“So, that’s how they found us.” She tied her hair off in a messy knot on top of her head and slumped against the wall. “So, tell them. If they get his body, maybe they’ll at least let you go. But they’re not gonna do the same for me. Save yourself, Seven. You were never supposed to be a part of any of this shit.”
“I’m not fucking leaving you here. No matter what I do, somebody is gonna get hurt. If I tell him where that body is, he might let me live, but I’ll end up in fucking prison. My family name will be left with a stain on it, and they’ll probably always have someone watching them. I’m not giving themshit.”
Bridget snapped forward. “I deserve to be down here! You don’t. I like you a lot. I can see what Malek loves about you, Seven, and I know I’m young, but I’ve done bad things.Reallybad things. I rope my own brother in to do it. This is the fate we deserve. You’re acleaner. Get yourself outta here and run.”
“No. And if I’m gonna die in the next twelve hours, then you’re gonna tell me why. I’m big enough to own up to my own part in this. I signed up to help protect you.”
Bridget lowered her brows and stared at me. “Whadd’ya mean yousigned up?”
I dropped my hands to the mattress. “Malek asked me to clean for him. Those two fucksticks are part of my job. And one other. He’s killing them all to keep you outta their hands, and I’m hiding the bodies. That’s our deal.”
“And what doyouget out of it, Seven?”
Nothing. Not anymore. Nothing but the freedom to choose to be with him and look after Bridget. The satisfaction of knowing I’ve helped keep her safe. But at what cost? My own family? This is so, absolutely…fucked. I swallowed.
“He said he’d leave me alone. Let me be.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and tightened her mouth. “And that’s what you still want?”
“I dunno.”
We were silent for a few long moments, with nothing but the sound of something dripping down the hallway past the barred door. Then, she lowered her knees and crossed her legs, staring down at her lap. “He’s in love with you.”
“He barely knows me, Bridget.”
“And is that why you’re so unsure about what happens when it’s all over? Because you think nobody can see that you love him too?”
I chose not to answer. How do I explain to achildthat I probably know as much about love as she likely does? I don’t know what I feel. The only one of us that probably knows the torture of something likelove…is Malek. And I think I know why.
“Jonas said I look like her. Who is he talking about, Bridget?”
“It’s not my place to—”
“Shavonn?”
Her already pale skin went gray, and she swallowed loudly. She outright refused to look at me. “…Mal warned me. On the way to your apartment. He told me to chill when I saw you. I really didn’t understand what he meant until that morning you came out, bashing your foot on a coffin.” She snorted and stared at the floor. My chest started to ache, and honestly…I don’t even know why. The heaviest feeling of dread crawled over me. “The resemblance is kind of crazy, but…”
“Tell me this isn’t why he wouldn’t leave me alone.” Her silence and the long blank stare were answer enough. I’m a fucking fool. He was never over this woman, and he thought he’d have some part of her back through being with me. This…thisis why I’ll end up an insane cat lady that lives in a funeral home. If I even make it to thirty. “He told me he killed her.”
Bridget’s face popped up, utterly confused. “Hewhat?”
“Last night. Malek told me that he killed her. Did she betray him? Is that what’s gonna happen to me?”
“Dude,no.” She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose as she raised up to stand and started pacing the small space. “He didn’t actually kill her, Sev. He blames himself for what happened to her. He’s a fucking idiot.”
“Tell me.”
She’s hesitating. I can see it in every move she makes. But she stood, her back facing me, and stared out the door to our little prison. “Malek grew up with her. We all did. I’ve heard stories of how they used to torture each other as kids. She’s pure Irish blood. Comes from a deep-rooted family across the pond. But Malek…he’s—we’re not.”
“What does that mean?”
Bridget turned around and leaned back against the bars. “Daddy married an American woman. My mom died having me. We’re not what the other families consider pure-blood. They call us half-breeds. No other family wants their daughter marrying Malek. Daddy thought that marrying me off to merge the families would help whatever stigma surrounds our name because he fell for my mother. It wouldn’t make us look soweak.”
This is starting to make more sense. And I’m beginning to realize I might be better off not knowing what she’s about to tell me. “So…he fell for her. And she got married off to the guy I cleaned up.”
“Pretty much, but it’s more than that. By the time Malek was old enough for Daddy to start teaching him how to do his duties to the family…he and Shavonn were inseparable. He didn’t know any other woman but her. He wanted a love like what our parents had, despite what we are. Malek was determined to run off and marry Shavonn one day. They just didn’t do it fast enough. And I feel like I might be a reason for that.”
“Because you think he stayed behind to raise you.”
