Page 145 of Burn Like An Angel

“You don’t need to be scared to ask, Nox. If you want me there with you, I’ll be there. No questions asked.”

Daring to make eye contact, he appears relieved, the tense lines around his mouth evening out. I stroke a hand over his trimmed stubble, trying to wipe away any doubts.

“Where is she?”

“About an hour or so from here.” He pulls my hand into his. “You sure? We’ve all had a lot on our minds since that meeting.”

“Yes, I’m sure. Let’s go.”

He pulls me up, leaving the failed sketches behind. We call out to Raine, washing the city off himself in the shower. He was escorted out to see Sabre’s medic for a check-up and meds refill earlier on.

“Be careful!” he yells back.

Escaping the apartment together, one of Sabre’s blacked-out SUVs is parked on the curb outside. Ethan leans against it, studying the quiet neighbourhood.

The safe house is surrounded by copy and paste apartment blocks with little character. We’re far enough from Central London to grant us some privacy from the usual hustle and bustle.

“Hey.” Ethan offers us both a professional smile. “Ready?”

Lennox opens the back door for me. “Yeah. Did Warner give you the location?”

“He did. I’ve got a couple extra security officers following in a second vehicle to be safe, but they’ll keep their distance. The rest will remain here with Raine.”

Nodding to him, I climb into the SUV. Lennox joins me in the back and clips my belt in place for me without thinking. The small gesture makes my cheeks warm.

“Where did you grow up?” I pull his hand into my lap.

Lennox settles into his seat. “Near Colchester.”

“I don’t know much about your childhood.”

“There isn’t much to tell. We were raised by my grandfather. You know he was a retired army vet. Mum died shortly after Daisy was born from birth complications. Neither of us had dads we knew about.”

The silver chain peeking out of his t-shirt collar is even more visible against the black fabric. I’ve never seen him without it. Even when we were running for our lives without a single belonging, he kept it safe.

“You’ve never been to see her? Daisy?”

“I was arrested not long after her burial. You know why. I haven’t seen her grave since.”

It’s no secret that Lennox was facing a hefty sentence for first-degree murder before he took the plea deal to attend Priory Lane. He burned down his childhood home with his abusive grandfather still inside.

I can’t imagine the pain of burying a sibling, let alone in those circumstances. It was hard enough saying goodbye to my parents. Throwing dirt on your baby sister’s coffin must be a whole new level of agony.

Holding his hand tight, the journey passes fast once we escape London to find the main road heading east. The cramped apartment blocks shift into vast green fields with clustered neighbourhoods.

Lennox doesn’t speak again until we turn into a small town just outside Colchester, but I can feel his legs quaking underneath our linked hands.

We wind through twisting streets sandwiched with in-bloom summer florals to reach the graveyard. It’s tucked away in a quiet spot, the church car park empty when we pull in with another SUV loosely following us.

“We’ll remain here in the car park, but don’t wander too far,” Ethan announces, turning his head to us. “We’re not taking any chances.”

I offer him a tight smile. “Thanks, Ethan.”

“Of course. Take your time.”

Dragging Lennox’s silent self from the car, we face the graveyard together. His feet seem rooted in the gravel when I try to encourage him to start walking. He’s eyeing the scene with a look of mild panic.

“I left her alone for all this time,” he croaks.

---