She glared up at him before she shot up and scooted past Tremaine to sit next to him, so of course Robert popped over in the blink of an eye to sit on her other side.”
Robert caught her chin and looked her in the eye. “We’re here for you.”
“You’ve made that clear. Look, part of the tale is mine, and maybe I don’t want to be crowded when I have to tell Christian. Okay?”
“Oh.” Robert’s expression softened. “I didn’t think of that.”
“I know.” She almost smiled but shook her head. “You start. I’ll fill in where I need to.”
Christian interrupted, “Liz, if this is too much, I don’t care about my parents. I don’t need to know.”
Her fingers knotted in her lap. “Oh, but you do, kid. I promise you that. At least the basics.” She nudged Robert. “Go on, you start.”
Delilah took Christian’s hand. As a werewolf she could smell the heightened emotions.
Hell, Tremaine could practically feel it and he wasn’t an empath. As much as he wanted to wrap his arms around Liz, he let her be. There would be time to comfort her later, if she would let them.
“There is no easy way to tell you this, Christian.” Robert brushed his hands down his pants. “Your father is my brother.” He said the last through clenched teeth. “He raped my sister, his twin sister. Apparently, he did this quite a few times, and you were the end result.”
Christian’s brows nearly climbed of his face as his mouth fell open. “Why didn’t she abort me?”
Delilah gasped and grabbed his face, pulling his gaze to hers. “Don’t ever say that again. No matter why you’re here, you are mine, and I’m not letting you go.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said softly. “I don’t understand though. Why go through with it, knowing what I came from? My mother had to have gone through hell. No wonder she gave me up.”
“She couldn’t go through with an abortion. Your mother, Emily… she’s a talented healer. She couldn’t take your life, but she couldn’t cope with having a constant reminder of the abuse she endured. I think part of it was that she was afraid of what our brother would do to you if he found out.”
“Yeah, he sounds like Father of the Year material,” Christian sneered. “How does anyone do that to someone? Let alone their own flesh and blood?”
Tremaine spoke up. “Robert’s family has always been polarized. Robert and James couldn’t be more different from each other. Robert took after their father Wilhelm, who has always been an honorable man. His brother Sinclair was a dark mage who preyed off the pain of others. James took after Sinclair.” he couldn’t help but growl the name.
Liz closed her eyes and breathed deep.
Trem laid his hand palm up on her knee. Her fingers laced through his and she met his gaze, but there was fear there. He wanted to take it all away, make her realize that no one would ever hurt her again. He wouldn’t allow it, but until James was dead and gone, that was damn near impossible to guarantee.
* * * *
Robert sat there frozen. Liz took Robert’s hand and looked at him. He turned to her and she mouthed, I love you, always, no matter what.
He looked down at the floor and sighed heavily. “I had to leave Liz to help my sister deliver you. Emily was in a small town in Switzerland, and refused to go to the doctors. She needed me, and I wish to God I had said no, or brought Liz against Emily’s wishes, but I never imagined…,” Robert stopped.
Then Liz picked up with, “Robert was supposed to be back for dinner. I had wonderful news for him and I had never been happier.” Liz took a slow breath before pushing on. “The bell rang, and I rushed to open it, except something was really off. He wasn’t acting like Robert, and then he gave me roses, which Robert knows I hate.”
Robert’s eyes snapped open as he turned to her. He couldn’t find his breath. He remembered seeing the bouquet on the table by the door, but he never made the connection. Blood red flowers that were sickeningly sweet.
One morning, soon after she arrived in their manor, Liz told him about the hours she was forced to trim roses, and if she made one wrong clip, she was whipped for it. That was all she would ever say about the people who raised her. He had a feeling he knew the real story, at least part of it, but he only knew the pieces he had gleaned from her cries in her sleep.
Liz’s voice sounded far away as she stared out the window. “I let him in, knowing it was James.”
“Did James look like Robert?” Christian asked.
“No, not typically.” Robert whispered. “He was an excellent illusionist, but he usually ruined it by being too smug.”
“You honestly look more like James, Christian,” Liz said softly. I can’t believe I never made that connection.” Robert squeezed her hand but she didn’t look back at him.
“When the phone rang, I turned to get it. I thought I had a little time before he made his move. I was wrong. He hit me in the head with something heavy and I went down.”
Guilt swamped Robert. It was his fault. The horror settled in. He never knew why she hadn’t answered. “I called at five to apologize for not being there,” Robert whispered. “I’m sorry, Liz, God, I’m sorry.”
“No,” she whispered. “It was never your fault.” She looked back at Christian. “James knocked me out. He tied me to the table. He would have raped me, but I guess it pissed him off when I told him I was having Robert’s baby.”
Robert barely held back a sob. Tears silently slid down his face as he turned to her.
Her voice sounded dead, there was no emotion in her hazel eyes. “James took the baby, he cut me open, but I ruined him. I don’t think the best healer could ever put him back together again. I sent him with a one way ticket to the Council after that.”
“Liz,” Christian whispered. “Why didn’t you kill him?”
She half-laughed, but it sounded pained. “I was bleeding to death, I knew I had lost my baby. I thought I was dying. I did what I could and attempted to put myself back together again.”
“Then why did you leave Robert if you knew it wasn’t him?”
“When Robert found me the next morning, he startled me awake. I was in shock, and when he pushed at the nightgown, I freaked out. I thought it was James, and I nearly killed him.” Her eyes closed as she slowed her breath. “I can’t always control my magic. When I’m that messed up, it happens, there’s no stopping it.”
With all the pieces in place, Robert finally understood why she ran, why she never came back. She was afraid of herself, afraid she would hurt him again, so she left to protect him. The knowledge crushed him.
“You brought me back. You healed me. You took all the pain. I was fine.”
“Your scars,” she whispered, leaning into Tremaine, who lifted her to sit her in his lap so he could wrap his arms around her.
Liz melted into Tremaine’s embrace as his hand smoothed over her hair.
Robert moved closer, taking her face in his hands. “Liz, I’ve never blamed you. I knew whatever had happened was bad. When you left, these scars were my only connection to you. I wasn’t willing to give them up.”
Christian blurted out, “Those handprints were from Liz?”
Liz nodded, a look of devastation on her face.
“She had been through hell, she was bleeding, and I was scared to death. I knew better than to wake her like that, but I didn’t think.”
“Don’t, Liz,” Trem warned. “I know what you want to say, but its bullshit. No one blames you.”
Robert caressed her face before turning back to Christian. “I’ve loved Liz from the moment I saw her. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her. So when she begged me to let her go, I did. She said it was what she needed and I gave her that even though it broke me. I should have fought, I should have followed, but I did what she asked because she always told me the truth about what she felt.”
Liz shook her head and curled deeper into Tremaine’s embrace. “I’m not sure I could have handled it if you had fol
lowed right away. I was a wreck. I barely functioned for months. Fuck, I even scared Tremaine for the first few years.”
Tremaine murmured, “I wasn’t afraid. I was worried for you, doll. I wanted to take away the pain, but I didn’t know how.”
She met Robert’s gaze with tear filled eyes. “Robert,” she said, “I don’t think anything you could have done would have helped at that point. I needed time, but then so much passed I convinced myself you had really let me go.”
“Never, Liz. I thought that you would come if you changed your mind.” He squeezed her hand. “I didn’t find the note until after Emily was dropped on my porch. If I had read it years ago, I would have come for you.”
Christian interrupted, “But what happened with James?”
“They’ll get there,” Delilah told him. “I can’t imagine any of this is easy on any of them.”
“Shit, sorry,” Christian muttered. “Please explain why he’s still alive. No offense Bobby, but after that, I can’t imagine you’re real forgiving yourself.”
“After I healed Robert, I went after him. No one should have survived, but Robert had made some of us talismans that act as a portal. They can transport you to a set place. Emily found James, he should have been dead, but he was holding on. She took him from the burning warehouse. She brought him back, but at least she didn’t fully heal him.”
Robert snorted. “My sister thought she could cure James of his need to hurt everyone. James is twisted to the core, there is no cure for that.” He sighed. “My sister wanted to make things right, but there are some things you can’t fix.”
“Why hasn’t he come sooner?” Christian balked.
Robert answered, “Emily kept him in a comatose state through magic. He finally broke free and cursed Emily. He’s out for revenge, and now he’s after Liz. I won’t let my brother touch her again.”
“Neither will I,” Christian practically shouted.
Liz stood up and stepped away from Tremaine. Her arms crossed over her chest. “Now listen to me, Christian. There is no way you are doing a damned thing to him. It’s best if he doesn’t know about you. I swear he will use you against me, against Robert, against anyone who he thinks would get to us. So please, you need stay out of it. We’re equipped to handle him. You aren’t.”
“What can he possibly do?” Christian quipped.
“Plenty,” Liz insisted. “He’ll use another person’s face. He’s good at fooling people.”
“But you knew it wasn’t him. You didn’t fall for it.”
“It wasn’t the first time he tried that trick with me. And yeah, I always figured it out, but I always knew what he was capable of.”
“Did he ever fool you?” Christian asked Robert.
Robert nodded. “Yes. More than a few times. At least until Liz would come in and strip the spell.”
* * * *
Liz wanted that innocent boy to stay as far away from his father as possible, but she knew it wasn’t going to be that simple. He was stubborn as the rest of his family.
Christian stood up with fire in his eyes. “Does he have any reason to know about me?”
“Doubtful, not the point though. Here is the point. He’ll know you when he sees you. He will try to get you on his side, try to convince you he can train you, or some shit. He’s crafty, it sounds like a good thing, but you may as well sell your soul to the damned devil.”
“I wouldn’t do a damned thing for the person who tried to tear apart the two most important people in my life.”
“Exactly,” she snarled. “And when he realizes that, he’s going to hurt you, kill you, hell maim you, whatever he thinks will do the most damage to us. You can’t fight him like we can, so your ass is staying as far from him as we can keep it. Got it?”
“No, that’s not fair. That doesn’t even give me a chance.”
“Did you find some magic we don’t know about? Are you going to be able to shield yourself? If so, speak now.”
“No,” he muttered. “I just don’t want you hurt anymore.”
“Oh, kid, I got news for you. I can take anything he throws at me. I’ve been through more shit than you could imagine, and I don’t share it with you because you don’t need that in your life.”
“God, so that’s why you drink around this time of year.”
Her eyes slammed shut. “Yeah. It keeps the nightmares at bay. So, I’m sorry, Chris, but you don’t need to deal with James.” She let out a bitter laugh. “I’ll warn you now, when this is all over and done with, your mother hates me with a passion.”
“Why?” Christian’s brow scrunched as he shook his head.
Liz instantly felt like a bitch for putting it like that. Looking up at the ceiling she tried to find a way to explain.
Tremaine did it for her. “I found Liz in a horrible situation when she was twelve. I took her to Robert’s father because he was better equipped to handle a young girl. I thought Emily and Liz would get along. I was wrong.”
Robert snapped. “James got in Emily’s head, twisted the situation. He convinced our sister that Liz was there to steal everything from Emily, our parent’s love, her things, her friends. Liz never wanted any of that.”
Liz sighed. “Emily wanted to cast like I do. She’s a healer, and better than any healer I know, but I always learned spells faster than most, and Emily hated that. I would have traded her powers any day. Healing is so much better than the destruction I can cause. And when I lose control, it gets ugly.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Christian muttered. “I would have given anything to heal Delilah she was attacked.” He was referring to the werewolf who attacked her, the one she killed.
Delilah took his hand. “I healed fast enough. You were there for me. It was plenty.”
Christian smiled back at her. “My mother sounds selfish, and ridiculous.”
“James didn’t help. He manipulated her.” Liz shrugged. “I wanted to be her friend, but that didn’t work out.”
Tremaine pushed his fingers through his hair. “I may have made a bad decision. Wilhelm took care of her. Robert was her friend. Mrs. Murdock also kept an eye on Liz, so it never got too bad. I just wish I had realized what she went through, but Liz never complains. She has always pushed through the shit and dealt with it.”
Liz shrugged. “What else can I do? I can’t roll over and die. I don’t have it in me. I keep going.”
“Why do you seem resigned, and not upset by the way you were treated?” Christian threw up his hands.
“Yeah, good question. You never once stood up for yourself, you just let it roll off. Why?” Robert’s eyes narrowed at her.
“She’s your family, Robert. I get why she was like that. It wasn’t right, but I don’t blame her. It had to be hard to have another girl come in and take everyone’s attention away from her.”
“I don’t understand. After everything she did to you, all the hurtful things she said, and then bringing James back, how can you forgive her?”
“How can you shut her out? She never hurt you. She only wanted to keep her family together.”
“You are my family, more than she ever was. She didn’t understand that pushing you away was the worst thing she could ever have done for me. You, Liz, you are my whole world.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And that’s why she hates me.” Liz turned to Christian. “A lot of time has passed. I have a feeling that if she meets you now, she’ll love you completely. She’s always been very loyal to her family. She won’t let you down again.” Liz started to back away.
Before she could get far, Robert was in front of her with a pop, grabbing her arms to hold her in place. He growled the words, “Christian’s not going to give you up. Not for Emily, not when you’ve been there all along. She doesn’t get to drive a wedge between you and anyone you care about anymore.”
She smiled sadly. “I don’t believe Christian would listen if she tried. I’m hoping that after all this time she’ll see the truth. She seems to have changed
over the years. She regrets bringing James back. She won’t make the same mistake. This time, I’ll finish him.”
“With me,” Robert said.
Tremaine came up behind her. “Me too.”
Delilah spoke up then. “I think we’ve had enough heavy conversation for the day. Are you all still coming to the bar?”
Liz closed her eyes but nodded. Robert and Tremaine answered in the affirmative.
Christian shook his head, his eyes wide. “We’ll see ourselves out,” he said softly.
“I’ll walk you out.” Robert pulled away to go with them.
Chapter 23
Tremaine scooped Liz up, and sat back down with her in his arms. “You okay?” he murmured.
She sat back and narrowed her eyes at him. “Stop asking me that. Of course I’m not okay. I’m better than I was last night, but there are still a few issues to work through, obviously.”
“Tell me how to help. You know I will,” he promised as he slid his hand under her shirt to trace her scars. Her eyelids slid closed.
“Does that bother you?” he whispered in her ear.
She shrugged. “Why do you do that? Go right for them like that?”
“They made you stronger. They’re a part of who you are.” His fingers played over those marks that he loved, even if she hated them. He didn’t like how she got them, but that she overcame everything and carried on. They were a testament to her strength. “Don’t get me wrong, this is one seriously sexy tattoo, and I’m looking forward to exploring it with my tongue when I get you naked, but right now, I want to hold you, touch you, and make sure you know that I love you.”
A smile finally pulled at her lips as she shifted in his lap to straddle him. “Then no, it doesn’t bother me.” She leaned in, brushing her lips over his before deepening the kiss. His hands found their way to her hips.
Robert must have made his way back to the room because he purred. “Mmm, I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”
She broke the kiss, putting her forehead to Tremaine’s. “Much, thanks to both of you.”
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