Page 88 of Cruel Love
As if he could read my mind, he abruptly stood and turned his backto me.
“Do you remember anything else, Willow?”one of the men said. Ithought his name was Ethan, but I couldn’t remember the names Cleo had whispered in my ear when we first walked into the room. My brain was racing too much to remember who was who.
I didn’t answer right away as I tried to wade through the torrent ofmemories churning in my head, some of which were still fuzzy. But when my brain settled on a memory, I lifted my head to face him.
“The last day I saw my mom,”I said, remembering her armswrapped around me.“She hugged me and told me to go with Director Welch.Thathe would look after me, andthatshe’d be joining me soon.”I remembered the way my heart broke when she let go of me and told me to get in the car.“I don’t know what happened afterthat. The next thing I can remember is being at Peartree House, and Director Welch screaming at me, telling me to stop crying, andthatI was to never mention my mom or dad again.”
My voice broke on the last word, and onlythendid James turnaround to look at me, his face void of any emotion.
“Surely you’ve heard enough now?”he snapped, glowering at thethree men who were still seated at the table.“Welch and my father lied to you.To us.Between them, they ruined Willow’s life, and fuck knows what happened to Helen. They can’t get away with what they’ve done.”
He paced back and forth, his hands running through his hair.At the mention of my mom’s name, I wondered for the first time whether there was the slightest chancethatshe might still be alive. Since learning my father had died in what I thought was a car crash, I’d assumed she was dead too. Why else would she have abandoned me in the hellhole known as Peartree House?
The three men huddled together, and frantic whispers came fromthem. I couldn’t focus on anything they were saying, my mind completely consumed with long-lost memories of my parents.
After several tense minutes, Ethan stood.“We’ve heard enough,”hesaid, a sullenness to his tone.“Eric Carter and Kevin Welch are accused of breaching rule five set by our founding fathers of Legion. The board unanimously agreesthatboth are guilty of the accusations and will be sentenced to death for their actions.”
The bedroom felt cold and unfamiliar,eventhough everything wasexactly as I’d left it when I’d gone outside to lay in the sun and write earlier in the day.
So much had happened.
Everything had changed, and I didn’t think it would ever be thesame again. Nor did I want it to be the same.
James killed my dad.
His father orchestrated the destruction of my family.
I never wanted to see another member of the Carter family again.
Only, as I slumped down on the bed, the hole in my heart deepenedat the thought of never seeing James again. Of never seeing Kiera and Billie. AndevenCleo. I’d only met her for the first time a few hours ago, but she’d beennothing but friendly, being the support I didn’t know I needed as I recalled my memories.
Evenatthatverymoment, she was helping me. James had orderedher to take me to our bedroom while he and the other men went to deal with his father and Director Welch. While part of me was grateful she was with me, another part of mejustwanted to be left alone so I could wallow in my own misery.
“Can I get you anything?”she said, helping to pull my shoes off.
“No, thank you,”I replied.
“Are you sure? It’s been a long day, and you haven’t eaten anything.”
“Honestly? Ijustwant to go to sleep. I’ve never felt so exhausted inmy life,”I said, pulling back the covers and climbing under without removing a single item of clothing.
Maybe if I slept, I’d wake up, and this would alljustbe a bad dream.
“Okay, sweetie,”she said softly.“Try and get some sleep. I’ll be righthere if you need anything.”
Despite my entire body aching, and my head pounding, I was fairlycertain I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but thankfully, it wasn’t long until exhaustion pulled me under.
When my eyelids fluttered open hours later, sun streamed into thebedroom. Memories from the night before rushed into my mind, right from the minute Elijah appeared in the garden, to James refusing to look at me as he ordered Cleo to take me up to the room.
Nausea swam in my belly as every little bit of information I’d learnedflashed through my head. I sat up and stretched my arms above my head, my gaze falling across the room and finding a large duffle bag on the side, along with an envelope propped against it.
I quickly looked around the room, but neither James nor Cleo were tobe seen. Cautiously, I crept out of bed, and as I got closer to the bag, my heart began to race at seeing my name written on the envelope.
I snatched it up and tore it open, curiosity getting the better of me,and with my heart in my throat, I read the letter, written in neat handwriting.
Willow
Charlotte
