Page 136 of Unspoken Lies

“It’s not,” I say, cutting her off. “We missed you too. The difference is that we had a place to expel our feelings.”

Liliana sniffs, “It’s a messy way to do it, but effective.”

Rachelle rolls her eyes as we wrap our arms around her like bookends as we walk together.

“It’s different with you two,” she admits. “If I’m bloated and feel gross, neither of you care. I know Elijah saw a lot at the hospital, but it’s still different in the light of day, you know?”

“I do,” Liliana says. “You’re also a very private person. You made it work though. Which one of them gives the best stomach rubs?”

Rachelle blushes as she thinks, and it’s so fucking cute. As much as life has messed with her, she still holds onto her innocence.

“Theo does,” she says. “Jared laid my clothes out for me in the bathroom, and if the cramps were really bothering me, he’d help me dress. Elijah would run downstairs for water or tea if I needed it. They were really helpful.”

“But?” I ask her. There’s a note of pain in her voice when she talks about Elijah compared to the other two, and I realize that feels like a knife through my chest.

“I wish they hadn’t made the choices they did,” she whispers, tears clear in her voice.

“Fuck, baby. Me too,” I sigh, leaning down to kiss her temple. May as well have the conversation I planned now. “You know they wish they hadn’t, right?”

“That’s what they say,” she says helplessly, shrugging. “You can’t do the things they’ve done and get to live happily ever after, can you? Isn’t there some kind of rule that you have to live with your consequences?”

“If that rule exists, it doesn’t apply to us,” Liliana says, her voice strong and sure as we walk to the parking lot. We both watch for any signs that someone is too close to us, or may befollowing behind. “We get to live the life we want and enjoy it. The dickwads fucked up so hard their great grandchildren will be hearing about it. Want to know why?”

“Why?” Rachelle asks, sniffling though I can tell she’s slightly amused.

“I’ll still be around to tell your great grandchildren about how badly they fucked up and how they spent the rest of their worthless lives making it up to you,mi amor.I fucking love you. It’s us against the world, and that includes the dick weeds who want to love you but don’t know how to break through,” Liliana says, hugging Rachelle tightly.

God, this is why Lili is her person. Even my nuts threaten to climb back into my body.

“Why would they want to love me?” Rachelle asks.

And now I want to fucking punch my ex- best friends. I guess I’m keeping my promise to have drinks with them later tonight.

“You’re the best thing to ever happen to us,” I tell her. I want to look her in the eyes as I say this, but we’re almost to the car. None of this matters if we get shot at because I wasn’t paying attention.

Pulling them both against the car, I palm their cheeks to tilt their faces up toward me.

“You’re one of the sweetest, most complicated girls I’ve ever met,querida. You’re able to be different things to each one of us, and I never thought that would be possible,” I sigh. I don’t want to call her the wrong name while I speak to her, so I avoid it all together. Her eyes glitter with unshed tears, and both of them are fiercely focused on me. “Liliana was fiercely protective of you from the moment that she met you, and we should have been too. From the bottom of my heart, I’m so sorry for setting off the domino of events that led to you being in that box. It doesn’t make any of this better, but I do accept my responsibility for it all.”

“You were jealous,” she whispers. “I mean Emil is pretty amazing.”

“And scary as fuck,” Liliana mutters. “Just because I’m a killing machine, doesn’t mean I’m completely immune to him.”

“I’ll agree with both of those things. Let’s go home and have tacos, ladies,” I say, pulling the keys from Liliana’s pocket to open the door.

Helping them both into the vehicle, I walk around the car while looking underneath it just in case. Satisfied no one’s fucked with the car, I open the door and grab a wand to wave it over the engine to check for bombs. Overkill? Maybe, but I don’t give a flying fuck. These are my girls. Liliana and I pissed off a drug lord, we need to be careful.

As I slide to my seat and return the wand to its new home underneath me.

“One more thing, huh?” Rachelle asks, wrinkling her nose at me.

“Just till we catch him,” I promise her, turning the car. I freeze as I listen to it turn over, but it performs perfectly. Shifting into reverse, I check my surroundings before backing up.

I’m ready to get home. I feel twitchy for some reason.

“Something about this guy is rubbing me wrong, Rachelle,” I say as I drive. “He’s a slimy little shit.”

“Every moment he hides is a different experience my brain makes up for him,” Liliana says next to me. “He’s going to learn that he’s only making it worse for himself.”