Page 74 of Little Wing
Lotus didn’t say anything else.
Kait’s pleading eyes met mine, searching for anything else she could say to her. When nothing else came up, Reina wasted no time in bringing her bright energy into the conversation.
“What time are we showing up?” Reina asked, now sucking noisily on her nearly finished drink.
“What?” Lotus suddenly looked up and her posture stiffened. “You don’t have to come.”
“Excuse me?” Reina’s eyes bulged as she raised her ass off the seat. Being on the shorter side, it did look rather comical from where I stood, but that woman had energy fit for someone twice her size. “You are our fucking sister! We will be there no ifs, ands, or buts! Got it? No way in hell would we ever let you do this alone.”
As Lotus sat with parted lips, I finally pushed myself off the wall and walked back over to the trio. With a gentle press of my lips against Lotus’s head, I traced my fingers along her neck, settling on the identical scar she received from me. She leaned into the touch even as she continued to let her friends know that they weren’t required to attend the sentencing.
“Silas,” Reina whined. “We’re all going, right? We’d never let Lotus go through this alone.”
She leaned her head back then and pouted. “But what if—”
“We’ll all be there, love,” I assured her, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Reina’s right. You don’t have to carry this on your shoulders anymore, Lo. Not alone and never again.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, reaching to finally bring her glass to her lips.
As she drank, I watched her shoulders relax, and I admit it brought me peace knowing that she found some comfort in that. I knew that the anxiety looking to devour her had only retreated momentarily, but I’d take whatever win I could. Lotus needed some peace before tomorrow.
When Lotus sipped the last of her drink, she reached up to wipe the corner of her mouth. “I really am thankful that you all want to come with me," she began, looking at her friends, then reaching back to squeeze my hand. “I haven’t seen Luca since the night at the apartment. I know it’ll be hard. And in case something goes sideways—”
“Everything will be okay,” Kait declared, her voice stern and determined.
“Yeah,” Reina uttered, gently setting her hand on Lotus’s knee. Though she was often the one bursting with energy, Reina’s gentleness was never in question. “You don’t have to do any of this alone ever again, Lo. Tomorrow will come, and we’ll be right beside you. And if that detective even looks at you funny, I swear I’ll kick his ass.”
That got Lotus to genuinely giggle.
“Morello has been very helpful. I don’t get why you have such anger toward him,” Lotus said as she wiped the corner of her eye, grinning at her friends.
Reina rolled her eyes and swiftly grabbed her phone from the counter, beginning to scroll without a thought. “I’m still salty about the way he just came in the store and took you away. Rubbed me thewrong way. Plus, what the fuck is up with his face?” she groaned. Her annoyance only made Lotus laugh harder.
“Perhaps he thinks you’re cute!” Lotus gasped, gripping my arm for balance.
As the two bickered back and forth about the tatted detective, I stepped back and observed, grabbing my own drink that Kait kindly replenished before sitting down beside my partner. Sometimes it was nice just to watch her interact, even if she looked like many of the people who came to Little Wing for help. She tried to hide her unease while her mind worked to calculate her next move.
“You know,” Lotus finally said, sliding her glass closer to her. “Even after everything Luca has done to me, to those women, to anyone else I haven’t even uncovered…” She sighed and rubbed the inside of her wrist. “I still hold on to the memories of him that remind me that it wasn’t always like this.”
I tensed beside her but allowed my hand to settle on her knee without much pressure.
“He used to protect me, and he truly was so kind. But when he was turned and I made the fatal error of approaching him.” She paused and brought her hand up to her neck. “Something inside my brother broke, something I don’t think can ever be fixed. My brother, the one who loved and protected me—he died that night. All I see in him now is a shell of pain; pain that I don’t want to be tied to anymore.”
Kait refreshed everyone’s drinks before walking out from behind the bar, holding her own glass out in front of her. She glanced between us and raised it higher, urging Lotus to do the same. I watched Lotus’s lips curve. Her friends would likely never understand the conflict that brewed inside her, but they never pretended that they did. All that mattered was that when Lotus needed them, they showed up for her.
This was her family.
“Tomorrow is the end of a long chapter in your life, Lotus,” Kait announced, her voice cautiously hopeful. “Here is to the start of something new and beautiful. Here’s to your freedom.”
Before Lotus’s tears could spill, I leaned over to press my lips to her cheek.
“Cheers to the best outcome; cheers to your future, my love,” I added.
These promises were spoken into existence, and I would be damned if they didn’t manifest into reality. If things went sideways, I’d be ready to fight for her. I’d do it all for her.
After centuries spent wondering whether my brother would ever be held accountable for his crimes, his judgement day had arrived. For as long as I could remember, this only played out in my dreams that would very quickly turn to nightmares, forcing me out of deep slumber in a cold sweat. But there was never a day that I did not long for him to be punished for what he did to those innocent women. And what he did to me, his sister, his twin.
Now, as we stood outside the courthouse, I steadied my breath because this wasn’t a dream.
