Page 36 of Unspoken Lies

My father is the king of secrets, and I have no right to push. There are probably many reasons for them. He’ll tell me when I need to know.

Hopefully.

Walking around the front of the SUV, I open the door and get in. Dad glances at the letters in my lap as he closes his door and puts his seatbelt on, brow raised.

“Lili?” he asks, and I nod immediately.

“Yeah, I just don’t know what to say to her,” I explain. “I tried so hard to get Rachelle to the hospital, make the guys fucking dig her up, but all the nails in the casket hurt our chances.”

“Fucking morons,” he growls, pulling the gear shift into drive. His foot pushes down on the accelerator, and I have to admit that it does feel good to leave. My back presses against the seat, evidence that this is really happening.

I’m out. This isn’t a hallucination.

“I bet they freaked out the entire time they kept telling themselves they had to kill Rachelle,” Dad says. “Let’s talk about newer events first, shall we?”

“Yeah,” I agree. “That’s fine. How am I out? I thought I’d be there forever.”

“It already feels like forever,” he says. “News got to me that Colton Baal was killed in a mass brawl at the prison, and I had a feeling it may have been you. No one was talking, all anyone would tell me when I went to visit was that you were in solitary confinement for fighting.”

“No one mentioned the very pointy shiv I destroyed his throat with?” I ask, rolling my eyes.

“Nope,” he says, chuckling under his breath. “They didn’t bother looking.”

“Probably because I lost it in there and then I lost my mind from the adrenaline rush and tried to kick his skull off,” I grunt.

“Blood lust, Nacio,” Dad corrects gently. “Anyway, I contacted the lawyer and greased some palms. You’ve more than served your sentence for any guilt you may feel. You didn’t kill Rachelle.”

“I didn’t save her either,” I rasp. “She’s gone, and Lili?—”

“She’s a mess,” he agrees. “You killed Rachelle’s rapist, the man who stole her innocence and made her dream of things that made her scream the roof down. I’m sure Rachelle would appreciate that you avenged her, son.”

“Where is she buried?” I ask, swallowing hard. “I want to visit her.”

“She was cremated,” Dad says gently. “Julia insisted on spreading her ashes over the ocean.”

“Poor Julia,” I murmur. I’m not mad about it, just sad that there’s nowhere for me to visit so I can talk to Rachelle. “Is Lili in Portland or did she go to Princeton? She never says in her letters. She told me she was working for you though.”

“Liliana is working for me, but in Santa Barbara. I have an asshole that’s selling the date rape drug to college students to get laid,” Dad says. “Possibly to others as well, and I don’t fucking know who the source is.”

“That’s a dangerous drug,” I mutter. “Is Lili trying to find them? What about college?”

“I’m forcing her to attend USCB, even told her majors she was going to focus on,” Dad says with a self righteous smirk. Ah, I know this part of him. He’s done this shit to me often. “Something happened last night, though, and Liliana was hurt.”

“What? How? We need to go to California right now,” I snarl. “Dad, come on.”

“If you're up for a sixteen hour drive after being in prison for as long as you have, I’m in. It would probably help her father to know that I checked on her,” he says. “Someone drugged her lastnight when she was in the bathroom of a club. It was contained in a stick of gum.”

“What the fuck,” I say. “That’s insane. What was it?”

“It’s being tested now, I haven’t heard the results yet,” he explains. “How does a burger sound for food? Don’t tell me that you’re not hungry. If I have to hear your stomach grumble one more time so fucking help me. Don’t be stubborn.”

My body betrays me with a very loud stomach rumble and I roll my eyes.

“I was in the process of being released, so I missed any meals,” I say. “Yeah, a burger sounds like heaven. Tell me what else I’ve missed?”

“I’ll tell you as much as I can,” he says again ominously. “Some things just have to be experienced.”

So there’s a shit show waiting for me. Great.