Page 55 of Carnival
“Sit,’’ Arlo motions toward the empty armchair. “We need to talk.’’
“Let her breathe, Arlo,’’ Aria hisses.
“I can’t,’’ he gives her a pointed look. “The sooner we know everything, the better,’’ his eyes then flick to mine. “Tell me everything, and don’t miss a detail.’’
Blair takes one of my hands in hers, rubbing soothing circles on the back of my palm, not saying a word. This sweet woman has suffered through so much, yet she’s here, offeringme support in the softest way she knows. It gives me the encouragement I need to start talking, mainly looking at my feet. No one interrupts, and before I know it, I’ve told them everything that happened from the moment I woke up this morning to the moment Niko came for me at the station.
“You have no idea who sent you the tapes?” Noelle asks, her tone serious.
I shake my head. “No. If I had to guess, it’d probably be someone from the organization. James said he just… stopped working for them, and I don’t think they took that announcement well.’’
“They wanted him out,’’ Arlo sighs. “I don’t know why they involved you, though.’’
“If they know of his obsession with Rose, then it’s possible they wanted to sever the ties between the two of them. James is unpredictable, at best. If he thinks that Rose betrayed him, he might be more inclined to work for them again,’’ Blair adds.
“Then why send him to jail?” Aria asks, handing me a glass of water, and I drink it all down as if I hadn’t had water in ages.
“Because they’re not sure,’’ Noelle speaks. “As you said, he is unpredictable. If he thinks Rose betrayed him, he’ll either become more obsessed with her or want her dead, and they didn’t know which one it’ll end up being. Him being in prison is their safety net, and they’ll probably easily get him out.’’
“So what now?” I glance around the room. “What happens now? To James? To me?”
No one says a word, because they have no idea what happens next. The front door opens, and Hudson comes in, a wearyexpression on his face. A hint of relaxation flashes in his eyes when they set on me.
“Dad,’’ Aria speaks, somewhat reluctantly. “What happened?”
“I’ve pulled all connections I possibly could, and what happened to you today, Rose, will not go unpunished, I promise.’’
I smile. “Thank you. What about James, though? I’m assuming he’ll need a hell of a lawyer.’’
Hudson and Noelle lock eyes, and no one utters a word. The matriarch and patriarch of the De Santis family are having a silent conversation, one no one dares to interrupt. Noelle ends up nodding, as if understanding the mere look in his eyes.
Hudson’s eyes flick back to me.
“There’s no need for a lawyer.’’
“What?”
He pauses, and for the first time since I’ve met Hudson, something similar to hesitation is on his face.
“There’s no need for a lawyer because… there won’t be a trial. James is being transferred to the prison as we speak. A life sentence, and the DA is trying to push for a death sentence. Most likely, he’s on Vivian’s payroll.’’
Hudson continues to speak, but I’m no longer listening — I cannot focus on anything else.
No trial.
On his way to prison.
Death sentence.
For the first time today, I break down. I can’t control the tears that start rolling down my cheeks, the uncontrollable sobs,or the way my heart shatters into a million pieces. In the midst of all this, I never would have anticipated it.
They want James dead.
And if they succeed, he’ll die thinking I betrayed him.
The kind of guilt I’ll never be able to live with.
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