Alive with Me

Chapter 25

Nate

"You don't even know why I wanted to meet with you," I said to him.

His demeanour boggled me.

"I knew about your sister," he suddenly said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice turning hard.

I already had a feeling that I wouldn't like what he had to say.

"I knew about Lia and what she had to do..." He started to say.

My eyes widened and fury cursed through me. Before he could continue and before I knew it, I charged at him, grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"You son of a bitch," I growled.

"Nate, listen to me," he said, as he struggled free himself from my hold.

"Tell me why I should? You lied to me. You were the one who told me about my sister and what happened to her!"

Why is this happening?

Why now?

Why me?

"Because I didn't know then. I found out later when Lia told me the truth."

"Why didn't you say anything then? Why did you assign me to her case knowing what she has done?" I asked, as I slammed him against the wall once again.

He grunted at the impact, but he didn't fight me. "Because she needed you. And what she did, she did under duress," he explained.

"She killed my sister!" I growled at him.

"To save her sister's life. She had no choice, Nate. Miguel would have killed them both if she didn't choose," he reasoned. "And don't tell me that if the roles were reversed, you wouldn't do the same."

I glared at him.

"You didn't tell me the truth because you were protecting her. Because of your relationship with her father.  because she is the daughter of your godson. Not for anything else," I said, releasing my hold on him.

"Yes. The need to protect her is personal. But I also did all that so that we can catch the people who deserve to be in jail. You are all a victim in all of this."

"I want out of this mission. I can't do it. I can't protect her. Not the way I'm feeling right now. A part of me gets it. She had an impossible choice to make, but I still can't. I can't look at her and not think of what she has done," I gritted out. "Lenny was my sister. I will not betray her or fail her again!"

It broke my heart to say those words, but I hardened my resolve.

"I understand how you feel, Nate.  But she needs you."

"No she doesn't," I insisted.

"She does, and you know it. And I know that you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if something happens to..."

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," I growled at him.

"Why do you think she wanted to die? When we first found we that's all she has ever begged the people around her to do?"

I looked at him, too choked up to speak.

"It's because she couldn't live with what she has done," he said as he walked over to the coffee table.

He grabbed a folder and opened it.

I could see pictures in there.

"This happened the day your sister died," he said, as he handed me the photos.