“Tell us what’s going on,” Solana pleads.
“I—” My voice fractures slightly before Judge’s fingers press into me.
“Mercedes was involved in an incident,” Judge supplies for me. “For her protection, she needed to come stay with me, and she’s been under my care. It’s for her own safety.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Georgie narrows his gaze at him.
“We want a word with Mercedes in private,” Solana demands.
I look at Judge in a silent plea. He knows they aren’t going to take his word, and I need him to trust that I can handle this. He’s only making things worse right now by trying to manage the situation for me.
His arm stiffens around me as he realizes what I want, but reluctantly, he nods and rises to his feet.
“I’ll go check on dinner,” he grunts before shooting Georgie a warning look. And then, to top things off, he leans down and brushes his lips against my forehead in a gentle kiss.
It shocks me so much I can’t seem to speak when he releases me. I’m still staring after him in confusion when he leaves the room, and it’s only the sound of Solana’s voice that brings me back to the present.
“Mercedes, what the hell is going on?” She comes to my side, Georgie squeezing in on the other. “Who is that guy?”
“He’s my… guardian,” I try to explain.
Both of them frown. I don’t know how to navigate this situation. I’ve never needed to describe something like this to an outsider. Everyone in The Society understands the rules, but the rest of the world doesn’t. It isn’t something they can wrap their heads around. It will take a delicate balance of giving them enough information to satiate their concerns but not too much to endanger them.
“You’re twenty-five years old,” Georgie says. “Why would you need a guardian?”
“It’s… complicated,” I grumble. “But this is how things work in my world. I know it’s hard to understand but please try. It’s Judge’s job to protect me. He wasn’t lying about that.”
“Protect you from what?” Solana asks.
I dip my gaze to the floor, recalling the reason I ended up here in the first place. “From myself, mostly.”
They glance at each other, and Georgie’s hand squeezes mine. “Are you in danger?”
“Do you want to be here?” Solana adds.
“I’m not in danger,” I assure them, though nothing has ever felt like more of a lie. “And… I’m safe here.”
They aren’t fooled by my vague assertions, and it shows.
“I just don’t understand this,” Georgie growls. “Something isn’t right. We want you to come back with us. Please, Mercedes.”
“I can’t do that.” I offer him a shaky smile. “I’m sorry, but—”
“Are you in the mafia?” Solana whispers, her eyes wide. “Is that it?”
I can’t help but laugh at her observation, but she doesn’t share my amusement.
“What else am I supposed to think?” she hisses quietly. “You’re so guarded about your life. Your family. We realized after you disappeared how little we actually know about you. Then this guy shows up at Georgie’s shop, throwing around his wealth, and gives us this address with a mysterious invitation. And this place… it’s like a fucking fortress. None of it adds up.”
My eyes drift to the vases of roses around the room, and a strange warmth creeps over my chest. I know there are more important things to focus on, but I can’t understand why Judge would buy all of those.
“Does this have something to do with that weird tattoo on the back of your neck?” Georgie asks.
I stiffen at the mention of it, and they don’t miss it.
“It means something,” Solana agrees. “But you’ve never explained it.”
“Look.” I squeeze each of their hands in mine. “I am so sorry I made you worry about me. I truly didn’t mean to, and I feel terrible about that. If I could have contacted you, I would have. I’ve missed you both every single day, and it means so much to me to know that you care. But I can assure you I’m safe, and I’m not in the mafia.”
“Semantics.” Georgie rolls his eyes. “Whatever it is they call themselves these days. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Don’t insult us by lying to us.”
“I’m not trying to insult you,” I whisper. “I’m trying to protect you.”
They both frown, and I know that was the wrong thing to say. I work quickly to try to correct it.
“There’s a lot in my life you don’t know about, and I can’t explain. I wish I could, but it’s not safe for you to know these things. What I can promise you is that I’m okay here, and I just need to stay under Judge’s protection until things blow over.”
“When will that be?” Solana asks, the evidence of her hurt clearly written on her face.
I hate that I’m doing this to them. I hate that I can’t be honest with them about The Society, but it really is for their own safety. I don’t trust that Judge isn’t going to punish them if I make one wrong move.
“I don’t know just yet,” I admit. “But I swear to you, the moment I do, you’ll be the first to hear from me.”
“No.” Georgie shakes his head. “We need a line of communication with you. We aren’t leaving here until we have that.”
“We’re not waiting in the dark,” Solana agrees.
I swallow painfully, trying to figure out how I’m going to tell them that’s not possible, when Judge interrupts from behind us.
“She has a new phone,” he tells them. “You can text or call her on that number. I’ll give it to you before you leave.”
I glance back at him, my eyes searching his, but I can’t make out the motivation behind his concession. It feels too good to be true, but there is no sign of deception on his face.
“I don’t understand why she hasn’t had it this whole time,” Solana mutters. “But whatever. If you miss even one of my calls or texts, I’m coming to check on you. Let that be clear.”
Judge looks less than pleased with her threat, but he simply jerks his chin in agreement before gesturing to the dining room.
“Dinner is ready.”