Where the Sun Hides (Seasons of Betrayal #1)(61)

That he was dead.

His punishment was his life.

“He never waits this long to text me back,” Amelia said, looking up from her phone.

Nicole passed Violet a look. She wondered if her other friend knew the truth like she did. Nicole couldn’t have possibly seen what she had, obviously, but she could know Franco was dead.

Violet just couldn’t bring herself to tell Amelia.

“He’s probably lying low,” Nicole said, her tone thick. “Keeping out of trouble after everything.”

Amelia nodded, but she didn’t look like she believed it.

Violet didn’t blame her.

Chances were, Amelia knew exactly why Franco wasn’t answering her calls and messages. But given the relationship she had with him, Amelia wasn’t willing to let him go.

It wasn’t the first time a man had gone missing from the Gallucci ranks without so much as a word or a goodbye to the people who loved him. Others had suffered a similar fate for reasons beyond Violet’s knowledge. For a while, people wouldn’t talk about the man, simply turn cheek to the disappearance and hope he returned eventually.

And then a body might show up.

Washed up on a river bank, hands cut off.

Found in a garbage bin, dismembered into pieces.

Resting in a shallow grave, a bullet between his eyes.

Franco wasn’t the first, but he was the only one that Violet had been privy to seeing happen. With the others that had gone from their family’s ranks, she hadn’t been all that touched by it because it was like a passing moment to her. Something that happened, but didn’t really affect her because she hadn’t been a part of it.

This time was not the same.

She knew what happened, and she couldn’t forget it.

No matter what she did, it was there.

Violet scrubbed a hand down over her face, careful not to mess up the makeup she had taken an hour to apply that morning before school. Her first class was the test, and for the hour after, she had a free study period. Which was why she had met the girls at a cafe on campus for a quick coffee and some study time.

She couldn’t even be bothered to bring out her textbook or laptop.

It was no wonder she was failing miserably in school.

Hoping her face was unreadable, Violet said, “Maybe you could talk to your dad, Amelia.”

Amelia openly scowled. “Yes, because he’s so happy with me right now.”

Ouch.

While Violet knew how shitty it was to have your father disappointed in you, she didn’t think she had warranted Amelia’s attitude. It wasn’t her who had lied and gotten them all in trouble. It wasn’t her who had put Franco in the situation where he found himself. It wasn’t her who did any of that.

“I was just trying to say—”

“Well, I don’t want to f*cking hear it,” Amelia interrupted sharply, standing from her chair abruptly. “It’s not like you tried to help at that breakfast, anyway.”

Violet blinked, stunned at her friend’s sudden change in demeanor. “Hey!”

Even Nicole seemed too surprised to speak.

“I didn’t tell you to lie to Franco,” Violet said, her gaze narrowing. “You did that all on your own, Amelia.”

Her friend just glared, slammed the chair into the table, and stalked off. Violet wished she understood what had just happened, but she really couldn’t even begin to comprehend it all.

“Cut her some slack,” Nicole finally said after a moment.

“I didn’t do anything,” Violet replied.

“Well …”

Violet crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, what?”

Nicole shrugged, refusing to meet Violet’s eyes. “I mean, this did all start because you wanted to party down in Coney and—”

“Whoa,” Violet snapped, leaning forward. “Stop right there. We all wanted to do that, not just me. And while I was willing to accept the bullshit my father threw at me for getting us all mixed up in trouble that night, I am not going to take shit from you, too. You wanted to be there. Amelia wanted to go. And now, just because we’re all suffering the consequences of being caught, don’t think I’ll sit here and let you throw it on me, Nicole. That’s not how this is going to work.”

“I was just saying.”

“A bunch of crap.”

Nicole frowned. “You could have a bit of sympathy for Amelia, that’s all I’m trying to say.”

Violet did.

She had remorse and sadness in the bucketfuls for her friend, but this wasn’t her fault.

“You don’t know how I feel,” Violet said quietly. “You can’t possibly understand how I feel right now.”

Because Nicole didn’t know.

No one did.

And Violet couldn’t tell her.

“Whatever,” Nicole muttered, slamming her laptop closed and shoving it into her bag.

“Where are you going?” Violet softened her posture as her friend stood. “I thought we were going to study or something.”

“I just … need to take a break.”

What?

“A break,” Violet echoed.

“Yeah,” Nicole replied. “From all of this. Carmine has been acting strange lately. You’re being weird. And I just have better things to do.”