They taught me how to shoot instead.”

Zoe frowns at my words. “You formed a close bond with these people.”

Biting my lip, I contemplate if I should tell her or not. “Yes. I did.”

“Was it more than friendship?”

I still at her question and the color begins to drain from my face.

“I’m not going to judge you, Grace. Look at what happened to me. Mateo and Tomas rescued me, and I fell in love with them. So, I get it.”

Tears begin to well in my eyes, and Zoe pulls me into her side.

“You fell in love, didn’t you? Oh, Gracie, I’m sorry,” she says, hugging me tightly.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen.” I sob on her shoulder.

“I get it. I truly do,” she says, hugging me tightly. “We will sort it out. Whoever the people are we will sort it out.”

“It was one person.” I sniffle, pulling away from her. “Please don’t tell the others, they wouldn’t understand.”

“I promise, Grace, this is between you and me. But you’re going to need to have your game face on when you go outside. Everyone is waiting for you to give them information to catch your kidnappers,” Zoe explains.

“And you don’t hate me because of this?”

“Never. I trust you, Grace. The proof is standing right before me. You are drug-free. You’re looking healthy and happy, and you have a glow on. If your kidnapper brought back the old Grace to me, the one before all this shit happened, I want to thank them. Because I never thought I would get my sister back,” she says, getting a little teary-eyed.

“Thank you,” I say, hugging her again.

“Oh my god, we are both emotional wrecks,” Zoe says with a chuckle.

“I can’t thank you enough for being on my side at this time.”

“Don’t be upset with Sophie. She sees the situation through different eyes. And to them it’s different. They think you should be acting another way. If you’re happy in your truth that’s all that matters.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ve got your back. And so does the rest of the family. They just might take a little longer to come around.”

I nod. “You’re not going to say anything?”

Zoe pretends to zip her mouth and throw away the key which makes us both laugh. “Come on. Put your game face on and face the Spanish inquisition that is about to happen in the living room.”