Page 111 of Lethal Weakness

“Research. They were attempting to replicate DNA. Cloning organs. They wanted to figure out how to create a new person.”

“What?” She sits up to look at me. “That’s insane.”

I nod sadly. “Not just any new person, Linden.” Her brows furrow, but I decide just to rip the bandage off. “They were trying to bring their daughter back.”

“That’s not possible.”

“No, I don’t think it is. But they had the closest living thing in arm’s reach, and they were testing their theories on strangers until it was safe enough to use on their real target.”

“You think they were going to experiment on Avery too? Is that why the bee sting freaked you out so bad?”

“I had suspicions that they were doing something with Avery’s blood, but I had no idea how far it went. Even when you didn’t know where I was, Linden, I was in that house watching over Avery. I was there during every scheduled visit, so she wasn’t alone.”

“You were?”

“I had all of your documents forged already, but after the bee sting I made fake ones too, because I knew I was going to protect you two from them. I was going to blow everything up before I let them touch her.”

“When were you going to tell me?” She asks angrily, but she’s crying, and she’s not pushing me away. She’s clinging to me harder.

“I thought I could wait until they were dead, so I could tell you with certainty you were safe, but after I saw all the encrypted files with my own eyes…” I shake my head at the memory.

“That’s what I was doing when you were fighting for your life getting out of that damn mansion. It wasn’t a planned visit, so I didn’t know you were there. I always wanted to know where you were, and I should have been more on top of it… But I was trying to respect your space. I was already violating your life so much.

“Instead, I was reading study after study outlining exactly how they planned to use Avery’s DNA and pick apart her organs to bring a version of their daughter back. I was fucking horrified. I was waiting for you to come home, so I could beg you to let me take you guys away. And if you didn’t believe me, I was going to steal you away by force because hating me was a better outcome than what they planned to do.”

“Jack,” she whimpers, melting against my chest. “They almost had her. They almost took my baby from me.”

“I know. I know.” I can’t seem to hold her tight enough. Nothing will take away the betrayal she feels from her in-laws. I wish I could protect her from all of this. This pain isn’t as easy to erase, but at least I stopped the worst of it before it became reality.

“I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there. If you had never been my neighbor,” she cries.

“We don’t have to worry about that now. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Linden

Post-clarity fear and anger consumes me as I fall apart in Jack’s arms. I know my baby is safe inside, but even thinking about the things those monsters wanted with her is killing me.

“How could they look at my innocent child and ever think to use her? Why couldn’t they just love her and adore her for who she is?” I heave into his chest, soaking his shirt with my tears.

His arms only hold me tighter, tamping down the tremors making my entire body shake with rage.

“Why couldn’t she be enough for them? I knew they hated me, and they never hid it, but Avery was innocent. She was the perfect granddaughter.”

“I know, baby. Neither of you deserved it. You didn’t deserve any of it.”

“They talked me out of an abortion. They could have just cut ties then, but no, they insisted that I have the baby. Obviously I’m fucking grateful to have my daughter, and she’s my entire universe, but they never had to be involved. They could have just left us alone.”

He sighs, painfully, and something about it makes me look at him. His face is tight with an unreadable emotion that could be anger or regret.

“What?”

“The files went back years, Linden… Avery wasn’t an accident.”

“How is that possible?”

“Turner knew what he was doing. He picked you out specifically, and got you pregnant on purpose.”