“Well, that would really suck, given that you live for Christmas. But it’s not that, so spill it.”
Where’s Landon when you need him…even if I don’t actually want him around? Before Friday night’s big revelation, he was in my classroom as soon as the final bell rang.
I guess he finally got my hint that I don’t want to talk to him again. Ever.
But what did he expect would happen once the truth came out? If he lied about that, what else was he lying about?
“Chloe, you’re my best friend, and I love you, dearly. You know that.”
I smile at her. “I do know that.”
“As your best friend, it’s my duty to take you out tonight and stage an intervention.”
I laugh. “Sounds great, but I’m volunteering tonight, and afterward, I have to sew an army of pint-sized elf hats.” That’s one advantage of moving back to my apartment. I spent the last two days attempting to forget everything while busying myself with the hats.
And watching every Christmas kid’s show I could find on TV.
Because who needs Hallmark Christmas movies when you’ve gotThe GrinchandRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
That’s right—holiday romance movies have officially been banned from my apartment.
“You’re not volunteering tomorrow night, right?” Kiera asks.
“Nope. But I’ll still be making elf hats.”
“Perfect. Then we have a date. You. Me. Lots of spiked eggnog. And Project Elf Hat.”
I grin, remembering exactly why I love her. “All right, you have yourself a date.”
After she leaves my classroom, I half expect Landon to enter, purely out of habit. He doesn’t. Instead, it’s Isabelle who walks in through the main doorway.
“Hi. Is there something you need? I’m about to leave.”I smile at her even though she’s just one more reminder of Landon.
She smiles back, sympathy in her eyes. Sympathy I can handle. Pity is another story.
And if I were to hazard a guess, I’d say she’s aware that my codename is now Black Widow. Except instead of being the one who kills men, they die by association, with me being the common denominator.
“I’m here to make sure you get to your car safely,” Isabelle says.
So, Landon’s old job.
“It’s not necessary,” I tell her. “I know the truth. All that was just a ruse so Landon could use me to get to my cousin.”
She shakes her head. “The part about your cousin hiring us was a lie—Landon should never have let you believe that—but the part about the contract out on you isn’t.”
“But why would anyone want to kill me? I’m not part of my grandfather’s world. Hell, I’m not even part of the family anymore. He made sure of it when he forbid my relatives—including my own mother—to contact me.”
And because his money and approval meant everything to them, they willingly obliged.
Except for my mother. She did it for love.
She did it for me.
“I’m only a useful pawn in the turf war if my grandfather gave a damn about me.”
It’s not like he has to stress about me turning over family secrets to the state. They know a lot more about the “family” business than I’ll ever know.
More than I’ll ever want to know.