Page 120 of Once Upon a Lie

“Wait. His name is Shane, isn’t it?”

Nico huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, Teeny. The bastard’s name is actually Shane.”

Two hours later and more fights than I ever thought I’d be in, and I still haven’t seen him. The security is too tight, the Feds too careful, and no matter how many explanations or threats I give, no one is willing to let me through.

My head hangs between my knees, my fingertips rubbing at my temples as I rock back and forth, trying to calm myself down. Nico’s hand meeting my back pulls me out of it, but I don’t know how long it’s been since I fell into this position or how long it’s been since he left.

My head jerks up, my eyes pleading and my lips dry from licking them so much. “Did you find anything out?”

He watches as someone in the hallway passes, his gaze tracking until they turn the corner at the end of the hall before he speaks, and when he does, it’s a whisper. “I’m not technically supposed to know any of this, but I overheard some stuff.” I lean in closer. “He’s just now out of surgery, and they’re moving him to the ICU floor for at least tonight. With the sedative they gave him, they say he’s probably not going to be fully awake until tomorrow.”

“So when can I see him?”

“Security is going to be tight until after they’ve questioned him. I don’t think you have a chance until tomorrow at the earliest. You should go home and get rest until—”

“Fuck that. I’m staying here.”

He sighs, leaning forward to pull a candy bar out from his pocket and handing it to me. “I thought you might say that.”

He pulls another from the other pocket and unwraps it for himself. “What are you doing?” I ask.

“Sitting with you.”

“Why?”

“I think, after everything I’ve done and everything you’ve been through, some company is the least you deserve.”

I swallow. “What’s going to happen to Dad? And Mom?”

“Dad’s undoubtedly going to prison for a long time.” He rolls his eyes. “I’m sure it’ll be much cushier than normal because of his connections.”

“And Mom?”

He shrugs. “She’ll probably have a hard time coming to terms with all of it. She might hate me. I don’t know. We’ll have to be there for her as best we can.”

“I can’t believe Dad is still connected.” I shake my head. “I can’t believe I actually thought he wasn’t. All that fear I felt as a kid the night before we left for Nashville came rushing back tonight.”

“Teen, it’s not just Cordone Freight . . . He’s been running money through The Hole Story too,” Nico says carefully, then stops. “We’ll talk later. You don’t need that tonight.”

“No, Nico. Tell me. I need to know.”

He shakes his head, but I reach out to grip his chin forcefully so he looks at me. “Tell me. Now. Everything.”

“Not only was he laundering money through a bunch of shell companies, but he was laundering seven figures of cash through your business without you knowing. That’s the reason they had Shane on you in the first place. I tried to exonerate you from the beginning, but because of our personal connection, you had to be cleared.”

“Oh my God.” It’s quite possible my jaw has hit my knees. Or maybe the floor. Or hell, maybe it’s gone through the floor and landed somewhere near the earth’s core. “I don’t even . . . Yeah, okay . . . I don’t think I want to know any more details. I don’t think I can handle it. Like, Dad, Shane, you? It’s too much right now. Is that terrible of me?” I swallow against the giant ball of emotion in my throat and rub mindlessly at my eyes. “I think I just need to know he’s okay first, and then deal with all the secrets and lies and maybes about the rest of it later.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I heave a shaky sigh, anxiousness making it hard to sit still. “So, what now?”

Nico shrugs before lacing his hand with mine. “Now, we wait.”

Right. We wait.

And for the first time in my life, waiting feels like the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

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