Page 103 of Hide From Me

“What does yes and no mean and think about it before you speak? Cas, I might love you, but I will walk out of here without a glance back if you lie to me.”

“Hey, Zeid, I’ll call you back.”

I didn’t wait to hear what he had to say.

“I never lied. You’ve just never brought her up.”

You could see the little muscle tick in her jaw.

“Look, she was trying to sell you out to anyone and everyone. I told her now that you were on your own, I wouldn’t be funding her drug habit.”

At least her face wasn’t giving me devastated vibes.

“And?” she asked.

“And what?”

Maybe I was fucked up, but I enjoyed being naked here, but she meant business right now.

“So, wait, why did you kill her?”

I ran my hand through my hair.

“Fuck. She told me that if I didn’t keep paying her to keep your secret, she would make sure you ended up like your mom. You were worth more to her alive than dead while I paid her to keep you. But then, when I ensured you got out of there on your eighteenth birthday, she saw the writing on the wall. She knew about this grandfather. I don’t know all the truths behind him, but she seemed to think that he would be interested in your whereabouts.”

I paused, but Rylee wasn’t saying anything.

“Your mom and this half sister left for a reason, Rylee. I never bothered figuring out why. The only two people who knew were them and one was already dead, and your aunt? Well, I’m sure you noticed she had a bit of an addiction problem. I couldn’t trust her.”

Rylee had at least stepped closer to me, but I was afraid to reach out for her and spook her.

“How did you make sure I would get out of there when I was eighteen?”

Maybe I should have my hands on her. She let me at least for now, so I pulled her into me.

“I set up the scholarship. I made sure everything was paid for. What good is all the money in the world and the blood that stains my hands if I couldn’t help the one person who sees the humanity in me?”

I could feel her breathing. Her breaths were short, but not panicked. Not yet. I held her closer like holding onto her would make sure that I could keep her even if it felt like perhaps my lies were starting to unravel.

“I, uh. My aunt. Why did you kill her again?”

She wasn’t turning to look at me, but she wasn’t pulling away.

“She threatened to make sure that you wouldn’t see your next birthday. I do not allow anyone to threaten what is mine.”

She still wasn’t pulling away, or maybe I was holding her too damn tight to allow it. I didn’t fucking care. I could kill someone without a second thought, but to lie to her?

“Do you understand? I never found the letters to this father of hers. I did find that he was alive, but again, if she was living in a shitty shack that I had to bribe her to even give you a room in, what kind of father could she have?”

Rylee was too quiet. She was just standing here. I wanted her to fight me like she always did. Fucking hell.

“Rylee, what do you want to know? I’ll tell you all of it.”

I could feel her exhale.

“So you paid her to take care of me? But you were broke.”

“Yeah. But she was more broke. Your life got better over the years, didn’t it? Every penny I sent was to make sure you had it better. I watched you every second I could. I always had someone watching you. I hated letting anyone see you, but I had to make sure that I built a better life for you, and the only way I could think to do that was stay the course. Xander, me, and Zeiden were going to take over.”

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