Page 63 of Bound By Blood and Lies

“I love you too, Tinkerbell. So, fucking much.”

I lean in and kiss her, and this time she meets me without hesitation. The warmth in it is unmistakable as her love flows through the action and her hands slide up to my jaw. Fae’s fingertips brush through the roughness of my stubble as I pull her closer and my palm spreads across the length of her back.

The kiss deepens slowly, unhurried and full of the kind of quiet intensity that only comes from nearly losing someone. It feels grounding and familiar, like something inside me is finally settling back into place. It feels like I’m coming home after wandering somewhere too long without direction. When she finally pulls away, we stay close as our foreheads rest together and our breathing slowly evens out.

“We should go downstairs,” she whispers.

“Okay,” I sigh, even though every instinct in me wants to keep her right here and away from the questions waiting for us downstairs. “But wait… what happened after Robyn killed Fisher?” I ask gently.

“I think…” she says slowly. Her gaze drifts toward the bedroom door. “I think we need to go downstairs and talk to your mum for the next part.”

I frown as a tight knot forms back in my stomach. The fact she could sit here and tell me she might be carrying her rapist’s child, yet still holds this back, sends a slow thread of unease creeping through my chest. The fact my mum is somehow involved in whatever comes next doesn’t help settle it either.

Fae’s hands slide gently over my arms, rubbing the goose pimples that formed across my skin as I tip my head back toward the ceiling and draw in a slow breath.

“Let’s go,” I murmur.

We untangle ourselves and stand, the warmth of her leaving my arms is replaced by a cold sense of foreboding. It’s almost as if we both know the moment we step out of this room, everything is about to change.

CHAPTER 19

ROMAN

The stairs creak softly beneath our feet as Fae and I descend together. My hand rests against the small of her back. Every few seconds my thumb moves, brushing the fabric of the hoodie she’s wearing just to remind myself that she’s real.

She’s here.

Still here.

The low murmur of voices from the lounge drifts up toward us before falling silent the moment we reach the door frame. Every head in the room turns. Robyn sits curled into the corner of the sofa wrapped in two blankets, her frame is small enough that she almost disappears beneath them. Felix is beside her; one arm draped protectively along the back of the couch like he’s daring anyone to come near her. Atlas leans forward in a chair opposite them with his laptop closed for once. Riggs paces slowly near the fireplace with restless energy and Victor stands near the window watching everything with the quiet alertness he always carries.

And then there’s my mum, standing in the centre of the room. Fiona has always been the one who holds everything together for me and my friends. When things go wrong, she’sthe one we turn to. With a smile on her face and joy in her eyes, like it’s the greatest honour in her life. That’s just who she is, as a woman and as a mum, and not just to me but to all of us. She takes the worst of it, carries the burden, and never lets it break the people standing behind her.

Tonight, though, that joy is gone.

Mum’s gaze flicks over us quickly before settling on me. “Sit down,” she demands softly.

I guide Fae toward the armchair beside the sofa and sit down, pulling her gently onto my lap. The moment her body presses against mine a quiet sense of steadiness moves through my chest. She feels fragile in my arms as I slide my hands slowly up and down her arms, brushing over the fabric of the hoodie in steady strokes and hoping the rhythm of it might ease some of the tension inside her.

Mum waits until everyone has settled before she speaks again.

“I followed your dad tonight,” she says, her gaze settling directly on me.

“What do you mean you followed him?” My brows pull together instantly.

“I told you, he’s been acting strange for weeks.” Mum pauses, drawing in a steady breath before continuing. “So tonight I decided to find out why.”

The air in my mouth turns dry at the implication of what she’s saying. It’s not that I’m too stupid to put the pieces together. I just need her to say it. I need to understand why my dad is suddenly part of this conversation when we’re supposed to be talking about how Fae was rescued.

“I waited until he left the house and followed his car,” she continues. “He didn’t go to a meeting or to any of the places he usually visits.” Her eyes hold mine. “He went to our house in London.”

I open my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing comes out. Instead, I pull Fae closer. Her head settles on my shoulder as she turns her gaze toward me, and her teeth nibble her bottom lip again. Without thinking I lift a hand and gently tug it free from between her teeth before frowning when I see the small bead of blood she’s drawn.

“And?” Felix presses sharply, forcing my attention back to the conversation.

Mum exhales. “And I saw him go inside.”

Her gaze flicks briefly toward Fae before returning to the rest of us.