Page 13 of Ugly Truths (The Veiled Truths Trilogy #2)

Elena

B ased on the meals I’ve been served, I’ve been in this room for two days and left with nothing but my own thoughts.

I don’t know if that’s the point—if they’re waiting for me to break from the lack of human contact, if Silas rejected my deal and they’re trying to figure out what to do with me, or maybe Natalie decided she didn’t want to see me after all. Which is, honestly, more than fair.

Cillian and Cora are the only ones I’ve seen.

Cora is a new face, but I recognize her voice from the day I was taken from Alma.

She was there when Cillian first moved me, untying my wrists while he mocked my discomfort.

Then, they blindfolded me, led me through what felt like a maze of hallways, and brought me to a communal bathroom where I was told to shower. Cora stood watch the entire time.

After that, they moved me blindfolded again.

Either to another room or the same one. I couldn’t tell.

Both look identical in my eyes. The only change was that the chair had been replaced by a thin mattress on the ground with scratchy sheets, a wool blanket, and a pillow barely thick enough to be useful.

A step up from being tied and just enough to make me wonder what they wanted in return.

Cora brings most of my meals, always watching me like she’s waiting for me to do something. What, I don’t know. So far, she’s barely spoken a word to me, but she doesn’t need to. Everything about her presence tells me she’s not one to be messed with.

The visits are brief, just long enough to drop off something bland but nutritious, which should be reassuring. If they were going to kill me, they wouldn’t bother keeping me in good shape, but in good shape for what?

I’m still sore, though they let me shower again an hour ago and handed me another set of sweats. My sleeves are bunched up on my forearms, exposing the scabbing raw marks on my wrists. One still looks particularly angry, but it’s not worth mentioning.

Instead, I sit on the mattress with my back against the wall and think. I need something else to offer. I could help with the servers if they trust me enough to allow it. I could offer the money sitting in my account, though none of them need it. I could—

Metal scrapes against metal.

Lunch . That’s my first thought, only because the last meal was breakfast food. But when the door finally opens, it’s not Cillian or Cora.

It’s Natalie.

She’s actually here, and she’s not alone.

Davey is just a step behind Natalie, whose hazel eyes blaze with betrayal and fury. I expected them to tell her everything before bringing her to see me. They wouldn’t let her walk in here unprepared, and though I wouldn’t lie to her now, I don’t blame them for thinking I would.

Once they clear the doorway, Silas steps into view. His broad shoulders almost fill the frame. Our eyes meet, and I swear the temperature in the room plummets.

Even under their poisonous gazes, her presence means they’re taking me up on my deal. I’m going to be able to get Luis home safely.

The realization sinks in slowly, and when it finally hits, the relief is almost painful.

I shift my gaze to Davey.

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

Davey nods once. “We’re staying in the room while you talk. We’ll do our best not to interrupt, but we’ll be here. ”

I nod. Nothing I’ll say to Natalie will change my fate, but it doesn’t stop the small, flickering ember of hope in my chest that, for once, I can follow through on something good. Maybe I can fix one piece of the damage I’ve caused before I go.

Cillian steps inside behind Silas, carrying three foldable chairs. He moves silently, unfolding and placing them near the trio before disappearing back out the door.

I look at Natalie before whispering, “It’s good to see you.”

Her expression tightens, lips pressed into a thin line. And though I wait for her to speak, I don’t expect her to. The silence between us is so foreign that it makes my skin itch. And just like her brother, being the subject of her hate rips at something in the center of my soul.

My fingers twist together in my lap. “I know they’ve told you what I was trying to do—”

“Oh, you know , Elena?” Somehow, her voice grows louder and sharper with just those four words as she steps closer. “How dare you. How dare you do this to us?”

Davey follows behind his wife, one arm outstretched to catch her by the elbow if necessary. Shame floods me, clogging my throat and making it impossible to answer.

“I trusted you.” Her voice wavers. “I thought we were friends. And then you left without a single word or phone call. I wondered what I did wrong and why just because things didn’t work out with Silas, you had to throw me away, too.”

She shakes her head like she can’t believe she’s even standing here. Like the sight of me makes her sick.

Davey’s hand drops, but he doesn’t move away.

“But that’s not even the worst part, is it?” She continues, her voice dropping lower. “You didn’t leave because you were scared. It’s because you were using us.”

The chill from my still-damp hair evaporates as heat explodes over every surface of my body. I open my mouth, trying to summon the courage to respond, but nothing comes .

“We took you in, showed you kindness.” She lets out a humorless laugh. “And then that whole show in the alley. Well done. You figured out the exact way for us to let our guards down. I bet it was worth letting someone kick the shit out of you, wasn’t it?”

Her words slip into my veins, burning me from the inside out.

“What else did you lie about?” She demands, tilting her head in the same predatory way Silas did when we spoke days ago.

My body remembers how he grabbed my face, and I press myself further into the wall.

“Your hobbies? Your stories? Did you fake every laugh at my jokes? Compliment me just to get me to trust you? Snoop through my things when I wasn’t looking? ”

I want to tell her no, but I can’t.

Natalie watches me, waiting for some kind of defense, but when I say nothing, she starts up again. “What do you have to say for yourself?” she demands, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, body vibrating.

The quiet between us is so loud that my ears ring. As much as I want to look away from her wrath, I don’t deserve to. She needs to show me her pain, and I need to see all of it.

My fingers curl around the sheets at my sides. “I did all of those things. There’s no excuse or justification. I won’t insult you by trying to offer one.” I take a shaky breath. “But I am sorry. For everything I put you through, for every lie and choice that hurt you. If I could undo it, I would.”

My words mean nothing, and I know it. I wish she would believe me, if only to save herself from any more heartache than necessary.

God knows I’m not worth any of it.

“I’ll answer all of those questions and any others you still want to ask.” My throat tightens, but I push through it. “And hopefully, you’ll help ensure my friend’s safety. He was dragged into my mess when he shouldn’t have been, and all I want is for him to go home.”

Natalie’s jaw works as she processes my words, arms now folded so tightly over herself, I can see the indents her fingers are making on the opposite biceps. After several long moments, she blinks, huffing out a defeated breath.

“I don’t even know what to do with this.” She gestures with her perfectly manicured hand towards me. “With you.” As if she’s trying to clear her thoughts, she shakes her head. “Now I get to sit here and listen to you tell me that I was just, what? A means to an end?”

“You don’t have to do anything,” I admit, curling my knees into my chest and wrapping my arms around them. The pressure feels good—like it’s keeping my insides from spilling out onto the floor. “As long as Luis can leave safely, you can ask me anything you want or nothing at all.”

Biting the inside of my cheek, I force myself to meet her eyes again.

“I’m not asking for understanding or forgiveness.

I just need you to believe this was all my own doing.

Luis only got involved to help me hide from my handler.

” I shift slightly, my shoulders pressing harder against the cold wall behind me.

“You’re a good and fair person. I know you’ll keep your word. ”

Her eyes flick over my face like she’s searching for something, but whatever she’s looking for, she doesn’t find it. “I don’t even know if I want to hear what you have to say,” she admits. “Because it’s not going to change the fact that none of it was real, is it?”

Still, she reaches behind her for one of the chairs, sliding it closer to the mattress and sitting.

Davey, taking her cue, drags the two remaining chairs towards Silas and mimics her actions.

I don’t even bother looking at Silas—his sister's glare is more than enough hatred for me to handle right now.

“But I’m here,” she says flatly. “So talk.”