Chapter 111 #2
“My dad left his wife and moved in with my mom. They had Lily two years after I was born. Moving was normal for us as kids, and Lily was the one constant in my life. I love my sister. She’s everything to me.
” As she spoke about her sister, her whole face calmed, and her voice softened.
“When my mother died ten years ago, my father did the one good thing he’d ever done for us: he left Lily and me with my grandmother.
When he heard she’d passed away, he came back, and I found out the sorry truth that he couldn’t keep a dollar in his pocket, and that was why we’d always moved around.
He liked to gamble. He was in debt. A lot of debt.
” Although her voice shook, it took on a harder tone.
“He ended up in prison, and while he was there, someone working for his loan shark tried to kill him. He promised he’d get the money and pay off the debts. ”
The room appeared to grow colder as she spoke, the shadows creeping closer. The pain in her face was raw and vulnerable, and I felt a pang of sympathy for her.
“I changed my name and my sister’s name, and we tried to run away from the loan sharks,” she said, her eyes fixed on the floor. “They still caught up to us. Lily was kidnapped, and they still have her. They won’t let her go until I pay off our father’s debts.”
“Is that why you didn’t mention her when we talked before?” I asked gently.
Rosalie nodded. “I knew you would want me to bring her over and make her feel a part of things, but I struggled to find the right explanation for her absence. So I thought it better to just not mention her at all.”
“Rosalie,” Ty said softly.
Liam’s grip on her arm had gentled, but he still didn’t let her go.
“That’s when Castro found out about my situation.
” Rosalie sniffled, but her voice never wavered.
“He offered to help me if I would be his ear in the Keller Estate. He said he’d pay my debts if I did a few tasks for him.
He was the one who sent me the ad you posted looking for an assistant, Liza.
He had my background check altered so you wouldn’t find out about my secrets. ”
“What has Castro told you about his plans?” Ty asked when she stopped speaking.
“Castro doesn’t tell me anything,” Rosalie admitted. “I’m only meant to hide the microphones and pass back anything I hear.”
I reeled from that revelation. She might have just punched me in the gut.
“Rosalie.” I was shaking with anger and disbelief. “Where are the mics? Show us. Now.”
She blanched. She’d been caught, and now it was time to face the consequences.
“Okay,” she squeaked. “I’ll show you where they are.”
We followed her as she led us through the house, stopping every few steps to point out the tiny listening devices hidden in plain sight.
In the living room, one was nestled between the pages of a book on the shelf.
In the kitchen, another was concealed under the fruit bowl.
Each discovery made the betrayal that much worse, and I struggled not to let my emotions get the better of me.
Rosalie reached up to pluck a mic from behind a painting in the hallway. As she handed it to Ty, I glared at her, my heart pounding.
“Is that all of them?” I asked with barely suppressed fury.
“Th-there’s one more,” she said, leading us into my bedroom. My breath hitched, and I felt sick to my stomach as she walked over to my vanity and pulled out the final mic, hidden within the delicate petals of a decorative flower.
Rosalie’s chest heaved as she sobbed uncontrollably. “I’m so sorry,” she said, wiping at the tears streaming down her face. “I never wanted to hurt you or your family. I just... I had to save my sister.”
My heart ached for her, despite the anger still simmering beneath the surface. The betrayal stung like a fresh wound, but Rosalie’s desperation had me tamping down my emotions. Her fear and the love for her sibling had driven her to make such terrible choices.
“Rosalie,” I said softly, wavering despite my best efforts to stay strong. “How much do you need to save your sister?”
She sniffed, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen from crying.
“I… I don’t know,” she said, on the verge of fresh tears.
“The debt is huge, and the interest keeps piling up. Castro sends me money to pay off the loan shark each month, but it only pays the interest. I’ve been trying to pay extra off, little by little, but it’s like I’m drowning. ”
“Give me a number. How much would it take to get your sister back and put an end to this nightmare for both of you?”
“Seventy-five thousand,” Rosalie whispered. She looked up at me with a desperate expression, clearly expecting me to balk at the sum.
My heart dropped, then I steeled myself. “I’ll give you the full amount.”
Rosalie’s eyes went wide, her shock and disbelief evident on her face. “You... you will?”
“Only if you promise to take it and never show your face here again,” I said, heavy with anger and sorrow.
I’d been betrayed by someone I had considered a friend, but I knew that her sister was in danger through no fault of her own, and I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
At the same time, though, I couldn’t allow Rosalie to stay, not after everything she’d done.
Rosalie only nodded.
“Good,” I said, my own voice more unsteady than I cared to admit.
I turned away from her, blinking back tears of my own.
My heart felt like it was being torn in two.
I wanted to help Rosalie save her sister, but I couldn’t forgive her for betraying our trust. It was a conflicting whirlwind of emotions that left me drained and hollow.
Rosalie’s face crumpled, and she looked at me with such raw vulnerability, it was almost unbearable. “I never meant to hurt you, Liza, I swear,” she said between sobs.
I wanted to believe her, truly I did, but the betrayal cut too deep. The pain squeezed my lungs, making it hard to breathe. “You were working for him,” I hissed. “You put us all in danger.”
“Only because I had no choice,” she cried in desperation. “If I didn’t do what he asked, my sister would have died.”
As much as I understood her plight, it was hard to accept her explanation when there was a knife twisting in my chest. Regardless of the hurt, I couldn’t leave her sister to suffer the same fate.
I turned to Liam, who stood silently at the edge of the room, his arms crossed below his broad chest. “I want you to make sure Rosalie uses the money to get her sister back. After that, escort her out of town.”
“You’re sure about this?” Liam asked, searching my eyes for any doubt or hesitation.
“Positive.” I tried to sound more confident than I was. “We can’t just let her sister be another pawn in Castro’s sick game.”
Liam nodded solemnly. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.” Rosalie wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, her shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs.
“Don’t thank me,” I spat. “Just remember, once you get your sister back, I never want to see your face again. Got it?”
Rosalie nodded. “I understand.”
“Good.” I turned away from her, my breaths coming in short pants. This whole ordeal had left me emotionally drained and desperate for some semblance of control.
“Goodbye, Liza,” Rosalie said as I stormed away from her, my heart hardening against her voice. I refused to look back, no matter how desperate she sounded. I couldn’t bring myself to feel any compassion for her when she had betrayed us.
I barely made it outside before the dam broke, my chest shaking with the force of my sobs.
Cold wind bit at my cheeks as I stood on the porch, staring into the vast wilderness that surrounded our home.
It was a cruel reminder of how vulnerable we truly were, and how much I’d allowed myself to trust someone who had been working against us all along.
“Damn you,” I hissed through clenched teeth, balling my fists at my side. My anger surged, overwhelming the pain, and I needed to let it out before it consumed me completely.
I shifted without a second thought, my human form giving way to the powerful wolf within.
My senses sharpened, the world around me coming alive in a way it never did when I was human.
The scent of damp earth and pine needles was a calming balm, while leaves rustling in the breeze reached my ears like the whispers of conspirators.
I sprinted into the forest, my paws pounding against the ground, relishing the freedom and strength my lupine form provided.
As I ran, I tasted the cool, crisp air on my tongue, and the dampness of the soil beneath my feet.
Each stride brought a momentary reprieve from the turmoil inside me, and for a short time, I was invincible.
My paws thundered against the damp forest floor, sending dirt and leaves flying behind me.
I pushed myself to run faster, harder. My heart ached with every beat, but I couldn’t stop—not yet.
The wind whipped through my fur, stinging my eyes, making them water, but I barely noticed the discomfort.
All I focused on was the pounding of my paws on the ground, and the fury that burned like wildfire beneath my skin.
I tore through the underbrush, branches snapping and cracking beneath my powerful paws.
The once-familiar woods had become a blur of green and brown, the world around me reduced to nothing but a backdrop for my rage.
The blood roaring in my ears and my labored breathing drowned out the birdsong and rustling leaves.
“Where are you?” Ty echoed in my mind.
“Deep in the woods,” I replied, slowing my pace when I felt his approach. “Just... keep following my scent.”
While I waited for him, I took stock of my surroundings. I’d run so far and so fast, I didn’t recognize this part of the forest anymore. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I was away from the house, and away from the betrayal that had broken my heart.
When Ty finally appeared, his massive wolf form materializing from the shadows, relief shuddered through our mating bond.
His golden orbs met mine, filled with an unspoken understanding of the pain I was experiencing.
He stepped closer and rubbed his head against my shoulder, offering comfort in the only way he knew how.
“Thank you.” I leaned into his touch. It wasn’t enough to erase the hurt, but it was a balm for my battered soul.
We shifted back to our human forms in an unspoken agreement.
The forest floor was soggy and cold beneath my feet, but I barely acknowledged it.
Ty studied me with concern, his eyes searching mine for some sign of reassurance.
I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to give him that, but I knew what I had to do.
“Ty, I want to learn to fight. I can’t let Castro or anyone else hurt our family again, and I need to be able to defend myself.”
He frowned, his mouth twisting into a grimace. “Liza, I’m here to protect you. I don’t want you to put yourself in danger.”
“Exactly,” I argued. “Everyone is putting their lives on the line to protect me, and look where it’s gotten us. Castro is still out there, plotting against us. I need to be able to defend myself and our family.”
“Even if you learn to fight, it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to stop him.”
“No, but it means I’ll have a better chance.” I stared him down. “I’m not weak. If anything, I’m stronger than all of you.”
His gaze never wavered from mine, but I saw the flicker of understanding in his eyes. He didn’t like it, but he knew I was right. I couldn’t just stand by and let others fight my battles for me when the stakes were so high.
“Hey, guys,” Liam's echoed through the forest, drawing our attention. He kept his distance. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Of course,” I said, catching my breath. “What’s up?”
“Look,” Liam said hesitantly. “I don’t want Liza fighting, either, but she should be able to defend herself should Castro get too close. I fear he will try to activate her.”
“Over my fucking dead body,” I snapped. “I won’t let him manipulate me like that.”
The wind rustled through the trees as we stood in the fading light. A sudden, tangible energy crackled like electricity between us.
“Maybe I should activate you,” Liam suddenly said uncertainly. “Take that power away from Castro.”