Page 154 of Thorns of Silence

“No.” I met her gaze, letting her see the depths of my fury. “You allowed Perez Cortes to get his hands on him and torture him.Do you even know what he went through? Nobody deserves that, not a single person.”

Reina paled and regret instantly hit me for bringing up the memory for her. “Trust me, Phoenix. I paid for it when he kidnapped Reina.”

That was it. I strode to my grandma and jabbed my finger in her face. “You didn’t pay for it, Grandma. Reina paid for it. We’re all paying for it while you just move on to another marriage.”

Guilt snuck up on me then, slithering through my veins and filling my chest. I was to blame too, because I left.

“Please, both of you, stop it.” Reina’s hands shook. “Grandma, you should respect Phoenix’s wishes and leave. This is her wedding.”

Surprise, surprise. Grandma ignored her.

“I panicked, Phoenix,” Grandma hurriedly explained. “It was like witnessing the cycle repeat. Over and over again. I started it decades ago by making my mistake, and I was desperate to end it. But all I kept seeing were more mistakes being made. First your mom, then you, and even Reina.”

My heart squeezed. It wasn’t a good enough excuse for putting Dante through hell. For robbing us of our daughter’s first five years of her life.

As if he could sense my distress, Dante appeared behind Grandma, towering like a dark, protective cloud about to eliminate any threat.

“Ladies,” he greeted them, his expression softening as his eyes darted to Reina. “Hey, sis.”

“Dante, this wedding is beautiful. I’m happy to see you’re treating my sister right.” Reina was desperate to change the subject, to steer the conversation in a different direction.

My husband’s eyes met mine, giving me a long look that had butterflies taking flight in my stomach. “My daughter made it clear she’ll whoop my ass if I don’t,” he teased, speaking slowly for Skye’s benefit.

She giggled, her little chocolate-covered fingers clinging to Reina’s dress.

“Look what she’s doing.” Grandma leaned over and tried to peel Skye’s fingers from Reina’s dress, but Dante shot her a dark look.

“Touch her and I’ll end you, right here and now.” The expression on his face told her he meant it. “You might have gotten away with setting me up, but look at my family wrong and I’ll end you before you can blink.”

She froze midair, her eyes darting to Reina and then me, as if asking for help. Neither one of us reacted.

Regaining her composure, Grandma shot him a dry look. “I did what I had to do to protect my family.”

“How did you arrange it?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me. It had been bothering me since Dante told me about the email he found in my grandma’s safe. When she shot me a confused look, I clarified, “How did you arrange his kidnaping with Perez Cortes? It’s not like anyone can get in touch with those types of criminals.”

She stared at me, her face as pale as snow. Grandma was beautiful even pushing into her golden years, but somewhere along the way, she had hardened.

As an uneasy sensation filled me, I started to wonder whether I really wanted to know the answer. And when she opened her mouth, I knew it was too late.

“Your grandfather.” Reina and I shared a confused look. Grandpa Glasgow only came into the picture around that time. “Your blood grandfather. He’s part of the underworld.”

“I don’t understand,” Reina breathed.

“He is… dangerous. He let me move on, but on one condition. I had to be… available to him over the years.”

“Who is he?” I demanded. All her broken relationships flashed through my mind like stills, each picture ending with Grandma disappearing and coming back with a diamond crown on her head. Our grandfather had been behind that all these years. I should have been shocked, horrified, but then again, we’d never been a conventional family. And that ended now.

She just shook her head, her lips thinning, and my chest twisted as the knowledge sank in. She still loved him. She’d sooner die than reveal his identity.

She made up my mind for me. “I’m sorry, Grandma. I can’t forgive you. Stay away from my family.”

And I couldn’t trust her to protect what mattered the most to me.

Dante might be unconventional. Crazy even. But he was mine and I was his. Our love was born from silence and shadows. Together we made noise and found the light. I wouldn’t let anyone take that away from us.

I had all I needed with my husband, daughter, and sister.

Ten Months Later