I exit my cell and follow him through the Keep to an enormous room meant to seat up to five hundred people. Grady and Blake follow behind me, guns ready in case I decide to pull something.
I don’t bother telling them I won’t.
All eyes are on me as I walk to my seat. I don’t smile or put on an act. I’m done with masks. All I care about now is seeing Fiona.
The Kept are seated together on one side of the room; the Keepers are scattered.
Fiona isn’t in the crowd.
Cole isn’t the type that would lie, so maybe she’s refusing to come. I can’t say I blame her, though I sure would love to see her smile one last time.
I’m brought to a small table in front of a half circle of desks. I take a seat next to Atticus, but I don’t acknowledge him.
Cole goes to the head of the crescent and takes a seat. To the left of him; Gage, Clint, and Merrick are seated. To the right are Kade, Jace, and Blake, who’s just taken his place among those judging me.
Many of them don’t have Kept women yet, which means they’ll be itching to see me go. Which I’m guessing is what Cole wants. This entire ordeal is designed to make an example out of me, so no one else steps a toe out of line.
Atticus leans over to me and whispers, “You’re welcome to speak on your behalf.”
“What, are you my lawyer?”
“Not really. It’s not my job to speak to your innocence. Just to lay out the facts.”
“So, what you’re saying is that you’re laying out the evidence against me? Because we both know what I’ve done.”
“I think you’ll find my assessment fair.”
Amber approaches Cole, and he leans over, whispering something into her ear. She nods and leaves the room.
It’s probably better that Fiona isn’t here. She doesn’t need to see this. Let her move on. It’s my last wish.
If I’m going to die, it won’t be with the woman I love. It’ll be alone, with only my conscience and the ghost of my sister to keep me company.
As she so often does.
FIONA
Their questions are endless.
My answers, minimal.
They’ve tried to make me feel welcome, introducing me to the Kept women and feeding me well.
I’ve spit in their faces on more than one occasion.
I know Hunter is still alive. They’ve told me as much. But they won’t let me see him.
My whole world is pain.
“You’re needed,” comes Amber’s voice.
Looking over, I see her a few feet away. I hadn’t even heard her enter the apartment, I’m so dazed.
More like depressed.
Knowing that I could have been happy, but I gave it all up for revenge, haunts me.
Why did I have to ask Hunter to torture Brett?
