Page 46 (2/2)

“I know,” I said, hanging my head I knew I knew theto hurt her Prove that I could put my ‘family’ first The sonofabitch

And I was scared I wanted to hurt her before she could hurt me, but that backfired More like leftin the middle of the ruins of my life

“I hadat , but reasons she’d probably like to hear”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that one I’ back and if she did, she wouldn’t want anything to do with you”

I’m sure she wouldn’t Who would? My reputation preceded et mixed up with me at this point But I needed to talk to her I needed to explain everything I needed her

30

RACHEL

The fasten seatbelt sign turned off and I unbuckled my seatbelt Home I was back ho back ht attendant opened the airplane door, and I walked past the one other row of seats and the couch running the length of one side of the jet and stood in the open door The freezing fresh air whipped past me as I took the three steps down to the tarmac A black SUV sat a few feet away and Charles stood by the door He opened it and my mom stepped out, her pristine navy tailored pantsuit fit like a glove She took off her sunglasses and held the phone to her ear I could hear her stern orders fro the social scene was never wanting for the best event she could coordinate Soed She ended the call and held out her arms

I stepped into her embrace, her arms—toned from two daily hours of exercise sessions with her personal trainer—wrapped around ed her back She smelled exactly the same It was as if a nearly ho could give off a smell

“Hi Moood to be back The throbbing ache in my chest hadn’t dulled one bit, but I hoped in ti in the destructive path of Killian Thorne

“Hi, Rachel Letth I could feel the disapproval radiating off her Good to knohere I stood

“Don’t worry, dear We can go shopping to us back into the SUV I knew better than to argue It looked like five to seven hours of getting caught up on all the latest fashion trends was in my future

“Okay, Mo back home meant “And you didn’t have to send the jet”

“Don’t start with that again I don’t kno you fly colasses off You’d have never thought rew up the child of a nurse and a doctor, but she’d certainly shed those upper middle class roots for a life firmly planted in the world of the uber rich

“It’s not that bad, Mo out theFro through town, everything looked just the sa forand scary at the same time It would be like I never left Like he never happened Like I was before