The ground is shifting beneath my feet. I’m eighteen and my once limitless world is narrowed down to the choice of five years in prison or rolling the dice and growing old in a tiny cement cell.

“If I—” My throat is raw and I can feel embarrassing hot tears prick at the back of my eyes. I force the words out. “If I take this deal, when do I start my sentence?”

Grier’s shoulders sag in relief. “I recommended, and the DA’s office seems amenable to this, that you would start your sentence after the first of January. You’d be able to finish out your semester and spend the holidays with your family.” He shifts forward, his voice taking on a slight animation. “I think I can get you into a minimum security facility. Those house mostly drug offenders, some white-collar crime, a few sex offenders. It’s a very mild crowd.” He smiles, as if I should be rewarding him for this great gift.

“I can’t wait,” I mutter. I stick out my hand, remembering a few manners Mom drilled in me. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” We shake, and he turns to leave, but he pauses at the door. “I know your first instinct is to fight. It’s an admirable trait. But this is the one time you need to surrender.”

* * *

Ten minutes later, Dad finds me in the same spot, rooted to the floor. The enormity of everything is sinking in.

“Reed?” Dad says quietly.

I raise my stricken eyes to him. Dad and I are about the same size. I’m a little heavier than he is because I lift a lot of weights. But I remember when I was a kid, I rode on his shoulders and thought he’d always keep me safe. “What do you think I should do?”

“I don’t want you to go to prison, but this isn’t like going to Vegas and putting down even a few million at the craps table. Going to trial means we’re gambling with your life.” He looks as old and as tired and as defeated as I feel.

“I didn’t do it.” And for the first time, it’s important for me to tell him that, for him to believe me.

“I know. I know you never would’ve hurt her.” The side of his mouth quirks up. “No matter how much she might’ve deserved it.”

“Yeah.” I tuck my hands in my pockets. “I want to talk to Ella. Do you think Steve’s gonna have a problem with that?” If I only have a little time left, I want to spend it with the people I care the most about.

“I’ll make it happen.” He reaches inside his suit coat to grab his phone. “You want to talk to your brothers? You don’t have to. At least, not until you make your decision.”

“They deserve to know. But I only want to go through it once, so I’ll wait until Ella comes over.”

We walk out into the hall, and I have a foot on the first step when a thought occurs to me.

“Are you telling Steve about this mess?” I wave a hand toward the living room, where Grier just dropped a bomb on my life.

Dad shakes his head. “This is Royal information only.” He gives me another half-smile. “That’s why Ella needs to be here.”

“Truth.” I take the stairs two at a time, texting Ella when I reach the top.

Dad’s gonna make it so u can come over.

Really? :) I feel like I’m under house arrest here. Not to complain or anything but Steve said this hotel suite was 2 small. I thought he was nuts, but after living here for 3 weeks, it feels like a cracker box.

I wonder how big a prison cell is.

I text back, I hear u.

My mind starts to race as I think about the plea deal. If I take it, I’ll be shoved in a concrete room and kept there for five years. Nearly two thousand days. Can I do it? Would I survive it?

My heart starts pounding so fast I wonder if I’m going to have a heart attack.

I force my fingers back to the phone.

When are u going to be let back in2 the penthouse?

Soon, I hope. G wants me 2 look 4 blackmail stuff. Do u think I shld?

Yeah. If it’s not obv.

Damn it, I want to break Dinah and Brooke’s hold over my family. Getting rid of this murder charge is a step toward that. I could fight, but what’s the point? Grier says my case is hopeless.

I don’t want to drag my family through a trial. I don’t want a parade of witnesses up there talking about Easton’s struggles with gambling, drinking, and drugs, the twins’ private life, distorted stories about Gideon and Dinah, me and Brooke and Dad. And then there’s Ella’s past. She doesn’t need to be dragged through the mud again.

Our family has already gone through so much. The prosecutors will rake up the details of Mom’s death if I go to trial. Everything we fought so hard to keep behind these closed doors would come spilling out.

I have the ability to stop that from happening. The price of tucking those secrets away is a slice of my freedom. And it isn’t long. Five years. Five if you’re lucky. I can live through that. It’s just a fraction of my entire life. What’s that worth against the trauma that the trial would inflict on my family?

Nothing.

Yeah, I’ve made up my mind. This is the right decision. I know it is.

Now I just have to sell it to Ella and my brothers.

* * *

Ella shows up an hour later. When she breezes through the front door, my heart feels immediately lighter. I barely have time to brace myself before she throws herself at me. After planting a long, dick-raising kiss on my lips, she wriggles out of my arms.

“Gosh, you feel like a block of ice.” She pinches my bare arm. “Put some clothes on.”

“Thought you liked it when I was naked,” I counter, forcing a light note into my voice. “I think you once said it was a crime for me to wear shirts.”

She wrinkles her nose but doesn’t deny it. “What do you think Callum said to Steve? Steve told me I could come right over and he didn’t even make a fuss. Maybe he’s coming around?”

She’s smiling so brightly, thinking I have good news for her. I don’t want to tell her, but I have no choice. This is her future, too.

“Come on.” I grab her hand and tug her up the stairs. “Let’s go to your room.”

I march down to my brothers’ rooms. Knocking on their doors, I yell, “Ella’s here.”

My brothers pop out of their rooms immediately.