Jack closed his eyes, and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. And then without a word, he pulled the pistol from his pocket and shot his son.
Chapter Forty-One
Mason couldn’t understand why the pull of his reap had faded to nothing, and with a new sense of urgency, it did not take long for them to arrive. In the light of day, the neighborhood looked even more desperate, grey and run down, all hope extinguished in the grime and poverty. His heart thudded as they made their way to the building, every muscle coiled tight and waiting to spring into action.
Heavy drapes covered the windows, so there was no way to know if it was just Stefan or if they’d also have to deal with Jack. Mason pulled out his pistol. “Are you ready?”
Pierce nodded, his weapon drawn. Mason waited a moment more and then turned the knob, surprised to find it unlocked, and even more surprised by the scene before him.
Jack knelt on the floor, covered in blood, Stefan cradled in his arms, dead. Jack looked up at Mason, tears staining his cheeks, his face contorted with pain and rage. “Why did you choose me to be a reaper? Why? None of this would have happened if you had let me die a normal death.”
Mason moved closer, his eye on the pistol by Jack’s side. He’d rather not get shot, if at all possible. “It was Stefan all along, wasn’t it?” Jack looked away but did not answer him. “Why did you mutilate the women then?”
“I tried to stop him, tried to talk sense into him, but he wouldn’t listen. He threatened to tell my wife I was now a reaper if I stood in his way. Threatened to tell her my role in his insanity.” Jack let out a ragged breath, his fingers curling into fists around his son’s shirt. “It would have killed her to know what he’d become—what I’d become. And he was my son—I had to try and protect him.”
“I don’t understand.” Mason kept talking while he knelt by the gun. Upset as Jack was, he didn’t notice when Mason put his hand on the weapon and tucked it away. “What role could you have played? He was but a young lad when you died.”
“He had the sight, aye? Just like my mother, and to an extent, me. And when I became a reaper, he saw each and every death I reaped—just like I did. Every one.” He shook his head. “I hadn’t known. Then, when he started the brutality, I tried to talk some sense into him. But the women—they were never reaped—and I knew if the Elders found out it was him, they’d show him no mercy.”
Mason could not imagine such a young mind being exposed to so much tragedy and violence. The old, the young, whether of natural causes or lives taken, it would have been overwhelming. He thought of the watch fob they’d found and the inscription—for showing me the wonders of the world. It all made sense in a twisted and wicked way. And as for the Elders? Jack’s worry had been justified.
“I did my best to disguise the murders, but he showed no signs of stopping. I had no choice. I refused to be a part of the last few, for I could no longer bear his burden.”
It all made sense now. With the last few murders, they had sensed Jack’s energy, but had been unable to recreate any part of the murder because he had refused to participate. And now Jack had made the biggest sacrifice in order to put a stop to the madness—his son.
Mason’s tone was gentle when he spoke. They may have had their differences, but he could now see Lilly had been right about him all along. “I’ll need to bring you in. Even if you did not commit the murders, you’ll still need to go before the Elders. I’ll be happy to plead your case though, and ask them for leniency.”
Jack looked up at him, his dark eyes narrowed in confusion. “Why? Why would you bother?”
“You saved Lilly last night. Am I right?”
“I was too late, Archer. Surely you know that much.” Jack shook his head.
“It could have been far worse, aye? And for that I owe you.” Mason pushed away the horrors he’d seen, for it’d be too easy to imagine Lilly in the place of last night’s victim.
“I’d like to see her one last time. Please. If you owe me a favor, then let it be that. For you know I’ll not see her ever again once you give me to the Elders.”
“Aye. Very well then.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Lilly decided she could indeed do with a soak in the tub. She felt as if she’d not washed in weeks, and her skin was tender as if it were made of delicate paper, every touch too much to bear. She had not remembered being hurt in her struggles with Stefan, but then again, there was little she did remember.
She slipped into the hot water, every nerve on fire. It took some time to adjust to the temperature, but she soon found herself distracted by everything that had just happened.
Stefan.
Not once had she thought him the murderer—or Jack’s son, for that matter. With hindsight, the resemblance was certainly there, not only with Jack but with his wife—her exotic looks. Both Jack and Stefan were so dark and brooding, with tragic good looks—even if it sent a shiver down her spine to think of Stefan in that way. Perhaps she didn’t see the connection because she was so used to seeing Jack in the form he’d taken as a reaper.
There was so much she didn’t remember. What exactly had happened to her? Now knowing Stefan was likely the murderer, she was desperate to figure out what had occurred. Panic bubbled inside her, as she scoured her mind for her missing memories. She remembered running into Stefan, and trying to get free, but everything after that was a chaotic mess of images that made little sense, the opiates keeping her shackled to her nightmares.
There had been Mason and then Jack. And she now remembered one more thing.
There had been pain.
***
In a futile attempt to drown out her imagination, Lilly proceeded to get drunk, so that when Mason finally walked into their room, she was in a state.
“Lilly? What’s happened, love?” Mason sat by her side, blocking her view of the fire, where she’d spent the last hour watching the flames and glowing embers.
She shook her head to clear it, attempting to pull together her thoughts. “Did you find him?”
He brushed her cheek. “We did. Jack, too.”
“Oh.” She had not thought they’d catch Jack. In a way, she thought he’d elude them forever. Her head was swimming but she tried push through the spirits. “What happened?”
“Stefan’s dead, love—by Jack’s hand.” The words were like a punch to the gut. Poor Jack. She knew how much he loved his family. To take the life of his own son… she could not imagine the despair he must be feeling.
Mason touched her cheek in a tender gesture, and Lilly knew there was more. “Jack’s here and would like to see you one last time.”
One last time… she knew what that meant, for the Elders would make sure he paid for his part in the crimes that were committed. She nodded, fighting back tears. “Just let me get dressed in something more appropriate. I’ll be down momentarily.”
After throwing on a simple linen gown, she made her way down the stairs, her hand tight on the banister, her legs shaky from nerves, exhaustion and drink. They were waiting for her in the sitting room, but her eyes immediately went to Jack, his coat doing little to mask the blood on his clothes.
“I’d like to speak to her alone, if possible.” Jack looked from Mason to Pierce, his face drawn and weary. Mason nodded and then tilted his head in Pierce’s direction when he started to protest.
“I’m so sorry it came to this, Jack.” She moved closer to him, but there was too much blood—so much blood spilled in this sordid affair.
“Lilly… I cannot apologize enough for dragging you into this mess. It had not been my intention to involve you in any way. I failed you, love. Failed to keep you safe from my son, and for that, I’ll never forgive myself. I only hope that in time, you’ll not hate me.”
“Hate you?” She was confused, and the spirits swimming in her head weren’t helping. “I don’t understand. Why would I hate you?”
“How could you not? It was my involvement that put you in his line of sight.
He followed you from my home when you first came looking for me. As for the rest… I’m so terribly sorry I did not stop him in time. I was too late…” His face crumpled, and the anguish in his voice sent a shard of panic racing through her.
Desperate for answers, she closed the distance between them and grabbed his arm, her voice shrill and strained. “What happened to me, Jack? I cannot remember.”
He closed his eyes and shook his head, before finally catching her in a gaze filled with pain and sorrow. “Nothing… nothing happened, my love.” He stammered his words, and another wave of panic washed over her. “Do take care.”
But before she could say another word, he touched her cheek, his fingers lingering, and then with a brush of the lips in a farewell kiss, he walked out the door.
***
She looked up through her tears when Mason walked into the room and to her side. He’d been gone but an hour, but she knew in that time, he’d handed Jack to the Elders.
“What will they do to him?” She feared the worst.
“I pleaded for leniency, though I don’t know if I swayed them at all. The circumstances were unique, and partly the fault of Jack being a reaper.” He cupped her face, running a thumb across her cheeks to wipe her tears away.
She let out a ragged sigh to try and bring her tears to an end. “I know you had your differences, but I want to thank you for speaking on his behalf.”
“It was the least I could do. You’d been right about him all along.” His words and the shadow that crossed his eyes, made her wonder about Stefan, about Jack. Jack had apologized, but for what?
“Mason, what happened to me?” Not knowing had her on edge, like she was walking the edge of a cliff about to plunge into the rocky waters below. “I’ve only been able to recall snippets of what occurred.”
He looked down and took her hands in his. “You cannot trust your memory, love. Who knows what concoction of drugs he gave you. It’s best if you put it out of your mind.”
She’d known Mason long enough to know he was hiding something from her—something she had every right to know. Anger bubbled in her gut, and she pulled her hands away. “I need to know, Mason. I have a right.”
His eyes held hers with a hard gaze. “There’s to nothing know. This is over, Lilly. Finally. And I’ll not be rehashing this nightmare over and over, looking for answers that don’t exist. Do you hear me? I’ll not do it. The Elders are dealing with Nelson, Jack’s been caught and Stefan’s dead. There’s nothing more to go over.”
He was infuriating. Even in marriage, at the first sign of difficulties, the chancellor always came out to override her. “I’ll not let you dictate and bully me, Mason. Not if you want this marriage to mean anything.”
“So now it means something to you? Or do you need to find Corwin to compare us once more.” Mason got up to pace, running a rough hand through his hair.
Refusing to back down, she got up and stood in his way. He was deliberately picking a fight with her, and if it was a fight he wanted, then a fight he’d get. Even if it seemed a lifetime ago with all that had occurred, it’d only been days since Corwin brought up the convenience of her marriage.
“As for our marriage, it makes one wonder about the sheer coincidence of its timing. Corwin shows up and suddenly marriage is the only way to keep me safe. And I’d not mind marrying you, Mason, but for the fact that it seems like it’s no more than a play for power, and once the game is over, you’ll be bored and walking out the door.” All her fears came to the surface.
“Is that what you really think of me? Of our marriage?” He actually sounded hurt, the anger in his voice gone. “If anyone’s looking to walk out on what we have before it’s ever had a chance, it’s you, love. Not that I can blame you. ”
He was right—and the realization was a like a slap to the face.
She hadn’t committed fully to their marriage—to Mason—even if she’d pushed Corwin away. She dropped her head in her hands, overwhelmed. “What happened to me, Mason? I need to know. I need to fill in the pieces I’m missing and decipher the parts I have.”
He took her hand and pulled her into his arms, as she choked down a sob. “You’re out of sorts, love.”
“I need answers, Mason. And I need the truth, not only about what happened to me, but about our marriage, and where we stand.” She could not continue like this, not knowing.
He steered her towards the sofa before the fire, and sat down next to her, nestling her against his side, his strong arms wrapped around her. Lilly swallowed the lump in her throat, and then laid her head on his chest, wondering if her world would come crashing down around her. Tears pooled in her eyes, and though she was desperate for answers, she wondered if it’d not be better to live in a happy oblivion for as long as she could.
“Lilly, I know we rushed into this marriage, but believe me when I tell you, in that moment, with Nelson ready to cause you harm, I could think of no other way to keep you safe. Might there have been another way? Well, I suppose strangling the bastard might have worked.”
She choked out a sound, half laugh—half sob. “It’d have been a sight I’d be happy to see, with all the troubles that man’s caused.”
Mason kissed the top of her head. “I’d do anything to keep you safe, love, but I’d also do anything to make you happy. If this marriage isn’t something you want, I’ll find a way to have Damon dissolve it.”
Her heart felt heavy, and she knew not what to say. “I made it clear to Corwin that I want to make this marriage work, but I still cannot shake the feeling that you’ll break my heart and I’ll not recover from it. I don’t know if I can do this, Mason.”
“Lilly, I’ll admit, the realization that I love you came about rather suddenly, and I think it’s because I’d been ignoring my feelings for so long. But my love for you is true, and the thought of losing you makes me insane. I swear, I’ll not hurt you, love, but…” He let out a ragged sigh and ran a hand over her hair, letting it linger. “You need to know that I also failed to keep you safe. I failed you when you needed me most and I don’t know that I deserve you.”
Her muscles were knotted with worry, for she’d seen what Stefan had done to those women. She looked up at him, only to see her worry mirrored in his eyes. “I’m sure you did all you could to keep me safe. I do not blame you for what occurred, but I still need to know what happened. I keep imagining the worse and cannot bear it.”
He ran a thumb across her cheek and kissed her. “Are you sure, love? You understand, I’d only be guessing at what actually happened and I think it’s best you put this all behind you.”
“I can’t move past it unless I know, Mason. Please… you’re good enough at your job to know what happened to me.” She knew to expect the worst based on Mason’s behavior, but what exactly would the worst be with a madman like Stefan?
He pulled her close once more, and rested her head on his shoulder. She understood he’d not be able to look at her while speaking of his suspicions.
“You were alone when we found you, but I suspect Jack put a stop to Stefan just before we got there. You were unconscious, love—and naked. And there was so much blood.” She heard the anguish in his voice, and knew it was too much, even for him.
Her heart pounded, as more of the pieces fell into place. Too many pieces. And it was suddenly all too much. Despair filled her as she choked back a sob, her nightmares coming back to haunt her with a new realization as to what had happened, the veil lifting.
Realizing she needed to hear no more, he held her tight. “You’re safe now, aye? I swear, I’ll not fail you again. Please, say you’ll stay.” She turned to face him and he brushed her cheek, his eyes locked on hers. “I love you, Lilly.”
He was so unlike the chancellor—the man—he’d once been. He had changed. He had put her first, before his position. Put her first above his own safety.
She now knew that he did indeed love her. But more importantly, she knew she truly loved him, and she trusted him—trusted
him to be by her side, trusted him to not break her heart.
Her heart raced, knowing now, what she should have known all along. “I love you, Mason. I’ll stay, if you’ll have me.”
“Aye, love. My heart’s yours. Yours and no others.” He kissed her, sweet and tender. “Now that this is over, there’s one more thing.”
***
Though Mason had been nothing but sweet and loving, Lilly knew him well enough to suspect he was keeping something from her. He’d arranged for them to go on holiday now that the murders were over with, but she had not expected to end up in Edinburgh, of all places.
He linked his fingers with hers as he led her through the park and to a bench. It was a rare sunny day, despite the coming winter. Rays of light streaked through the clouds that lingered, adding a warmth to the chilly temperatures.
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