TWENTY-THREE
Mila
I choke out a sob.“I know. I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not telling you I’m a murderer. I never should have done it like that. I never should have let you assume I was hiding to hide and nothing more.”
I look up at Ozzie, expecting the worst. I expect him to judge me, reject my friendship altogether, and tell me that I’m a dangerous criminal who must stay far away from his beautiful family. And he would be right. He would be 100 percent correct to keep me away from them.
“I know. There’s nothing about me that’s the truth. Do you know why it was so easy for me to pretend to be your fiancée around your family? Because my entire life is a lie.”
Ozzie’s beautiful brows come together in part concern, part confusion. But he doesn’t interrupt or interject any words. His face alone tells me he can barely comprehend what I’ve done or where I come from.
“And not just the last year of me pretending to be someone else. It goes way back before all of that. Before I was called Mila. Back when I was Kendall. I’ve been pretending to be the good niece since I was nine. I let Bulletproof think I was a shy, timid little girl who was grateful for the scraps of attention he gave me after my parents died. I let him believe I was grateful for the house, the toys, and the clothes. I pretended to be good but distant. Polite but disinterested. I pretended to hate guns but secretly learned how to use one. So that’s it. That’s who I am, Ozzie. Take it or leave it, but I know that’s not an option. I know…I know I have to leave. And I’m sorry for involving your family…for letting them get attached to me. If I’d known how amazing they were, I never would have agreed to this. I’m going to feel terrible for the rest of my life that I lied to them, let them house me and feed me and let them think I loved their son.”
He cups my cheek, and his thumb swipes away a fallen tear.
“Why are you still so nice to me, Ozzie? Say something. Get mad. Something.”
“Because you’re such a liar,” he says, his mouth forming a gentle smile.
I’m confused, and it must show on my face because he blows out a breath that’s not quite a chuckle. And his smile grows bigger even if his eyes are sad.
“Yeah, I am a liar. That’s what I’ve been trying—”
Finally, he cuts me off. “No. Not about any of that stuff about Bulletproof. Well, yeah, you weren’t forthcoming with all of those details, and yes, you told me a fake name. But what I mean is…you’re a liar when you say you’re not deserving of me.”
I suck in a breath. “What?”
“The truth is…after everything you’ve told me…I don’t think I blame you for what you did. I think you’re incredibly fucking brave. Plotting and carrying out revenge on the man who killed your parents? That’s pretty much a superhero origin story,” he says. He lifts an eyebrow. “Or a villain. I can’t decide. Either way, I’m fascinated.”
“Ozzie. His flesh, blood, and brains landed in a Funfetti cake in a child’s tree house. This is not a comic book. This shit is real, and if Crypto is in charge now, if he’s assumed control over the businesses, the holdings, the criminal operations… he will want to find me. Not only for killing his dad but because of what I know.”
Ozzie lifts one shoulder. “Then I’ll protect you.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I’m like you. I’m not afraid of anything.”
My body begins to shake. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You have to let me go so I can protect you.”
He huffs out a small laugh and threads the fingers of his left hand through mine. “That’s cute. But I think you’re done running now. You don’t get into the Gwynn clan easily, and we don’t let people we like get away. We absorb them and make the family bigger and crazier.”
Why? Why does he have to be like this? Why does he have to be so charming and wonderful? Why does everything he say have to squeeze my heart until I’ve lost the will to run?
“Ozzie,” I squeak. “I’ve put everyone in danger.”
He shakes his head once. “Hiding out in a sorority was an excellent choice. Those girls…have you seen those girls? They aren’t going to let anything happen to you.”
Another tear falls down my cheek even as I laugh at the image of Crypto coming face to face with Leela and the rest of them. And Crosby.
But then, reality hits me. “If they come looking for me…they have guns. They have an army compared to what I bring to the table.”
Ozzie insists on being maddeningly wonderful and stupid and perfect. “I’ll take care of you. And my family won’t be mad.”
Poor, sweet Ozzie.
“Don’t be an idiot,” I say.
Suddenly Ozzie’s tone changes. “No,youdon’t be an idiot.” He blinks at me, and his expression turns from earnest to angry. “Now it’s your turn to listen. I know you better than you think I do. I know you are exactly who you want to be. You want to be Mila. You don’t want to be Kendall anymore. You are wildly adaptable. You’re a survivor. You love hard and deep. You’re fiercely loyal and protective—if you weren’t, we would not be arguing in the pool house right now. You take care of your friends. You work hard. You’re a great storyteller. You’re unbelievably brave and resilient. And you love me with a pure heart.”