Page 176 of Hexed
And honestly, I’m not sorry I killed his brother. It was my job. It’s what I’ve done a hundred other times, without question, and it happened long before Enzo and I even knew of each other. But I regret how it’s hurting him, and Idefinitelyregret with every single part of me that I was too much of a disaster to find the courage to tell him about it when I had the chance. I don’t know that the outcome would have been any different, but at least he would have heard it from me, instead of feeling like I’ve been lying to him.
Technically, it was just an omission, but an omission is sometimes worse than a lie.
I’m back at the hotel room in the Marino, and I’m throwing my few belongings in my duffel bag, phone up to my ear as I try to call Fisher and tell him I’m coming back and need him to help me stay under the radar until I’m ready to do what I need to do.
Kill my uncle. Even if I have to do it with a broken heart.
It’s a risk going back there to plan, but it’s the best option I have.
Of course…it would help if Fisher would actually answer his phone.
It clicks over to his voicemailagain, and I throw it down, tapping my foot and debating what to do.
I’ll just go to Bastien’s hotel room.
The only thing I know for sure is that I can’t stayhere. Even if I wanted to, this is Enzo’s hotel, and I don’t deserve it. Besides, he didn’t kill me the way his father demanded, and if I stay, I’ll only be putting his own safety in jeopardy.
I pick up my phone and shoot off a quick text to Bastien.
Hey, he found out, and it didn’t go well. You’re right, I should have told him. Come by my room or I’ll be by yours in 20.
My chest aches when I type out the words, and I reach up to grab the seashell around my neck for comfort, but just hit blank skin, then remember I took it off back at Enzo’s and left it on his kitchen island. I don’t deserve to have it because that necklace represented our romantic relationship but also our friendship, both of which I ground into dust carelessly when I withheld something so monumental even after I knew I had feelings for him.
There’s a knock on the door right when I finish zipping up my duffel bag.
My mind is speeding in a thousand different directions, and it’s hard to think straight anyway with how badly my soul hurts, so maybe that’s why there’s a moment where I’ve convinced myself it’s Enzo.
That maybe he’s forgiven me even though I don’t deserve it.
My chest cramps at the thought.
Ridiculous, Venesa. He wouldn’t be here.
But Bastien would.
I don’t even look in the peephole. I’m going on autopilot and assuming it’s Bastien.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I say when I open the door, turning before I see him.
Because I know what I’ll find, and I don’t want to deal with an “I told you so” look right now.
“Good. I don’t want to hear it anyway.”
My entire body freezes, and I spin around, coming face-to-face with thatbitchof Enzo’s assistant, Jessica.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask, confused.
She grins. “Just following the boss’s orders.”
My brows furrow. “Enzo sent you?”Wow. Talk about hitting me when I’m down.
She smiles, throws back her head, and cackles. “Enzo’s not the man in charge, honey. Carlos is.”
Then she pulls out what looks like a tranquilizer gun and pulls the trigger.
I look down, shocked, and feeling like the stupidest person on the planet, I see a tranq dart sticking out of my leg. I try to move forward, but my head is already woozy, and I stumble back instead, my hand flying to the small bookshelf against the wall and knocking against that damn globe. It falls to the ground and breaks, but my hearing must be fuzzy because the sound is muted and dull.
So is my vision.
