Page 46 of Traitorous Lies
“Because I have a friend who I didn't want to leave alone,” he answered honestly.
Essie’s eyes lit up. “A friend who’s a girl?”
“Yes, my friend is a girl,” he replied, already knowing where this was going.
“A girl you're gonna marry?” the little girl asked hopefully.
If ever there was a time to downplay what he felt for Monique, it would be now. It would also be kind of ridiculous after he’d all but drawn a line in the sand earlier. Besides, he didn't want to downplay things, he wanted to scream from the rooftops that Monique had barreled into his heart and lodged there.
“I don’t know, but I do like her a lot.”
“That means you're gonna marry her and I can be the flower girl,” Essie said delightedly as she clapped her hands. She’d gotten a real bee in her bonnet about weddings and being a flower girl lately, even before her dad proposed to Gabriella, Essie’s former nanny.
“Enough wedding talk for today, snuggle bug,” Gabriella told the child. “Why don’t you go read a little before bed, and your dad and I will be in to tuck you in soon.”
“’Kay, Mommy,” Essie agreed. “I miss you, Uncle Jax. Come home soon, ‘kay?”
“Okay,” he promised. Once the child had disappeared from view he looked at the others. From their expressions he knew they were worried about him, and while he appreciated their concern it wasn't warranted.
“I’m sorry for pushing you to be the one to go to France,” Cade said. As the oldest he’d always taken on a heavy burden of responsibility for all of them, so it made sense that he would do it for this as well.
“I should have gone,” Jake said.
“Right, sure, of course you should have, Alannah wasn't just out of the hospital or anything,” Jax said with an eyeroll, catching the grin his one-day sister-in-law shot him.
“I could have gone,” Cooper piped up. “Willow was all healed from what happened in Egypt.”
“Becca and I talked about me being the one to go,” Connor added.
“Susanna insisted that I do it,” Cole said. “After all, I am the most charming.”
The declaration made them all laugh, even as it was true. It was nice his brothers were all wishing they’d gone in his place so things hadn't gotten so messed up, but reality was he’d been the best choice then since he was the only single one, and none of them could have predicted that he’d fall for his target.
“I wish I'd gone,” Cassandra whispered softly. “I’m the cause of all of this, and she’s my sister. I know I could have convinced her that her dad—our dad—is dangerous. What if he tries to hurt her? I'm safe here with all of you, but Monique is all alone.”
“Not alone, I'm here, and I'm not going to let her get hurt,” he assured his stepsister. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Cassandra wasn't still that little girl he’d first met almost twenty years ago. She was such a beautiful, bright, strong, resilient young woman, and ever since they learned she’d been conceived via rape, she’d been carrying such a heavy burden.
“I just want this all to be over,” Cassandra murmured.
“And it will be. Soon,” he promised. “Truth is, as much as things are messed up right now, I'm glad I'm the one who went to France, because if I didn't, I never would have connected with Monique the way I did.I'm not giving up on her, and as soon as we get her DNA sample and compare it to yours, we’ll be one step closer to ending this.”
Which meant that they were all in the most danger they’d ever been in.
They had Monique, and while she didn't know it, her father knew that her DNA would prove to the world that Cassandra was her half-sister. After that, it was only a matter of time before the dominoes came crashing down and they could prove Samson Kerr’s involvement in everything and clear his dad and stepmom’s names.
After that, they’d all be free, no longer bound by their long-ago promise to find the truth. Free to live their lives however they wanted.
His brothers and their partners were all safe, but he and Monique were alone out there, easy targets if her father decided to act. He wanted to believe he had what it took to protect Monique, but he didn't even have eyes on her, and they were surrounded by miles of uninhabited woods.
November 8th
2:17 P.M.
Fresh air was supposed to be good for the body.
Good for the soul, too.
And the air out there was fresh, clean, and full of the scents of nature. But it also reminded Monique too much of France and being with Jax in the forest.
