Page 145 of Secret Mission

The pain of this betrayal is so severe it threatens to rip me in half.

I don’t hear him approach.

His heat wraps around me first, then his strong arms. “I’m here with you, sweetheart. Lean on me.”

“I feel…lost.”

“I know. But I’ve got you. You're mine now.”

His.

Heavens that feels good.

But the pain is consuming, a deep, black vine with wicked thorns that is twisted around every inch of my past.

Tears leak over my lashes and down my cheeks, but I don’t even feel like wiping the acid stain off of me.

I’m unraveling from the inside out.

“He lied to me.”

Truck’s growl rumbles through his chest into me, a reminder he’s going to hold me up, no matter how badly I break.

I don’t have to hold myself together. I’m not alone now.

But I have no idea how to handle this. There are other people involved now. Like a biological mother who is calling me in seconds.

“Should I talk to her?”

“That’s up to you, babe. Even if you want to wait and do it later, there’s no pressure.”

Sniffling, I shake my head. “Everything was a lie. But now so much makes sense. It was always nannies and science clubs and anything to keep me out of the house. He only paid attention to what I was doing when he thought it could serve his purpose.”

Truck’s phone rings.

He slides it from his pocket and holds it in front of me, still keeping his other arm looped possessively around me. “I’m right here.”

I steady my hand.

Take the phone.

Blow out a breath.

It’s hard to force any sound out when I hit accept. “Hello…”

The first thing I hear is crying. Then a watery, “Allison?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Vanessa.”

The lump in my throat is made of flaming glass.

“Th-thank you for calling.”

“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

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