Page 173 of Wicked Promises (Fallen Royals 3)

I grin, meeting him on the walkway. The grass is covered in two feet of snow we got in a sudden snowstorm, and Caleb… I scan him as he comes closer. It’s no wonder he gets all the girls fawning over him. With his black beanie, black jacket, and black jeans—he could be a fashion model or a bank robber.

“Hi,” he says, leaning down and pressing a kiss to my lips.

“Hi.”

He said that he’s in love with me. I think about it often: the way his eyes widened a moment before he said it, like it was an unstoppable force.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

“You.” My cheeks get hot.

And maybe I misspoke earlier. He hasn’t been by my side the entire time. Today, for example, he left a few hours before we went to the station. He had a meeting, but he wouldn’t say what it was.

“I have a surprise for you,” he says. “And I’m pretty sure you’re going to be pissed.”

I snort, then burst out laughing.

“You’re happy.” He smiles, too.

“Everyone is getting justice.”

“Except Hanna. She’s…”

The smile slides off my face faster than I can blink.

Shit. How could I forget about her? She slipped through the cracks. Her one advocate—her sister—is a psycho. But me?

“I’m an awful person,” I mumble.

“Not… quite.”

He motions behind him, and the back door of his car swings open.

Out emerges Hanna.

I squint at her. “What are you doing here?”

She runs toward me, locking her arms around my waist. Even if I’m horrible, she’s happy to see me.

I let out a breath and hug her back. She’s not wearing a coat. Was she the neglected child in the Asher house once Claire started playing her games? Was she excluded?

Or maybe worse: she was included.

“Iris is the only one left,” she says, looking up at me. “We’ve been eating pizza and watching funny movies every night. She said the only way to get over what happened is to move on.”

I nod slowly. “She lost her husband and you…”

Her face drops. “Claire was mean to you.”

“She did some bad things.” I cup her cheek. “But I’m happy to see you. And I’m sorry how I last spoke to you.”

“It’s okay,” she says. “I get it. Claire took Caleb.”

Lenora sticks her head out. “Ah, Hanna! Want to come join us inside?”

Hanna glances at Caleb, who nods.

Once she’s gone, Caleb meets my gaze. “I told Aunt Iris I just wanted to get her some fresh air.”