Page 84 of Bound By Blood and Lies

I chuckle as we detangle before I turn the shower off and we climb out together. I reach for the towel, dragging it over her skin to dry her. The heat of the shower clings to us both, but it’s the weight of what is to come that settles in my chest. I move behind her, pressing the fabric gently along her arms before dropping it lower.

“You ready?” she asks with a steadier voice than it has any right to be after the fucking I just gave her.

“Yeah,” I respond. “Are you?”

She doesn’t answer and I don’t push it. I already know the answer isn’t simple. None of this is. I step back, reaching for my own towel, before dragging it over my face and body and drying off.

Today changes everything, and we’ve spent the last month making sure everything lines up.

Politics has never been my strongest suit. If it were up to me, I would have walked into my father’s estate weeks ago and ended it myself, but Mum and the others shut that down before I couldeven act on it. The fact he hasn’t made a move means I can’t either, not without the council backing it. Not unless they give me permission to step up and take his place. It’s bad enough they already have Fae flagged in connection with Fisher’s death. The last thing I need is adding my own name to that list.

I exhale slowly, tossing the towel aside as I reach for my clothes. Today isn’t about instinct. It’s about control, strategy, and holding the line long enough to get what we need. I pull my shirt on, adjusting it as I glance at her again.

“Stay close today,” I say, fastening my cuff. “I don’t want you out of my sight.”

I’m not half as concerned about walking into that room as I am about her doing it. We finish getting dressed and head downstairs. The guys are already there. Felix leans against the counter with his arms folded and his attention flicks up the second we enter. Victor, Atlas and Riggs are by the door packing bags and Robyn is twiddling her thumbs on the sofa. I give a small nod to the room before pulling Fae along with me.

“Hey Robyn, you’re with me!” Tinkerbell says detangling from me to get her friend.

“Cars are all ready,” Victor says.

“Thank you, meet you there?” I ask, keeping my eyes on Fae.

“Yeah, see you in a bit.”

I walk over to Fae and reach for her hand. My grip is firm on hers as we step outside. The cool air cuts through the warmth still clinging to my skin. My eyes move automatically, scanning the street, the neighbouring houses, the parked cars. Nothing seems out of place. I guide her into the car before she slides into the passenger seat and I close the door. The others move to the second car as Robyn and Felix fold into the backseats.‘You Should See Me In A Crown by Billie Eilish’plays on the radio as I start the engine. My hand finds Fae’s stomach, and she relaxes into the hold as we turn onto the road.

For a while, none of us says anything. My eyes stay on the road, but I’m aware of every small movement beside me; the way she shifts slightly in her seat, the way her breathing changes when her thoughts start running too far ahead.

“Are you ready?” Felix questions from the back.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Fae sighs.

“They’ll push you, Fae. They’ll try and find all the gaps.”

“I know.”

“Do you?” He pushes and I grind my teeth.

“As long as Robyn sticks to the plan it will be fine.”

My eyes find Robyn’s in the backseat. Her stare is vacant as she looks forward. It’s been this way for weeks. It is as if her body is here but her soul has been destroyed. Nobody, not even Fae, knows what happened with my dad and I pray to a God I don’t believe in every day that he didn’t do lasting damage to her. Felix shifts beside her and his shoulder brushes hers. He doesn’t look at her, but I can see the way he’s watching her without making it obvious. He’s been like that since we got her back.

Robyn blinks slowly, like she’s coming back into herself piece by piece as her gaze finally flicks toward me. Her lips part slightly like she’s about to say something, but nothing comes out. Instead, she offers one small nod that seems robotic, as if she’s agreeing to something she hasn’t fully heard.

“I’ll stick to it,” she says eventually in a thin voice.

It doesn’t convince me.

It doesn’t convince Felix either.

“You don’t have to rush it,” he says, moving his fingers slightly, and they graze hers. “Just say what you remember.”

Robyn nods again, but her knuckles pale as she stares down at her hands. I drag my gaze back to the road as I exhale through my nose. This is exactly what I didn’t want. Bringing them into this. Putting them in front of people who are going to questionevery word, every detail, every inconsistency like it’s something to pick apart instead of something they survived.

My hand presses more firmly against Fae’s stomach trying to ground myself.

“As long as we stay on track, it’s enough,” I say in an even voice, leaving no room for doubt.