“She’s not just my wife.” He mimics my voice. “She’s the mother of my children. I wouldn’t allow her to do anything to put her at risk. Which includes both of you inviting the Wardsto my door. But your husband helped my children, so I’ll let him live.”
I turn to face him, my voice full of steel. “Don’t threaten him. I’ll kill you myself.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” He takes a huge bite out of his protein bar without looking away from me. “I could eat you for breakfast and still be hungry.” He takes another bite as Kane pulls me closer. “I won’t though. You’re too skinny and Ruby would be upset. So keep walking, troublemaker. I’m here to make sure you don’t die, because my wife is terrifying.”
I laugh at that, so does Kane. But we continue walking as Daigon takes a flashlight from his backpack, holding it over our heads. I say, “Ruby’s not scary at all.”
“She is. She burnt my farm, killed my guards. She also went head-to-head with both your father and Rowan.”
“When?” Kane asks.
“Before she left The Dollhouse,” Daigon grits.
“She was there?”
I don’t know the place they’re talking about, but the people involved don’t exactly inspire any confidence of it being somewhere good.
When we reach a fork in the tunnel, I pause. One side leads to Melantha’s house so I should probably tell Kane I killed his great-grandmother when I mistook her for Helene after she kept me in the basement for months. Instead, I turn around and close my eyes to recall Lenny’s instructions.
“Move,” Daigon whispers as Kane roughly pulls me to one side, away from the dragging footsteps and faint light shining through the tunnel. Daigon turns the flashlight off, dropping his new protein bar into his bag.
They push me behind them, but I recognize the hushed voice. “There’s a little more to walk.”
I try to push through their bodies, but they continue forcing me backwards. As the light gets stronger, I grab Daigon’s arm to stop him attacking but I’m not quick enough with Kane as he raises his hand with a fucking gun in it.
“No!” I scream as Lenny steps out of the other tunnel with a hooded woman beside him. She only has his suit jacket covering her and there’s blood staining her skin. Yet none of that compares to the pain on his face as he turns, nearly blinding us with the harsh light. Daigon reaches into his bag, doing the same with his flashlight. My eyes widen when Lennox’s face is fully illuminated. There’s a deep slash running from the top of his cheekbone down to his chin, painting his face in blood as it runs down his neck, soaking into the collar of his shirt.
“Little shadow,” he whispers, then looks at me. “You were right.” But he loses all emotion when he sees Daigon. “You’ve grown.” He takes a deep breath as he closes his eyes, letting go of the woman’s arm. “Allow her to go free?”
“Leave with her,” Daigon says. “You stepped out of my way once. I’m doing the same.”
Kane steps forward with the gun at his side as my heart pounds. I can’t stop him from hating his uncle even though I know Lennox loves him. There’s no violence on Lennox’s features as he waits for whatever Kane wants to do, accepting of any outcome because he’s been forced to be around these merciless beings his entire life.
My heart breaks as Lennox flinches when Kane hugs him. I never understood his need to wear gloves or refuse touch until I snuck into the basement. He knows what it feels like to have people take and take until there’s nothing belonging to you anymore. Some of the little cracks are fused when he wraps his arms around his nephew, kissing the back of his head. Daigon is an asshole though, muttering, “You all like touching each other.”
“Shut up or I’ll hug you,” I hiss, making him move away from me.
Kane steps back, sniffling and stiffly nods before he slips into the other tunnel as the woman trembles behind Lenny. Daigon follows him but I stop in front of my friend as I ask, “Can I give you a hug?”
Lenny wraps his arms around me and kisses my crown. “You’re strong, little doe. Your baby is on the piano. Take her home.”
I hug him so tightly my shoulders burn as I whisper, “I love you, Lenny. Thank you for staying with me through…you know. I hope I get to see you again.”
“Isadora would be proud of the man you helped Kane become. Your babies are proud of their mother’s strength. Don’t allow her to take that away from you. You are their mother, you protected them, and you love them.”
Swallowing my tears, I step back, smiling. “See you later, Lenny. I’ll set the table with two extra seats at Christmas.”
He gives me a weak smile as he nods once, blood racing down the cut on his cheek to pool in the seam of his lips. “Two extra seats.”
85
KANE
As Delilah says her goodbyes, I whisper to Daigon, “Harkin’s parents are here?—”
“Shotgun,” he says before I’ve even finished speaking.
“That’s for taking the front seat in a car.”
