“Sarah, wait,” Leonardo said.

“Leonardo’s probably not even your real name. How stupid do you think I am?” she asked, pulling on the door to shut it, but he held it open. “Don’t make me scream,” she warned.

“It’s the truth,” he said, holding the door open. “Joseph isn’t your dad, but he is your uncle. He’s your dad’s brother. It’s why you have the same eyes. He’s the spitting image of your dad and why he knew he could pass for him.”

He let go of the door, but Sarah didn’t pull it shut. She sat there feeling her heart beat as if she’d been running for her life, only she knew this had nothing to do with her running.

“He contacted me months before he ever showed up at your friend’s house in Arizona,” he continued quickly, but his voice was a little calmer now that she wasn’t making a run for it. “He didn’t need your friend to tell him where to find you. He already knew, but he said it’d be more believable and you’d be more trusting if he did it that way and had you contact him. He told me to look you up and start doing my homework on you.”

Sarah stared straight ahead, thinking back at how easily she’d allowed herself to give them both the chance to come into her life. She felt even stupider but couldn’t bring herself to close the door and leave. She wanted the whole truth. Had her dad really had anything to do with it like her mother thought?

“Your dad had told him about the jewelry and how much it was worth years ago, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that he mentioned the jewels might still be around—that he’d given them to the woman who’d had his child. Joseph said he needed the money now to pay off some bad debt. He was desperate—said they were going to kill him if he didn’t pay up. He thought someone closer to your age, who you could relate to better, would have a better shot at getting the information from you. At first I refused. I wanted nothing to do with it. I didn’t have time for this. I had my own shit going on. But then one night . . .” He paused and Sarah finally looked up at him. “One night out of curiosity I looked you up. I got caught up looking through all your photos and videos, but I still wasn’t gonna do it. He offered me a portion of what the jewelry was worth if I’d help him get it, and I still refused, but by then I was hooked looking at your photos.” He squatted down so he was closer to her face, next to the car, holding on to the door. “I didn’t lie to you about my brother, and I didn’t lie to you about my first name. My brother Felipe is in the pen, and my name really is Leonardo.”

He explained about Felipe being in the same facility as her dad and how he’d already been beaten almost to death once in jail. Her dad, who’d been in much longer, had connections and influences that could protect his brother in there. Joseph had offered to put in a word to the real Omar to help protect Felipe, but even then Leonardo said he wouldn’t get bullied into anything. Then later he got word on the street that Joseph was looking to recruit someone else who might take on the job of pretending to be her brother—other guys who he knew were ruthless and dangerous. Since Felipe still had such a huge target on him in jail, Leonardo decided to do it. He’d keep Joseph from sending someone else out after Sarah, and it might get his brother some protection in jail.

“Something else I didn’t lie to you about was when I told you I felt a connection with you even before I met you. I really did. I swear some of the videos you have online, especially the ones where you’re cracking up, I must’ve watched like twenty thirty times. There was something about you that just touched me so profoundly.”

“Stop,” she whispered, shaking her head.

“Even the ones with you and Angel I watched over and over.”

“Stop.”

“After months of watching, I felt like I needed to meet you. You did something to me, and—”

“Stop it, Leonardo,” she said, getting out of the car, no longer able to sit.

“I need you to understand why I did it,” he said, following her around to the back of her car.

“I don’t wanna hear it,” she said, shaking her head and bringing her hand to her forehead. “It’s all lies. It’s what you do. You didn’t—”

“Yes, I did!” he said, coming face to face with her. “I fell in love with you.”

He said it with so much conviction Sarah almost believed him, but she couldn’t. She’d been stupid enough already. Who falls in love before meeting someone?

“You’re lying!”

“No, I’m not!” He took a step closer to her. “I did, Sarah. Only I didn’t know it until I actually started talking to you. This was never supposed to go on as long as it did. When it was obvious you knew nothing about the jewelry, that you weren’t going to be any help, I told Joseph it was over. We were done. That’s as far as it should’ve gone. It was supposed to end right there, and neither of us were ever supposed to meet you. I even threatened him that if he continued to contact you I’d come after him myself, but then I couldn’t stay away. I told myself if I met you just one time I’d get it out of system then I’d walk away, but then I spent time with you in Havasu, so when I tried . . .” He took a deep breath then huffed, shaking his head. “When I said goodbye that first time, it was supposed to be for good, but I just couldn’t do it.”

Sarah stared at him, remembering all the sweet names he’d called her, the way he’d looked at her in Havasu, and even the way he said things to her when the chatted online. If what he was telling her now was true, Angel had been right all along.