Up in Smoke, Page 42

  Hundreds of women are now back with their families because I stopped it all.”

  “Holy shit,” I say, not expecting what has just come out of her mouth. I take a moment to process what she’s just told me. SHE’S been Frank. For YEARS, she’s been pretending to be Frank. She’s the one who stole from Griff.

  “Say something else. Something besides holy shit,” Frankie says.

  “I’m blown away here. I’m pissed you didn’t tell me. I’m surprised…and I’m fucking amazed. I’m kind of…proud,” I say, cupping her face in my hands.

  “No one’s ever told me they were proud of me before.” Her eyes light up.

  “Assholes. All of them,” I say. I mean it. Someone should have told this amazing girl every fucking day of her life how amazing she is.

  “I thought when you took me that day that it was about the money I stole. I didn’t tell you where Frank was and that he was dead because…”

  “You lied to me,” I accuse, sounding madder than I actually am. I understood her reasons for lying but the barbarian in me was still pissed.

  “Yes, because if I told you the truth you would’ve known it was me who stole the money, and—”

  “And you would be dead anyway,” I finish for her.

  She nods. “Because you thought you were looking for Frank Helburn, but you never were. You didn’t know it, but this whole time, you were looking for me.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  “You manipulated me,”Smoke says. His proud is turning to pissed off again.

  “Yes, and I’d do it again,” I tell him, sticking up my chin.