Page 111 of Reckless Desires

“Then you left again,” I point out.

She shakes her head. “It didn’t take long for Vidalia to find me.”

“How do you know she’s mine?” I probe, trying to connect the dots.

“You were the first and last man I slept with before I was caught again. She’s yours without a doubt.”

The memory of that night is a blur, hazy and foggy. “They didn’t let you abort her?” I ask, grappling with the implications.

“Because Vidalia knew she is a Boswell,” she responds, her voice barely above a whisper, the gravity of her words heavy in the air. “He’s a man who loves leverage, and I knew my baby would survive for the sake of being that leverage.” Her voice trembles slightly, revealing the depth of her fear.

I sit there, my mind racing as I struggle to process the enormity of her revelation.

“Let’s get out of here,” I urge, my heart pounding in my chest. “We’ll figure something out. You and Evie will be taken care of.”

“No,” she replies, her voice heavy with resignation. “I’m damaged. I can’t be the mother I want to be to her. She’s better off without me.”

“She needs a mother,” I insist.

“I hear Lily really wants to be a mom,” she says, her gaze unfocused as if she were staring into a future she fears. She takes a deep breath, her shoulders slumping under the weight of her thoughts. “If you think Lily’s nightmares are bad, you’ll be traumatized by mine.”

“We can get you help,” I assure her, my voice steady. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“Tell Evie I love her and treat her well,” Jenni says, her voice now barely above a whisper.

“You will tell her yourself,” I insist, turning toward the door with determination. “I’m taking you to her.”

But just as I reach for the knob, a deafening gunshot rings out, shattering the tension in the room. Startled, I spin around to see Jenni collapsing onto the floor, her body crumpling like a rag doll.

Chapter Seventy-Three

Lily

“Get me out of here,” I mutter as soon as I open my eyes. I don’t care who’s here to hear me.

Stasia yawns and rubs the back of her neck, tilting her head from side to side. “Well, once you have clearance to be discharged, that’s the first thing I’ll do,” she replies with exhaustion and humor.

Selene sits on the opposite side of the bed and takes my hand gently, her touch warm and reassuring. “We almost lost you there.” Her eyes are puffy and red.

“Where’s Serafina?” My voice rises in pitch as panic sets in. “Is she with Mom?” They exchange a knowing look.

“She’ll be staying with me,” Stasia finally replies with a steady tone. “She moves into her dorm at the University next week for orientation.”

My eyes begin to swell and a knot forms in my throat as I nod. Both my sisters hold my hand and stand over me. One brushes through my hair tenderly, while the other brings our entwined hands to her cheek.

“You’re welcome to stay as well,” Stasia offers to me.

“Or if you want more privacy,” Selene adds with a hint of practicality, “you can stay with me and have the third floor of the house. We never use it.”

I notice Selene’s wrist is bandaged. “What happened?” My concern deepens

Stasia bursts into laughter as she teases. “Only Selene would hurt herself after bitch slapping someone.”

“Who??” I question. It’s out of character for Selene to ever resort to violence.

“Take a wild guess. She’s not in this room,” Selene replies, maintaining her characteristic sweetness, yet I can hear a hint of amusement.

“So you know what she did,” I reply, lowering my gaze.