Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
I consider for a moment, then decide to go with the truth. “He told me what happened, with your sister. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. He’s a scumbag of the worst order.” Apollo nods. I need him to know that I would never do something like that, even if we were enemies. “Is that why you took Camilo in? Because he reminded you of your sister?”
Apollo shakes his head. “He’s my cousin’s kid, he doesn’t look like Artemis. No more than anyone else in the family.”
“No, I mean, because he’s gay. The same as your…” I trail off, seeing the expression on his face. “You didn’t know she was…whatever? Lesbian. Bi. Experimenting. Queer. I don’t know, but she had a girlfriend. You really didn’t—”
“Fuck. Jesus. I’m sorry.” Apollo puts his hand to his face, leaning over the railing as he turns away from me, his body shaking.
Seeing such a big, strong man cry shocks me to my core. I don’t know if I didn’t think he had it in him, or if it’s just so sudden, but for a moment I just stare. Then I move.
I don’t care what he’s done. I don’t even care what he’s going to do. Right now, all I see is a man in pain.
In two strides I’m at the top of the stairs, rushing over to him and wrapping myself around him. He leans his face on my shoulder, and I breathe a sigh of relief when he finally pulls me in close with his strong arms.
“Hey, it’s OK,” I tell him. “It’s OK, I’m here.”
“Why didn’t she tell me? Did she think…?” He takes a deep breath. “I never would have judged her, Rose. I didn’t know. I would have…I don’t know. I was her twin brother! And she died thinking I would have rejected her because of who she loved? Fuck. I can’t even…”
“It wasn’t you,” I tell him. “You didn’t do anything. You’re not to blame. Your parents have to take some of that blame, sure. And Andrew fucking Jackson too. But not you, OK? You couldn’t have known.”
“You should get away from me. Everything I touch—”
“Is that what you want?”
He pulls his face away from my shoulder, his eyes red and sore, but if anything, he holds me tighter. And shakes his head. “Fuck, no. If you tried to run, I’d probably chain you to that cross in the basement.”
I breathe a laugh, and finally see a small smile cross his face. “You believe in heaven? Hell?”
“Sure,” he says. “I was raised with all that. I’ve seen too much to believe there’s no higher power out there somewhere.”
I nod. “Me too. And Artemis? I’m pretty sure innocent girls who are fucked over by the people sworn to protect them go to the fluffy clouds, harps and toga parties. Not the other place. She’s watching, Apollo, and she knows you never would have judged her. She saw you take in Camilo. She knows you had nothing to do with what happened to her. And she knows you were trying to get revenge on Jackson by setting me up with fake evidence.”
“How did you—”
“Please,” I tell him, rolling my eyes with a grin. I only just put it together, but I won’t tell him that. Let him think I’m too clever for his games. “That whole thing with making sure I saw where your office keys were? Kind of obvious.”
“Rose—”
“Cassandra. I think it’s time we stopped pretending, right?”
He nods. “Cassandra. Agent Divine. If you ask for it, I’ll give you real evidence. I’ll do my time. If I know you’re here waiting for me, I can take it. Even if we only get a few years by the time I’m out, it will be worth it. Just please tell me you’re not going to leave me.”
I take his hands in mine, and meet his eyes. “There’s no more Agent. I’m just Cassandra Divine. I can’t go back to work there now. And I’m not going to turn you in. But I need to ask you something else. And I need the truth, Apollo. I deserve that, and I can handle it.” He nods and I draw a deep breath, then forge ahead. “Did you kill Pete? The guy who attacked me,” I add when I see his confusion. “Did you kill him after we…you know?”
For a long moment, we stare at each other in silence. Then he nods. “Yes I did. I could lie to you and say I couldn’t live with the idea he might hurt someone else, but I won’t. I killed him because I needed it. The thought of someone thinking they could do that to you and get away with it… That’s the man I am, Cassandra. Warts and all.”
Hearing the words from his lips, they’re not as frightening as I imagined they would be. Apollo is no crazy psycho. Whatever he did, Pete had it coming. And after all, what if he had gone and attacked someone else? How would that be justified? That might not be Apollo’s reasoning, but it is a fact nonetheless.