“You should show some respect for the dead.”
This made her laugh. “You think I should show some respect for a dead girl. Fine, let me put it bluntly to you. I’ve seen a picture of this girl. I’m not an idiot. I see that we’re both the same. You know what I think? Mommy and daddy didn’t want me. No, I got shipped off to foster care with no concern about what happened to me. From there, I was pushed around from one home to another. Never considered for adoption. Sure, I had foster parents, and some of them, believe me, you wouldn’t want to be alone in a room with. My life was shit, Landon. Complete and total shit, and now I’m told I had another half who had a great spiffy life. So don’t you fucking dare tell me how I should feel.” She screamed the last part. “I have no feelings for that woman, so don’t even think to try and force any kind of mourning. It’s not going to happen.” She glared at him.
“You’re hurt.”
“No, I’m not hurt. Hurt is for people who have other people giving a fuck. I don’t. No one cares if I live or die. Your family wants to use me to bring you in. I’ve got nothing and no one. At least you’ve got a family who cares.”
“My father killed her.”
“I don’t care. From what I hear, you killed him. An eye for an eye and all that bullshit, right? Stop being a twat and let me go. Help me get back home and you’ll never see me again.”
She watched him.
He didn’t say anything or move a muscle.
She screamed and wriggled. “Let me the fuck out.”
“It’s not going to happen. I’m sorry.”
“This is total bullshit. Total and complete bullshit.”
Landon got to his feet and walked toward the dead fireplace.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Somewhere I can’t be found.” He walked back toward her and crouched down. He was a looker, no doubt about it.
His hands went to her thighs and she waited. So far, other than the kiss, he hadn’t tried anything.
“You’re not a rapist, are you?”
“No, I don’t need to use force to get what I want.”
“Did you cheat on her?”
“I never cheated on Sarah, no.”
She snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“She never knew about you either.”
Tulip glared at him. “I don’t imagine estranged twins would have much to talk about.”
“Her parents all checked out. There was no record of you. We would have found it,” he said.
He touched her cheek and she jerked away. “Don’t even think of touching me.”
“What does my family hope to gain from you?”
She wanted to tell him to go to hell. “If I help you, you’ll get me back home. No lies. I want the truth. I don’t like being here. I want to go home. I’ve probably lost my job.”
“I’ll help you.”
“Before you guarantee it, I want you to know I have no passport, no way of getting out of this country.”
He smiled. “I’ll handle it. You won’t have anything to worry about. I promise.”
She nodded, looking at him. She doubted his word, but so far, he was the only one willing to help her, and considering he’d evaded his family, it had to mean something.