42. Chapter 42
Veronica
I stare at the sky through the window on the plane. We are heading back to Veridian Bay. It seems like I’ve been gone for years when it’s only been weeks. So much has happened. I look at my hands and think back to a couple of days ago.
I’m in the jungle when I hear footsteps from behind me.
They are far away, but they aren’t hiding themselves.
I turn and hear a gunshot. I’m startled by it and fall into a quarry of rocks.
I lose grip of my phone. I can’t call Miles for help or to warn him that someone’s here.
Whoever shot at me must think they hit me because they leave and don’t come looking for me.
It takes me some time to make it back. My body aches from the fall. I have scratch marks all over my body.
I see it’s Susana. That fucking unbelievable bitch.
She’s standing there. She may be checking to see if I walk out of the jungle.
I look up to the second floor and see Miles is still working.
I’ve walked the property enough to know my way back into the house, and that’s what I do.
Careful not to make any noise. Moments later, I hear Miles confront her.
I hear her tell him everything. My heart breaks for him.
This woman lied to him. More than that, she contributed to the death of the most important person in his life.
I walk through the kitchen and pick up a knife; I hold the handle tight.
I make sure to be as quiet as I can. Not to give away my location.
I hear her call me a whore. I gingerly walk behind her as she points her gun at Miles.
I don’t hesitate to bury the knife in her neck.
I feel the moment it lodges into the tissue and muscle.
I feel relieved. I feel calm. I feel powerful and in control.
The realization that I killed someone hits me like a ton of bricks.
But I don’t scream, I don’t act hysterical.
I just let him carry me to the car and head into town.
“Baby.” His voice breaks me out of my trance. “We’re home.”
When we arrive in Veridian Bay, it’s late, but we head straight to Nina’s Hope to meet with Serena, Ian, Nina, and Andrew.
The tension is immediate as we begin reviewing the footage.
Miles leans in, his eyes narrowing as he spots a thirty-second time lapse in the security feed.
I see a flicker of something dark and knowing in his expression.
“The damage wasn’t as severe as we expected,” Serena says from across the room. I watch her pace back and forth, her movements restless and uneasy. My brother remains perfectly still. He sits like a predator, his gaze fixed on her with a chilling, unblinking focus.
Andrew is reviewing documents. “This is going to set us back a couple of months. The insurance company will be covering the damages, since it was deemed arson, but we need to consider adding security.”
“Consider it done,” Miles and Ian say in unison.
I can’t help but smile. I look at Serena, and she’s smiling too.
“Baby, let’s go. You need to get your rest.” Miles extends his hand to me.
I look at my brother and see the stare he’s giving Miles, but when he looks at me, he gives me a smirk. He knows. Everyone knows.
“Oh.” Serena giggles. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Honestly, none of us are,” Nina comments. “He practically marked his territory at my gym.”
“Here too,” Andrew jokes. “There were times I seriously thought he was going to lunge at me for standing too close to her.”
Shit, I was so busy being angry and trying to get away from Miles that I didn’t notice any of it.
“Well,” Miles says, “if everyone is done, we need to get home.”
We arrive at the building and head up to my apartment before crossing to Miles’s. My apartment door opens, and we see an elderly woman standing next to the window with a water sprayer. I see Will standing next to her.
“Ms. Veronica.” Will comes to me and hugs me, then he realizes who’s standing next to me, so he quickly pulls back. “Hello, Mr. Villanueva.”
The elderly woman comes to stand next to Will. “Grandma, this is Ms. Veronica and Mr. Villanueva. And this is my grandmother, Violet.”
Violet puts her arms around me. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for Will.” I can feel the love she has for her grandson in her hug. She then turns to Miles and hugs him too. “And thank you. You don’t know how much you’ve helped him.”
“My grandmother has been helping keep your plants and flowers company. It seems to help her as much as them.” Will looks at Miles. Ready to be reprimanded. But Miles just nods.
“Of course. Please make yourself comfortable,” I say. “I just need to get some things and check my mail.”
“Oh, I’ve been checking it for you. As directed by Mr. Villanueva. It’s on the counter.”
I look at Miles. “I paid him to take care of the plants and other things. It was enough for him to quit his second job.” He just shrugs his shoulders, like he didn’t just have an impact on someone’s life.
I move to the pile. As I’m looking through it, I see a familiar black envelope. My hands don’t tremble. There’s a new resolve in me. To find out once and for all who’s behind this.
“Miles.” He rushes over. I stare at him, and he looks at my hands. He moves to take the envelope from me, but I hold on to it. He turns to Will. “Will, Ms. Veronica needs to rest. If you and your grandmother would excuse us.”
“Of course. Come on, Grandma.” She gives us a goodbye as they head out the front door.
Once we are sure they’re gone, we examine the envelope. It’s dated a week after I saw Tabitha. I turn to Miles. As if reading my mind. “I instructed Will to just leave your mail here and not touch it.”
I feel the envelope. It’s another photograph. I grab my knife because I still don’t have a letter opener and tear the envelope. I shake it, and a photograph falls out. I let out a scream, and Miles takes it from my hand.
“Fuck.” He immediately takes his phone out and starts making calls.
I take it from his hand and see the photograph of Tabitha. Dead. Naked. With a knife in her thigh and what looks like cigarette marks on her chest and arms. I cry. What happened to her?
“Let’s go.” He takes my arm, and we head down the emergency stairs.
I’m trying to keep up. “Where are we going?”
“To your parents’.”
Thirty minutes later, we arrive at my parents’. My mother runs to me. I release the breath I’ve been holding since I saw the photograph. We go inside and hurry to the living room. My cousins and brothers are here. My army, my soldiers, all of my protectors in one place.
Miles wraps his arm around my waist while my mother holds onto my hand.
“Issac and Liliana are out of town. But they are on their way back,” my father informs us. He looks at Miles and then at me. “We need to find out how Tabitha and Eric knew each other,” he tells the room. “That’s the missing piece of the puzzle.”
“Gus is bringing Serena and Yuri,” Gabe announces to the room. He looks at me. “Yuri’s been staying at my penthouse. I don’t know how deep this goes. I need to make sure she’s safe.”
I want to ask questions but don’t. Miles lets go of me, and I miss his touch immediately.
It grounds me. He moves to talk to my family.
My mother pulls me toward the staircase and leads me to my bedroom.
We take a seat on the bed. I can tell she wants to say something to me.
I grab a strand of hair and play with it.
“Your father told me everything,” she tells me.
The pain only a mother can endure is visible in her features.
“You don’t have to tell me, but I know.” She runs her fingers through my hair as I twirl my strand.
“I’m so sorry that you felt you couldn’t come to me.
My sweet girl. Know that you can tell me anything you want.
Or you don’t have to tell me anything. But I’m here for you, no matter what.
” I let go of my hair and wrap my arms around her.
I cry and tell her everything. Every detail of what I did for Tony, every manipulation, every pill, every single thing.
“I can’t look at Dad. He must be so ashamed of me.”
“No, the opposite.” She holds me tight. “He thinks you’re strong. Not everyone can leave a situation like yours.”
“I never thought about it that way.”
She looks at the painting above my bed. “That’s what happened to Marisol.
” I hear a sniffle, and I can tell she’s crying.
“She kept staying with Raul, Camilo’s father.
Mari’s father thought that by having them move to Veridian Bay, she would find the strength to leave him.
And she almost did, several times, but she just couldn't. Not only because of Camilo, but because Raul convinced her that he would change. When her father died, Raul moved them back to Colombia. Took her away from her friends. We tried to stay in touch. Your father and I managed to convince her to come back. But before she could, she died.”
“That’s why Susana hated you.” Miles's voice comes from the bedroom door.
My mother doesn’t turn. She just runs her fingers through my hair.
“I suppose. Your mother would tell me about her best friend. The friend who’d endured hardships.
The friend who was always there for her.
Marisol saw Susana as a sister. The only time I met Susana was at your mother’s funeral,” she tells him.
“Miles, it seems like Veronica needs to get some rest. Why don’t you stay with her?
” She doesn’t wait for an answer and stands up.
She leaves Miles and me alone. We don’t speak; we just lie in bed.
He holds me as if I'm going to run, but I don’t.
My parents’ house is massive. It’s been years since it’s been this full of guests.
Having all her children under one roof is my mother’s dream.
Dad, however, is ready to have Mom’s attention all to himself.
It’s been a couple of days since we arrived.
I’ve been avoiding being in the same room as Dad.
I know he knows everything, but I just can’t face him.
That came to a head this morning when Miles asked me to join him for breakfast downstairs, only to find my father waiting in his place.
That sneaky, overbearing asshole. I know he planned this.
My father sits there with a plate of freshly baked scones and coffee. Apparently, baking is his thing as well. “Sit down, Veronica. Please.”
I do as he asks. I sit, fidgeting with my nails.
“You can’t avoid me forever, honey.”
“I know. But I gave it a shot.” I give him a weak smile. I know he knows. God, I can barely look at him.
“I’m sorry I failed you.” His voice trembles.
“I’m sorry that son of a bitch hurt you.
But what I’m most sorry about is that you thought you couldn’t come to me.
My baby girl was hurting, and she couldn’t come to me.
” I see the tears stream down his face. I’ve only seen my dad like this when it comes to Mom’s health.
Then again, I chose not to tell him anything.
“Oh, Daddy. You didn’t fail. I just couldn’t bring myself to talk about it. Then, when Mom got sick, I was just so scared.” I hug him tightly. “But I’m in a better place. I’m stronger. I’m not as afraid as I was.”
“You remind me of your mother, you know.” He looks at me, and I stare into his blue eyes. They’re the same as mine. “Your grandfather was cruel, even more so with your mother. The things he put her through…but she survived. You are your mother's daughter.”
I know my mom went through some things when she was younger, but I never knew the details. I think it’s time I did.
“Dad, I need to tell you something.” I look at his hand that’s holding mine. “I killed Susana.”
“Miles told us. How do you feel?”
“I don’t feel anything. It actually…it actually felt good. It’s like all the rage and chaos in my head was silenced. It just felt…it felt right,” I admit, because it did. The control over someone’s mortality is a different kind of high.
He smiles, taking a deep breath as he looks at me. “You are a Kayde,” he says, his voice steady. “And like I told you, you are your mother’s daughter.”
We embrace; the tension finally breaks as we talk through everything that happened in Colombia with Susana.
“Do you love Miles?” he asks suddenly.
“Yes, I do.”
“Okay. But you tell me when you stop. That will be the day I kill him.”
I can’t tell if he’s joking or not. “I don’t think that day will come, Dad.”
“I’ll still hope,” he mumbles.