Page 80 of Redemption

I swallow as I see the truth across Magda’s face. My tears flowing harder from her words.

“I prayed for her every day. I prayed that she would survive. I prayed that she was happy. Even though I know from her letters she wasn’t. But I prayed after they stopped that things changed. In my mind, she was living her life with the man of her dreams. Even though there were days I thought she was surely dead.

“And then, nearly ten years ago, you walked into my restaurant. I swore I was seeing a ghost. You look just like her. Just like your grandmother and when I saw you, the biggest relief flooded through me because I knew she made it. She survived. She had a daughter and a beautiful granddaughter. I swore to protect you like I couldn’t protect her.”

The tears fall freely now. “Magda, you’ve always been like a grandmother to me. You’ve always taken care of me and shown me so much love. My grandmother was happy. Her kids made her happy, her grandkids made her happy. And she died peacefully.”

“I never would have wished this life upon you, Mira.”

I laugh at that. “Me either. Trust me. I’ve been trying to escape.”

“But you can’t.”

I shake my head. Her understanding meaning more to me than I can ever express.

“What do you need me to do?” she asks.

“Nothing. Just pretend you know nothing. If anyone comes here asking, say I left one day and never came back.”

Her hands grip my cheeks. “Tell me you’ll be safe.”

“I’ll try as best I can.”

* * *

The warm humid air of Mallorca warms my skin but it does nothing to take away the ever-present chill in my bones. I turn to the back seat and watch Aria as she takes in the scenery outside. When Kilian picked her up from school, he told her he surprised us both with a trip. She was worried about missing football practice. But I reassured her everything would be okay.

Kilian reaches over the center console and squeezes my hand. I take my eyes off Aria and he mouthsare you okay.

I shrug. I don’t know what I am. Aria’s life is in danger. Kilian’s life is in danger. Hell, my life is probably just as forfeit, too.

He squeezes my hand again and then wraps his fingers through mine.

I look outside as we climb a mountain, the hairpin turns doing nothing for my stomach that’s already in knots.

We pull up to a sizable estate along a cliffside. Gorgeous landscaping covers the grounds and from here I can tell the view out to sea has to be magnificent.

“Where are we?” I ask as we get out of the SUV.

“My friend’s house,” he answers. Probably the same friend that ensured there was a vehicle for us at the private hangar at the airport.

Aria starts to run to the house but I stop her. “What? Aren’t we on vacation?”

“We are,” I sigh. “But someone still lives here, you can’t just barge in.”

Kilian grabs the bags he packed for us from the trunk and meets us on the sidewalk. I follow him to the front door, when we are ten feet away it opens revealing a beautiful woman with platinum-blonde hair pulled high into a ponytail and light-blue eyes.

“Hello,” she says with an American accent. “Welcome to our home.”

Kilian drops the bags and gives her a hug. “Good to see you, Cam.”

“Too bad we can’t see each other more.” A spike of jealousy hits me and I wonder who this woman is. If she is a former lover.

He turns to us. “Cam, this is Bella and her daughter, Aria.”

“Nice to meet you both. I’m Cameron Wilder but you can call me Cam. Come, let me show you the house.”

Kilian moves the bags inside where an older woman in all black is standing and waiting with a smile on her face.

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