bad news, but Lan would just shove it all out there because
he doesn’t know how to be dishonest.” She sighed. “Not that they were
intentionally unkind, but, damn it, Piper. It’s my life on the line. I have a
right to know.”
“I agree,” Piper said calmly. “Obviously Landon did, too. I
heard he nearly got his balls kicked in. But you can be very difficult to talk
to about this subject. You were the one who asked Tal to keep huge, deeply
relevant portions of what happened to you in Colombia out of the reports. You
understand how that hampers the investigation?”
God, she didn’t want anyone to know. She hadn’t even told
the therapists everything. “They have all the information they need.”
Piper sat back with a long sigh. “No, they don’t, but you’re
not going to believe or admit that. You did nothing to be ashamed of, Alea.
What happened was a crime perpetrated against you. You didn’t cause it, but only
you can give yourself permission to heal from it. Only you can let go of the
pain and really beat the bastards who hurt you.”
“There are no winners here, Piper. Just a whole lot of
losers.” Alea crossed her arms over her chest.
“Ah, there’s the bitter girl.” Piper smiled tightly. “You’ve
been almost happy lately. I’ve been wondering if she’d finally left the
building, but no. She’s in full force tonight.”
Bitter. Yes, that
described her. She sat down again. The surroundings were so familiar. She’d been
happy here at the palace long ago. Now she just felt stuck.
Alea let a long moment pass before asking the question that
had plagued her for months. “Do you think it would be best if I left the
palace?”
“What?” Piper leaned closer. “How can you think that?”
“Because you’re having a baby. I’m not the nicest person. I
don’t mean to lash out, but I can’t seem to help it. I’m wondering if…maybe it
might be best if I went away. This should be a happy time for you.”
Piper sighed and shook her head. “You see everything in the
worst possible light. I’m not pointing out bitter girl to blame you. I’m simply
saying that you’ve seemed more relaxed these last couple of months. You’ve even
been smiling when you walk the grounds with Dane or sit in the garden with Lan
and Cooper.”
Yes, she’d enjoyed all those times, but they were over now.
She would likely be assigned new guards. She’d ruined everything. Maybe they’d
all just give up on her now, even Tal. He could ask her to leave because she
was like a wounded animal and no one knew when she would kick or bray and hurt
someone around her.
“Well, I rather thought the whole sordid kidnapping mess was
over. I found out tonight that it’s not. So forgive me if I can’t quite find my
charm.”
“No. That’s not it. I’d hoped you were healing, but you’ve
just gotten more adept at hiding your feelings. Alea, no one wants you to
leave. You’re more like a sister to my husbands than a cousin. You’ll be my
baby’s aunt, and I want him or her to know you. We love you for the strong
woman you are. You say this isn’t a game, but in many ways it is. You didn’t
mean to play, but you’re holding the cards now and you have to decide whether
or not you want to win or let the bastard behind your kidnapping crush you.”
Alea shook her head. “I can’t win. I wouldn’t even know
how.”
“You win the minute you decide to become a survivor instead
of a victim. The minute you accept that you can’t go back and you elect to move
forward. You win when you allow the fact that you’ve survived to strengthen
you, to make you a better human being than you were before. When you take all
the horrible things that happened to you and make something good out of
it—that’s a moment of triumph. And you win the minute you let yourself love
those three men.” Piper stood and placed a hand on Alea’s
he doesn’t know how to be dishonest.” She sighed. “Not that they were
intentionally unkind, but, damn it, Piper. It’s my life on the line. I have a
right to know.”
“I agree,” Piper said calmly. “Obviously Landon did, too. I
heard he nearly got his balls kicked in. But you can be very difficult to talk
to about this subject. You were the one who asked Tal to keep huge, deeply
relevant portions of what happened to you in Colombia out of the reports. You
understand how that hampers the investigation?”
God, she didn’t want anyone to know. She hadn’t even told
the therapists everything. “They have all the information they need.”
Piper sat back with a long sigh. “No, they don’t, but you’re
not going to believe or admit that. You did nothing to be ashamed of, Alea.
What happened was a crime perpetrated against you. You didn’t cause it, but only
you can give yourself permission to heal from it. Only you can let go of the
pain and really beat the bastards who hurt you.”
“There are no winners here, Piper. Just a whole lot of
losers.” Alea crossed her arms over her chest.
“Ah, there’s the bitter girl.” Piper smiled tightly. “You’ve
been almost happy lately. I’ve been wondering if she’d finally left the
building, but no. She’s in full force tonight.”
Bitter. Yes, that
described her. She sat down again. The surroundings were so familiar. She’d been
happy here at the palace long ago. Now she just felt stuck.
Alea let a long moment pass before asking the question that
had plagued her for months. “Do you think it would be best if I left the
palace?”
“What?” Piper leaned closer. “How can you think that?”
“Because you’re having a baby. I’m not the nicest person. I
don’t mean to lash out, but I can’t seem to help it. I’m wondering if…maybe it
might be best if I went away. This should be a happy time for you.”
Piper sighed and shook her head. “You see everything in the
worst possible light. I’m not pointing out bitter girl to blame you. I’m simply
saying that you’ve seemed more relaxed these last couple of months. You’ve even
been smiling when you walk the grounds with Dane or sit in the garden with Lan
and Cooper.”
Yes, she’d enjoyed all those times, but they were over now.
She would likely be assigned new guards. She’d ruined everything. Maybe they’d
all just give up on her now, even Tal. He could ask her to leave because she
was like a wounded animal and no one knew when she would kick or bray and hurt
someone around her.
“Well, I rather thought the whole sordid kidnapping mess was
over. I found out tonight that it’s not. So forgive me if I can’t quite find my
charm.”
“No. That’s not it. I’d hoped you were healing, but you’ve
just gotten more adept at hiding your feelings. Alea, no one wants you to
leave. You’re more like a sister to my husbands than a cousin. You’ll be my
baby’s aunt, and I want him or her to know you. We love you for the strong
woman you are. You say this isn’t a game, but in many ways it is. You didn’t
mean to play, but you’re holding the cards now and you have to decide whether
or not you want to win or let the bastard behind your kidnapping crush you.”
Alea shook her head. “I can’t win. I wouldn’t even know
how.”
“You win the minute you decide to become a survivor instead
of a victim. The minute you accept that you can’t go back and you elect to move
forward. You win when you allow the fact that you’ve survived to strengthen
you, to make you a better human being than you were before. When you take all
the horrible things that happened to you and make something good out of
it—that’s a moment of triumph. And you win the minute you let yourself love
those three men.” Piper stood and placed a hand on Alea’s
Similar Books
