Page 16 of Redemption

“How did you get here?”

“I flew commercial.”

“You need to go back to school.” A piece of kindling snaps, drawing her attention to the fire.

“No!!!” She lets me go, using the poker to push my diary from the flames. The edges smoke,

“Why?”

I shrug. “It was time to let it go. You shouldn’t be here.”

“Where else would I be. You could have at least called and let me now you are okay.”

“But I’m not okay, Chloe.” I whisper watching the flames. My heart is shredded, shredded and bleeding out. I didn’t die on the island but I’m dying right here. Right now. I close my eyes; my hands grip the mantle as a shudder rips through me. The next thing I know—my face is wet. She did it. Broke me. Took me down and she didn’t need the wire for the feds. All it took was four words. I never loved you.

“Oh, Roque.” Chloe’s slim arms come around me. I hug her back, letting my anguished cries out. I weep in her embrace, letting her comfort me. “It’ll be okay. Whatever it is. We’ll get through it together. You have me now.”

“I-I failed you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You asked me to get you Romina for your mother.” I reach into my pocket, taking out the flawless eight-carat cushion cut ruby set in platinum. It catches the light from the fire. Shrugging, I toss it to the flames. I pick up Romina’s journals, but Chloe puts a hand on my arm. “Those aren’t your words to burn.”

“It’s all fiction.”

She sighs, taking the books from me. Then she goes to the wet bar and douses my fire with ice and water. “We’ll save the ring later. First, we need to salvage the ending to this love story.”

“Impossible.”

She rolls her eyes. She has the nerve to roll her damn eyes as she goes back to the wet bar and dampens a cloth before coming back to me and dabbing my busted knuckles. “What happened after she found me in Switzerland?”

I suck in a breath. “She traded her freedom for mine. Cut a deal with the Feds to turn me in. She seduced the shit out of me in Miami, found me on death’s door in the Bahamas and saved my life just to crush it.”

“How?”

“She gave me her blood. My body soaked it up, her life gave me life. Then she recorded me confessing to killing an undercover agent during a raid. Only I was the bad guy raiding the other bad guy.”

Chloe takes my hand, leading me to the couch, then she fixes me a scotch, neat. “What were you doing in the Bahamas, again?”

“Saving lost, little girls.”

“Like me?”

“You, if I hadn’t come along.” She sucks in a deep breathe.

“And where does Romina fit in all of this?”

“She believed I was involved. She actually thought trafficking was part of my business and agreed to find evidence on me.”

Chloe’s brow wrinkles. “I can’t believe that. Why would she ever believe you could be capable of doing something like that?”

“You’ve read our story. I guess it is a believable plot twist. Afterall I did kill her once.”

“I’m so sorry. I’d never believe you capable of that, Roque.”

“I know. You’re my girl, Chloe… my family. Shit, I’m going to cry again. If you tell anyone you’ve seen me cry, I might have to kill you.”

She smacks my arm. “That’s what make you so special, Roque. You feel so much. Your feelings and emotions run deeper than you ever admit to yourself. It’s good to let it out. You’ll feel better after.”

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