This family is even more fucked up than I thought, and that’s saying something. “Let’s cut the bullshit, dad. What do you want me for?”
“Believe it or not, all I want is to save your life, Elizabeth. Help me to do that. I can’t strike out at Colin right now. He has too many on his side and I’m weak. I have targets through which they can strike out and hurt me. Help me to save your life so I can gain complete control of my empire once more… and I’ll let your boyfriend live.”
My heart stutters to a stop before pounding erratically in my chest. I don’t know why, but somehow I know his plan will destroy me. The problem is, I love Skull. I’ll do anything to save him.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Leave Skull and pretend to die.”
He says it so simply, so matter-of-factly… the words seem so benign, so easy and unassuming. They aren’t, though. Just the thought of those words rips my heart out. I keep hearing Latch tell me I need to have faith in my man. I’m already shaking my head no and backing away from this monster who wants to call himself my father. Unfortunately, I back straight into Pistol. He grabs my arms, refusing to let me leave.
“Listen to him,” whispers Pistol in my ear. “If you stay with Skull, you’re both going to die. There’s nothing to stop it.”
“Elizabeth. It’s the only way. I can save your man,” my father joins in, and my stomach is turning so much that I want to throw up.
“Why?” I whisper. “Why would I trust you, let alone help you, in this crazy scheme?”
“Because I have something you want, and proof that I can protect you and this Skull.”
“What’s that?”
“Your sister, Katie.”
“What?”
“Katie is alive, Elizabeth. Alive and happy.”
If I had it in me, I’d faint again. If I had the courage that Latch says I have, I’d run straight to Skull. Instead, I stand there as Redmond hands me pictures of a blonde who looks so much like me that we could be twins—because we are. It’s Katie. There are at least twenty pictures of her. Pictures of her growing up, pictures of her laughing, pictures of her singing, pictures of her blowing out birthday candles—all pictures of Katie. My twin. The woman I thought was lost to me forever. My best friend. My… sister.
I’m crying my eyes out, sinking slowly to the floor. I hold the pictures to my chest like you would something precious… because they are.
My sister is alive.
“What are we doing here?” Beth asks, looking at the small white house I’ve parked in front of. She’s been different ever since I picked her up from the hospital. I asked her what’s wrong, but she only said she was tired. I can’t help but feel like it’s something else. Still, I’m not pressing her on it because there are more important things to deal with.
“This is the local circuit judge of the county.”
“Judge? Is something wrong?” she asks, looking at the house like it’s haunted.
“No,” I tell her, grabbing her hand. “Beth, I think we should get married.”
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t for her to look at me as if I’m trying to kill her. Suddenly what I thought was a great plan doesn’t quite seem that way.
“Mi cielo? You said you loved me. Don’t all women want marriage?”
“Skull, I can’t marry you!”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because! We’re in the middle of a war with my family!”
“The Donahues are not your family. Your mother might have been stupid enough to connect you to that clan, but you querida are not a Donahue. You don’t have that slime running through your veins. Do not even put yourself down suggesting you do.”
Her face goes whiter. I hate that we’re going through this. I need to fucking kill Colin, and soon.
“I can’t marry you right now. We don’t even know what tomorrow will bring.”
“My baby could be in your belly. I want my name on you, too.”
“Then let the war pass, and if we’re still standing, we’ll get married!”
“What the fuck do you mean ‘if we’re still standing’…?”
“I’m just saying we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Look at what happened with Beast’s family,” she whispers, and the tears are in her eyes. I catch a couple on my finger and pull her close so our lips are barely a breath away from each other. The only thing between our bodies is the console of the SUV we’re in.
“That is not us, Beth. We are meant to be together.”
“Skull, I want to believe that, I do,” she whispers tearfully, and the sob that escapes from her sounds like someone is ripping her heart from her body. “There’s just so much. I don’t want to marry you with all of this hanging between us.”
“Beth…”