Page 71 of Die for You

The honest answer to that is that I am questioning my sanity daily.

“Bria. Enough,” I groan with my back turned as I’m cleaning out a spare cupboard of clothes we barely use.

Bria yanks on my arm, spinning me around to face her. “She’s not staying here! She killed my father! Have you forgotten?”

I knew this would go down like a bag of dicks, but there’s no way I’m letting Valentina out of my sight. I’m not sure what she thought would happen by coming here, but a happy reunion is definitely off the cards.

I don’t plan on telling Bria about Lettie because the fewer people who know about her, the better. Until I have some clue about what’s going on, I will behave like Lettie doesn’t exist.

Valentina did as I asked and told me everything.

Someone is hunting her, and I’ll bet my entire fortune that it’s Gianna.

I have no doubt that Gianna knows about Lettie, and when Valentina told me about the bogus Madam Gazella, I suspected she knew more than she was letting on.

And I was right.

The internet is every stalker’s best friend because after twenty minutes, I was able to confirm what I suspected—Madam Bullshit is Gianna’s mother.

So it seems even Valentina’s grandmother is an evil bitch who is about to pay dearly for her lies. I figure if she’s a clairvoyant and all, she should be able to see me coming.

If she doesn’t, then that just proves she’s all smoke and mirrors.

She’s the only link I have to Gianna.

She’s collateral, so I need her alive.

Valentina is concerned for Nico’s safety and asked if he could come here.

As much as I would rather cut off my arm and beat myself to death with it, I agreed because as far as I’m concerned, everyone’s a suspect.

Nico may have staged this entire thing.

I need to keep my friends close and my enemies even closer.

Even Valentina.

For all I know, this whole daughter facade is just a big ploy by Gianna to tug on my heartstrings, and Valentina will strike the moment I let my guard down. Valentina is the one who warned me that Gianna is up to something so big that I won’t survive it.

And this is pretty fucking big.

So it seems we’re all about to be one big happy family.

“This house is big enough that you never have to see her. It’s only for a short while.”

“That’s beside the point! Her being here is disrespecting my father and putting our lives in danger. You’re literally inviting the enemy into our home! After everything she’s done, you still trust her! You’re pathetic!”

There will be no bargaining with Bria.

Turning around, I hate to see her in turmoil this way, but this is happening. “You’ve always wanted to explore the Greek islands, how about you go on—”

“You’re just shipping me off? Un-fucking-believable! There’s no way I’m going anywhere.”

This is one argument I’ll never win.

“Over my dead body will she step foot inside this house, and if she does, I will fucking slit her throat.”

I wish she was merely being melodramatic, but she’s not.