Page 41 of Faith
“We have to keep them safe. It’s our job to make sure Gwendolyn can’t get to them. Or any of her people.”
Nina jumped to her feet. “And you think I could be one of her spies? That I came here to get information from you to bringback to her? That I would betray my own brother, my family, for her?”
“No, I never thought that. Until you just asked that question, it was never a consideration for me.”
“But now it is.” Nina scoffed. “How could you Monty? How could you think that of me?”
“I don’t,” Montgomery said calmly. “But it’s my job to keep you safe, too.”
“What… what do you mean?”
“What you told Lorelei yesterday… Everything you shared was very clinical. You told her about locations and things you witnessed, but you didn’t talk much about what you’d been through. About the things you had to do.”
“You want to know?” she cried, turning on him.
Zeke abandoned his knife and moved toward the edge of the kitchen in case he needed to step in.
Mont shook his head, a signal for Zeke to stand down, but Zeke wasn’t returning to his task until he knew things were okay.
“I only want to know what you want to tell me,” Mont said to Nina.
Nina laughed mirthlessly. “You want to know about getting drugged and raped? About the times when I couldn’t even clean up between men? Or maybe about the infections I got or the time I was forced into stirrups for an abortion? You want to know about all the joyful experiences I had?”
Zeke’s gut twisted with every word. His hands tightened into fists. He was going to vomit.
“Fuck,” Montgomery whispered.
Nina slashed her hand across her cheek to remove her tears.
Zeke wanted to go to her, to pull her into his arms and hold her until it was all a distant memory. Until Gwendolyn and every man who dared touch Nina were dead. Until Nina was healed forever.
“Is that what you wanted to know, big brother? Does that convince you that I’m not going back to her? That I’m not spying on you for her? Because she’d already be dead if she had a weapon in her bedroom. The night I left, I promised myself I’d kill her. I promised myself she wouldn’t live to hurt others.”
“Nina.” Montgomery stood and reached for her, but she spun away from him.
“Don’t. Just… don’t. If you don’t trust me, then I shouldn’t be here.” Nina moved toward the door, but Zeke was faster.
He blocked her escape, crossing his arms and scowling at her.
“Please move.”
“You know I can’t do that, Nina. I’m not letting you go.”
“You know who you sound like, right?” she snarled.
Zeke took the blow. It was a good hit, intended to get him to move. He swallowed the pain and stared her down. “I love you, Nina Marie Rose. So does your brother. We are here to keep you safe. And that’s what we’re going to do. Even if we’re keeping you safe from yourself.”
“You two haven’t changed!” She threw her hands up and tossed a glare at Zeke before throwing one at her brother. “You think you know what’s best for me. You lie to me, then tell me it’s for my own good. You refuse to let me do what I think is right, then say it’s to keep me safe.”
Zeke stepped forward, getting closer to Nina. “No. Right now, this isn’t for your own good. It’s for mine because the last time you walked out of a house past me, the last time every instinct of mine said not to let you go, I let you go. And I lost a dozen years with you, Nina. I’ve hated myself for that choice, and I still hate myself. Your confession about what you’ve been through only reminds me that I fucked up. That I am the reason you went through all of that. It tells me that if I move to the side and let you walk away, I’ll never see this beautiful face of yours.Not alive. The thought of finding your dead body haunted me for twelve years. I’ve seen you in my nightmares more times than I can count. And having you here and letting you hate me is better. It will always be better. So you can hate me. You can refuse to ever speak to me again. But there’s no fucking way I’m letting you out that damn door ever again. So sit your ass down and get the hell over it.”
“Zeke,” Nina whispered. She lifted her hand to his cheek.
He nuzzled against her. “Please don’t leave.”
Nina nodded. “Okay.”
“Oh, thank God,” Montgomery breathed from the living room.
