Page 76 of Born for Starlight

So, I told her.

I sat on the cold marble edge of that tub with the water running and told my grandmother all of it. The orphanage with the blue gates. The little girl from the video who watched everything. The hospital, the lies, the unknown man who’d checked out Luzia. What I believed was waiting at Aurora tomorrow, and the auction I wasn't supposed to know about.

Grandma Maureen was one of the strongest women I'd ever known, and she did what strong women do. She took it in. She absorbed it. And then she asked the right questions.

"So, who is this Matthew, really?"

"I thought I knew. Now I'm not so sure."

"Is he like your brothers?"

"Yes. He's exactly like them. He has the steel, all of it. He has Jase's and Bruno’s training. Renzo’s and Malik’s compassion… and dumbassedness." I stared at the water running into the tub. "I think he's deadlier than Jase."

"Does he have your heart, Angie?"

I stopped short. Stayed quiet. How did she know?

"Your non-answer is my answer."

"How did you know?" I whispered.

"The Drakos men and women love hard, and they love deep. I heard it in your voice, plain as church bells. Now that I know you love him, I've got a tougher question. Do you trust him?"

"Yes." The answer came out automatic, and I sat there a little stunned by it. "He's lied to me, Grandma. More than once. But I feel honor deep down inside him. He's twisted up. Underneath all of it, he wants to help as badly as I do."

"And this woman. This Layla. Is she good, or is she bad?"

"That's still an unknown." I thought about the fish market, the coffee, the flat voice giving warnings in a language I wasn't supposed to follow. "Truth? I think she's as much of an actor as I am. And I think she's forgotten who she really is beneath the character she plays."

"And what do you want, sweetheart?"

"I want to save Luzia." My voice didn't shake on it. "I want to save everyone, but I have to save Luzia. That part is non-negotiable."

"Then you will. I know you, Angie. You can do this."

"I hate this, Grandma."

"I know you do, baby girl. But you can do this."

We said I love you, both of us twice. I hung up and sat there with the phone against my chest, eyes closed, breathing her in like she was still on the line.

Then my eyes snapped open.

I never told her to keep it a secret.

I'd just handed my grandmother trafficking, an auction, and a missing seven-year-old. I never once said don't tell Mom and Dad, don't tell the boys, keep this between us. The most careful woman in three time zones spilled the whole operation to the family switchboard and forgot to say hush.

Horsepucky.

There wasn't one thing I could do about it now. Calling back to say keep my secrets would only wind her up tighter. It was a fail and it was mine. I filed it because I had much bigger fish to fry tonight.

Because right on cue, through two closed doors and over the running water, I heard the knock. Then a voice, warm, amused, in Portuguese, poured into our suite like expensive perfume.

Layla.

I shut off the faucet and looked at the woman in the mirror. Red eyes. Blotchy cheeks. Ninety seconds to strike this set and build a new one.

I turned on the cold water in the sink and got to work.