“Yes, I can do it easily.”
“Good.” She nods.
Get her to love me without falling completely in love myself, that shouldn’t be too hard.
But I already know this is only half of the task. Last time she had to betray me, and I had to forgive her. So this time, I have to get her to fall for me, but what will she have to do?
3
Liesel
What did the note say?
I was dying to know as I watched it flutter into the ocean. Langston won’t tell me, though. He can’t tell me, just as I couldn’t tell him that my mission was to betray him.
What pain is Langston going to have to inflict on me?
It won’t be anything compared to the agony I’m feeling knowing all three of my children’s lives are in danger.
Outside, rain starts as I stand in the living room hopelessly staring out a window, waiting for news. News that the teams have arrived at the locations, news that they’ve succeeded in getting through, news that my kids are safe.
I hate standing in Enzo and Kai’s house doing nothing, but I know we need to wait. We need to be ready to go if one of them fails.
I hear Langston walking up behind me, but I don’t turn around to face him. All I want is news that my kids are safe. Or news of which direction we should head—anything but doing nothing.
I count the raindrops as they run down the window. I grip the neck of my oversized white T-shirt, just needing something to grip onto.
I feel Langston’s hand on my wrist, and he gently gets me to let go of my shirt before he laces his fingers with mine.
I go to pull away, not wanting to be with anyone right now, but he tugs me back. I finally glance at him. His pupils are dilated, his cheeks flushed, the vein in his neck is bulging, and his breathing is erratic.
“I’m just as scared to lose them as you are. We are in this together,” he t
ugs me to him as his other hand strokes my back.
“I don’t want to be comforted right now. I want to feel all the stress and anxiety. I failed them. I deserve to feel this way.”
He shakes his head, obviously disagreeing, but he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t let me go either.
“Let’s eat.”
I look at him like he’s crazy. There is no way I can eat at a time like this.
“We need to have our strength if we have to go help. We are eating,” he commands.
“No.” There is no possible way I could eat right now.
He frowns. “Huntress, do you want to get your kids back?”
“Of course.”
“Then eat.”
“No, I’ll just throw it up. I’m too nervous.”
He narrows his eyes at me suspiciously, like he thinks I’m lying.
Finally, I yank my hand free of his grasp.