I tell Cassandra everything.
I tell her about Freya. About that morning and every awful week after.
I hold my Butterfly while she criesâfor me, for my sister she never knew.
I tell her about my parents. About their funerals. And I tell her itâs okay when she says my parents should have stayed for me. Hug her when she says they should have fought for me.
I tell her about burning my family home down. I tell her about the literal fortune I inherited. I tell her about the investments I made and all the properties I own.
I tell her about hunting down every man associated with Freyaâs death. How I traveled continents. Leveled compounds.
I tell her about Gabriel Marcoux. How I never found him. And I place her hand on my side, letting her feel whatâs left of my first scar.
I tell her about the first time I met Karmine. And every time after. I tell her about the other women, the ones who have joined Karmineâs army. How I work with them. How weâve been destroying trafficking rings one hit at a time.
I tell her I moved to Minnesota because of Freya. That she was going to attend college here and that it was her dream to live somewhere with lakes and seasons. And I tell her how glad I am that I did.
I twine my fingers through Cassandraâs when I tell her that I read her blog, Cul-de-sac Culinary with Cassie. That Iâve read it all the way through a dozen times.
I let her kiss me then. With her surprised smile and tears on her cheeks.
Then I tell her about The Alliance. I tell her why Dom owes me a favor. And how even though Nero said heâd help, theyâre still dangerous men to be wary of.
I tell her I have a lot of enemies. And that it could be any one of them who sent a man to find me. How it was just bad luck that she opened her door. But also that if she hadnât, the man might have been able to identify me. And if that had happened, when he came back, he wouldnât be alone.
I tell her the truth. That Iâm good at what I do. But that if theyâd hit my house with enough men, when I wasnât expecting them, I couldâve died.
I tell her she may have saved my life tonight.
And that Iâd give my own to keep her safe.
And it feels good to tell her.
It feels good to share my story.
It feels good to trust someone again.