No one is any the wiser though, so I sit beside my wife as the little boy stares at us like we’re aliens. Scarlet digs her elbow into my ribs as she takes her seat at the end of the booth, only softening as she looks at her nephew who slowly puts his thumb in his mouth. Lowering her voice as Ruby cooks with her partner, she slides a small foil-wrapped chocolate to him. “Don’t let your momma see.”
I don’t look at her as I ask, “I thought we had to be here because Ruby had a strict schedule?”
Her eyes are cold as fuck, matching her voice. “We all think a lot of things about people that aren’t true.”
She’s going to kill me.
Thankfully, the teenager saves me. “Auntie Scar, want to see the tricks I taught Lamby?”
“Let’s go, diva.” She swings the boy up onto her hip, following hernieceoutside. Niece, not daughter. I could have fucking killed her without an issue.
I could run—Ishouldrun—but Delilah’s tired. She itches the inside of her wrists, drawing blood in the deep red lines marking her skin. I cover them to help her, but she acts like a fucking asshole, pulling her hand away so fast she ends up hurting herself.
“She knows what those hands have done,”Asher whispers directly in my ear.
“Are you okay?” Ruby asks, stepping around Daigon to check on her baby sister.
“I’m fine,” Delilah says weakly. “Actually, no. My body aches. Do you have anything?”
“No,” I snap.
She glares at me, but I don’t give a fuck, doing it back so she knows there’s no winning.
Ruby stares with a crease between her brows as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Why can’t she have anything for her pain?”
“Because she’s an addict,” I say.
While my wife rages, punching me in the thigh. “No, I’m not. Hasn’t your family done enough? Now you’re lying after keeping my sisters away from me.” She looks at her sister. “Do you know everythinghe’sdone? Or the lies he told you and Scarlet so you’d never speak to me again?”
Ruby narrows her eyes at me but I ignore her as I scoff, “I’m lying? Roll your sleeves up, show everyone your track marks.”
“Fuck you, Kane. Why don’t you go back to your own family instead of running after mine?” She’s still glaring at me. “Or you can’t, can you? Because they don’t fucking want you. Your mom didn’t, your dad didn’t, your cunt of a grandmother doesn’t. Everyone wants Asher.” It’s her need for the chemicals, but she doesn’t look away from me as she says, “So do I.”
“Delilah,” Ruby says in the usual soft tone like my heart hasn’t been demolished.
“What?” Delilah snaps. “I’m not a kid anymore. I’m an adult who’s been through shit and you might be a mother, but you’re not fucking mine.”
Daigon steps forward from his viewing corner where he was pretending to stir a pot. “Watch?—”
“You’re right.” Ruby raises her hand. “I’m not your mother, so don’t curse in my house. And, if what Kane said is true, I’m not going to enable you out of guilt when it will only destroy your life further. So roll your sleeves up or don’t. Talk or don’t. It’s your choice. Bringingtheirshit intomyhouse where my children play, sleep, and live will not be tolerated.”
I can’t do this bullshit family reunion thing or I’ll fucking kill myself. Looking at Daigon, I ask, “Where’s the island?”
“Firstly, you’re both rude.” Flicking his unnerving purple eyes to my left arm, he smirks. “Secondly, are you planning on swimming there with one arm?”
Ruby soundlessly steps into his path to create a barrier. He doesn’t push her out of the way or scold her, he simply holds her hip as he calmly says, “You’re both going to be quiet, sit here while you’re fed, then you’re going to thank my wife for cooking for you. When that’s done, you can leave.”
“Daigon.” She looks up at him. “They can’t leave.”
“Who told you about this place?” he asks.
I find out what an angry Ruby looks like when I take the bloodied card from my pocket. She was always calm, like a swan effortlessly gliding on top of the water. Now her eyes are filled with hate, so much it reminds me of her mother. Yet she still sounds the same as she takes the card from me. “The Wards?”
“We’re moving,” Daigon says. “Did they give you anything else?”
I shake my head as he looks at my arm again.
“You met Lucille?” he asks, laughing. “If you bring her to my door, that stump will be the only thing left of you.”
