Page 56 of Unspoken Lies

My phoneimmediately begins to ring, and I answer to the sound of a wrecked man.

“You found her?”Mr. Emil rasps. “She texted me 911 and then didn’t bring her phone with her.”

Sometimes, when I really miss her, I pull up the tracking on the bracelet I gave Rachelle. It lays dormant in Mr. Emil’s home, never moving, and she’s not wearing any jewelry either.

If she disappears, we’re all flying blind in regards to how to find her. I wonder if he'll give it back to me if I ask.

“The Kings found her,” I say in a dead tone. “Did you know that she was fucking working for them?”

“Don’t take that tone with me,”he growls. “Her therapist suggested that she get a job to combat… ah, to get her out of the house. I didn’t have a chance to ask her where it was.”

In his defense, his focus has been split in a million different directions, but this was a pretty epic failure. I can’t find it in myself to be upset about it. I would rather have her alive, with me, in a position where I can better protect her.

And God, am I tired of living without her. Having Rachelle at her worst is better than believing that she’s cold under theground. Shuddering, I realize that there are tears on my cheeks, and brush them away.

“You’re still keeping secrets,” I say, calling him out. “Maybe you should write them down or something. Seems as if you’re having a hard time keeping track of it all.”

“That’s cute. How is she?”Mr. Emil asks.

“I’m taking her to my house,” I state. “She ran into Ignacio’s body at full force, and he caught her. Rachelle was so shocked, she passed out.”

“Fuck,” he says explosively. “I don’t know what to do anymore, Lili.”

“I do,” I say, even though I plan to wing it. “I’m driving home now. The fuckheads are in my trunk. I’ll have Rachelle call you later.”

“I don’t deserve that, but thank you,” he says tiredly.

“Everything was a mess when the world was told Rachelle was dead,” I say in a whisper. “Don’t count yourself out. As furious as I am, you saved her life.”

“Ignacio still went to prison and we all left you alone,”he says.

“No, Ignacio was alone, I had you and Dad,” I say shortly before hanging up, feeling choked up. Fuck, I wouldn’t be standing here without either of them.

Opening the vehicle’s driver door, I climb in and toss my phone into the cupholder.

“Was that my dad?” Nacio asks, smoothing back Rachelle’s hair. Glancing back at him, I nod.

“She texted him before she cut and ran,” I say, closing my door and pushing the ignition. My voice is dull and lifeless, only giving him the facts. My emotions are bubbling under the surface. There’s so much that I’m feeling, but I can’t give into it.

Not yet.

“Her skin is so soft,” he whispers. “I used to dream about it.”

I’m not jealous. How could I be? He dreamed of both of us to stay sane in prison. Weaker men than Nacio have come out broken, but not him. The time in solitary confinement, in the dark without any sound, allowed him to create a better world where he had us.

Now, he doesn’t have to pretend anymore.

Trembling fingers touch my lips as I suck in air, and I suddenly worry that I won’t be able to drive.

“Lili,” Ignacio growls, getting my attention. Twisting to look at him, I raise my brow. “I know. Fuck, it’s completely surreal. It’s okay to feel something, a lot of things. You don’t have to shut everything off.”

My eyes cut back to the two of them in the backseat, and he nods.

“They’ll be out of your house soon enough,” he says. “Take another breath for me, that’s my good girl. Let’s get through this. Find the balance for me, Liliana.”

Nodding with a sharp gasp, I turn around to face the steering wheel and check my mirrors before putting the car in reverse. I swear, it feels as if I’m moving in slow motion, but I don’t want to crash. While this thing is built like a tank, it’ll suck to have to deal with delays.

Once I’m on the road, it’s easier to concentrate, though I bite my lip at the thought of taking the guys through the garage. You know what, fuck that. Parking on the side of the road in front of my house, I open the trunk with a touch of a button.