Page 83 of Thorns of Silence

She narrowed her eyes, observing me. “Are you okay?” I nodded, taking a seat next to her. “If you don’t want to run, it’s okay. I won’t be mad at you.”

The fact that I couldn’t spare her all the shit with Amon and now his brother had been chipping away at a part of me. She always did everything to stand by me and protect me, and I felt like a failure for not protecting her.

“I’m ready,” I signed with confidence. “If you want to go tonight, I’m all for it.”

There was just the matter of my shadow who was always watching. It was the biggest problem in our plan. Except, I couldn’t admit to anyone that Dante had been stalking me for the better part of the last three years without raising even more questions.

She nodded. “Best we do it tomorrow. After the rehearsal dinner. One last attempt to make him break it off.”

Reina wrapped her hands around me in an embrace and rested her head on my shoulder. I knew she had her own demons to fight, just like I had mine. There was no good ending to our story, but maybe once we disappeared—and found my child—we could have a contented life together.

She lifted her head, her eyes meeting mine, and the sadness in them gutted me. “I just don’t understand,” she mouthed, and I wished so much I could hear her voice. “Any of it. Why would he want to do this knowing—”Knowing she loved his brother.“It started like a fairy tale and ended like a Greek tragedy.”

It seemed to be the trend in our family. Mamma’s end. My heartbreak. Reina’s. Maybe the women in our family were unlucky in love. Well, except for Grandma. She didn’t seem to have any problems in that department.

Reina let out a heavy sigh and rested her head back on my shoulder.

The two of us on the bed, with her arms around me, my memories took me back to my own fairy-tale beginning. However temporary it had been.

“Four more months and we’re outta here.” Isla beamed, checking herself out in the mirror, wearing Stuart Weitzman stilettos and a shimmering, backless black dress that reached to her knees. I opted for blue Jimmy Choo heels and a backless blue dress that accented my eyes.

Reina shot us both an annoyed look, still frustrated at the fact she couldn’t come along with us. With her braces and her angelic expression, she wouldn’t pass for an eighteen-year-old, never mind twenty-one like our fake IDs claimed.

“I wish I could go,” Reina pouted, sitting on the bed with her legs crisscrossed, wearing leggings and a pink off-shoulder sweater. That girl would turn the world pink if she could. “I heard the new club is amazing. They really should make an exception on New Year’s Eve. Underaged kids should be able to celebrate too.”

“Yes, in bed,” Isla, ever the motherly type, scolded her. “And you have a cold.”

Reina eyed her dryly. “You two will catch colds wearing those skimpy outfits in the middle of winter.”

Isla just shrugged. “Small price for beauty. Besides, I’m half Russian. I can handle the cold,” she assured as goose bumps rose on her skin.

I snorted. The three of us grew up in California. Our idea of winter was watching Hallmark movies from the warmth of the inside. The cold was the only thing we all minded about this boarding school.

“As soon as your braces are off, we’ll be hitting every club in the state of California,” I signed in an effort to comfort her.

“Promise?”

“Absolutely.”

My little sister smiled, then winked. “Good, I’ll hold you to it. Both of you. And while you’re out, I’m gonna pay a visit to the asshole who thought he could grope my big sister’s ass.” She reached under the pillow and pulled out the fireworks she snuck into the dorms. “Jason the firecracker.”

Isla’s eyes shone with amusement. “Record it.”

“Just don’t get us in trouble,” I warned her, signing. “Remember, Grandma said staying in the boarding school was a test before our college years kick off.”

Reina rolled her eyes. “We’re related to criminals. Of course I won’t get caught. Leave it to me.”

I shook my head but couldn’t keep the smile off my face.

With one last look at our reflections in the full-length mirror, Isla and I blew a kiss to Reina and left our dorm, making our way to Isla’s Mini Cooper in the parking lot.

An hour later, we pulled up to the club at the Tahoe City Marina. It took us a few tries around the block to find a parking spot.

“Would you look at that?” Isla grinned happily. “Stars must be aligning because we got a spot right out front.”

Once parked, we made our way toward the entrance, strutting like we belonged. Neither one of us bothered to look at the line snaking from the front of the club all the way around the corner. We’d done this plenty of times, we knew how to play it. It was a new club, but the rules remained the same. Look hot enough and the bouncer will let you in.

Like clockwork, the bouncer’s eyes scanned over us before he unclipped the crimson rope with a nod.