“You are so brave.”
My lips part, total disbelief washing over me. Brave? What I did was out of cowardice.Fear.
“Today, every day since I’ve known you, you continually surprise me with how fearless you are.” Johnny pauses. “You’re stronger than you think. Stronger than I give you credit for. Which is why I should have told you…I should have told you that on New Year’s Eve, when I went out to check the mail, there was a note inside. From Franklin. I thought I could handle it on my own.” He lowers his gaze for a second. “But I was wrong to keep that from you. I know that now. And I’m so sorry.”
After what I just told him,he’sthe one apologizing?
“You were only doing what you thought was right.” Because that’s the same rationale I’ve told myself to excuse the withholding of information from each other.
“That’s not all.” Johnny lowers his hands to rest them on top of mine.
“Josey,” I say with a sigh.
He blinks up at me. “How did you know?”
I clench my jaw, my memory flitting to earlier when I was kidnapped and tortured for information that I would rather die than give up. “Franklin.”
“I’m going to make him pay for what he did to you.”
I bring my fingers to his face, running them along his brow and across his cheek, feeling the raised skin where scars remain. “We.Weare going to make him pay.”
“Together,” he sighs.
And although I’ve told him one truth, I have to admit the other before we can continue with our quest for vengeance. It was difficult to spit the first out, but it’s nothing compared to the bomb I’m about to drop.
“There’s something else.” I go to bite at my lip, realizing all too late that it’s busted.
“Oh, baby.” Johnny snatches the towel and rests it at the bottom of my mouth.
“I understand if you hate me for what I’m about to tell you. I should have never gone behind your back.”
Johnny stares into my eyes. “You’re telling me now, and that’s all that matters. I’m just as guilty, so how could I hate you? No more secrets, okay?”
I nod and swallow, forcing the words to come to me. “Remember when I told you about the food allergy thing?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I lied. It was actually an ancestry test.”
“Okay…?”
A knock rattles our front door, causing us both to flinch.
My heart nearly jumps out of my chest from the intrusion and the confession I was about to make.
Johnny sucks in a breath and presses his finger to his lips. “Shh.” He tiptoes to the door and peers through the peephole. His shoulders relax slightly, and he glances back at me before opening it up.
“How did you get in here?” Johnny keeps his foot firmly pressed against the bottom of the door so it can’t be opened any further.
“I own the building.” The sound of Luciano’s voice flutters over to me.
Of course he does. What isn’t this man involved with?
“Can I come in?”
What weirdly convenient timing.
“Now?” Johnny tries to hide the annoyance in his voice, but he doesn’t do a very good job.