by Mia Knight
Nora reached for her. She hesitated before she picked up her child. She held Nora close and breathed in her scent. She would protect Nora even from herself.
An hour later, they piled into an SUV with Blade riding shotgun and the dogs, Nora, and herself in the back. Three SUVs accompanied them to Aunt Isabel’s new home that she shared with her fiancé. They pulled up to a picturesque house with a garden, tidy lawn, and even a white picket fence. Lyla climbed out of the SUV and paused to take it in while she held Nora on her hip. She had a moment of deja vu even though she had never been here before. This house was what she had pictured for herself. A simple home and the love of a kind man. It was a dream that would never be fulfilled.
“Dada,” Nora said, reminding Lyla of the irrevocable path she was already on.
She pressed her forehead against Nora’s. “I know, baby.”
Aunt Isabel opened the front door and waved. “Come in!”
Blade let the dogs out, and they bolted for her aunt. She walked up to the door, flanked by security. She had to nudge her guards out of the way so she could hug her.
“Last night was wonderful,” Aunt Isabel said warmly as she took Nora who kicked her legs excitedly.
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” She smiled at Marv and held out her hand. Like last night, he wrapped her in a tight hug as if they’d known each other for years.
“Nice to see you again, darling,” he said.
She was embarrassed by the prick of tears. As soon as he let go, she moved away to hide her reaction. Being around another father figure who treated her with kindness and care was overwhelming when she was still raw from her father’s betrayal. After being duped by Steven, her walls were sky high, but Marv … He was good people. So was his daughter, Maddie, who she’d taken a liking to. Maddie was young and sweet. She reminded her of the innocent she had been before the Pyres entered her life.
“So when’s the big day?” she asked Aunt Isabel.
“We’re holding off until Marv’s son can come home from Japan. His wife is too far along in her pregnancy to travel.”
“Oh! Is this your first grandchild?” she asked Marv.
He puffed out his chest. “Yes. I can’t wait to see him.”
She tried to smile but wasn’t sure she succeeded. Marv was clearly excited for his first grandchild and was even postponing his wedding so the whole family could be there while her father tried to kill his and Beatrice refused to see Nora.
Determined not to be a fucking rain cloud, she went to the living area and was about to sit when her ass protested. Fucking Gavin.
“Where are you having the wedding?” she asked.
“Come, let me show you.” Aunt Isabel linked their arms together and led her into the backyard. “Isn’t it perfect?”
It was. Beau and Honey ran beneath the shade of some trees that had to be over fifty years old. The yard was well tended with mature plants and a riot of colorful flowers. There was a white bench placed between two trees and a stone path that wove through a small Japanese garden.
“It’s beautiful,” she said quietly.
Aunt Isabel rested her head on her shoulder. “Isn’t it?”
“I’m so happy for you, Aunty.”
Aunt Isabel straightened and looked at her with maternal concern. “And you, Lyla? Are you happy?”
The dent Marv put in her shield became a hole. Her emotions escaped, which caused her eyes to fill.
“I’m happy,” she said in a trembling voice.
“Aw, honey.” Aunt Isabel pressed their cheeks together and cupped the back of her head. “I try to see your mother every week. It’s so hard to see her that way. I know you blame yourself, but you can’t.”
She closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath.
“You have a beautiful baby and a husband who loves you. You can’t control what happens with your mom, but you have us.”
Lyla hugged her tight. “I know. Thank you.” She wanted to say more, but she couldn’t without losing it completely.
Aunt Isabel pulled back and brushed a hand down her face. “You and Carmen have been through so much. I can see the sadness in your eyes. You’re trying so hard to be happy. You’ll get there. It takes time.”
“I know. I have good and bad days.”
Aunt Isabel nodded wisely. “It may always be like that. Don’t worry about the dogs. We’ll take good care of them. They’re going to have a blast at Marv’s Utah cabin. They’ll get fresh air and get to mark all the trees.”
Lyla laughed. “Yes, they’ll enjoy that.” She hesitated and then asked, “Can I leave Nora with you for a little bit? I think I’ll visit my mom before I go on this trip.”
“Of course, dear.”
When she walked back in the house, she found Marv and Blade standing over Nora who was crawling around the living room, investigating her brand-new surroundings. Blade’s black gaze settled on her face and sharpened.
“I’m going to visit Mom and leave Nora here,” she said to Blade.
He nodded and spoke quickly to the men. They left a host of men to guard Nora while the others accompanied her. The trip to her mom’s house didn’t take long. Aunt Isabel helped them find a place near her and agreed to assist Beatrice as much as possible.
Her mother’s house was in a safe neighborhood. Lyla briefly considered getting her mom a condo, but in the end, she decided that a private outdoor space would be a great haven for her mom as she healed mentally, spiritually, and physically. She did a walk-through of the house before her mom moved in but hadn’t been back since.
The house was a one-story cottage painted a soft white. There was a tiny yard with a tree in front. Blade walked her to the door while four men brought up the back. She hadn’t brought her gun. After a nightmare like the one she had last night, she remained on edge for days after and became prone to panic attacks and even hallucinations. She didn’t allow herself to carry a weapon unless she was rock steady.
A nurse opened the door. She looked alarmed by the crowd until she spotted Lyla.
“Hi, Mrs. Pyre.”
Lyla entered the house, which was done in a very pale shade of peach, her mom’s favorite color. “How is she?”
The nurse’s eyes flicked from her to the guards before she said, “She hasn’t been eating …”
Lyla’s stomach clenched. “Can I see her?”
“Sure.”
Lyla indicated Blade should stay in the living room. She walked down the short hallway and sighed when she felt his massive bulk right behind her. He rarely listened to her. The nurse opened the door of the master bedroom, which was pitch black.
“Mom?”
No answer.
The nurse turned on the light. Her mother lay on her side facing them. Beatrice didn’t flinch when the light came on. Her feral gaze was focused on Lyla who resisted the urge to back away. No matter how many times she saw her mother, she would never get used to her appearance. Her mother’s once attractive face was permanently disfigured. Every inch of her body was covered in deep, slashing scars. Chunks of flesh were missing from her nose, cheek, arms, and legs. Her glass eye was disconcerting and because of her head injuries, most of her head had been shaved.
“Mom?”
She forced herself to move forward.
“Mrs. Pyre,” the nurse began nervously.
“I’ll call you if we need you,” Lyla said as she rounded the bed and drew back the curtains from the French doors to let in the sunlight. The room opened into the backyard, which had a tiny pond and garden.
“Get,” Blade said shortly to the nurse who hovered by the door.
Lyla turned and found Blade eyeing her mother who lay on her side facing him. Her mom wore sweats despite the warm weather. The back of her bald head was covered in deep, blunt grooves that continued down her neck and into her clothes. Lyla’s head began to buzz with homicidal thoughts as the image of her mother strapped to a bed flashed in her mind. She blinked rapidly as if that would dispe
l her memories or the metallic taste that invaded her mouth. She could still feel the buck of her gun as she unloaded into her mother’s rapists. Rage tripped through her veins, causing her hand to tingle and flex at her sides. Steven Vega was gone, but the devastation he left behind would never end. He’d left his mark, and she hated him for it.
“Beatrice,” Blade said, forcing Lyla to focus on the present.
No word from her mother.
To give herself time to get a grip, her gaze moved over the barren room and paused on the shattered mirror on the wall. She should have seen that coming. Even she avoided mirrors, and she could hide her scars. She took a deep breath and rounded the bed until she faced her mother.
“Mom?” She waited for a word or some movement and got nothing although one blue eye was fixed on her. “The nurse says you aren’t eating.”
Her mom could have passed for a statue if it wasn’t for that burning gaze.
“And I have reports that say you refuse to do physical therapy.”
The buzzing silence was getting on her nerves, as was the way her mother was staring at her with such loathing. Their time apart hadn’t improved her disposition. If anything, it seemed to have increased her hostility. If her mom had something to say, why not fucking say it?
“Is there something I can do?” she asked as she tried to read her mangled face.
“Get out.”
Her mother’s voice was a raspy croak. Nothing like the light, pleasing sound it had once been.
Lyla folded her arms over her chest. “I’m not leaving until you promise to eat.”
Beatrice’s sneer was horrifying. “You think anything you say affects me after what I’ve been through?”
Lyla had to make a concentrated effort to keep her expression neutral. She had given her mom the space she claimed to need, but the emaciated form beneath the sweats was unacceptable. Beatrice was wasting away, and she wouldn’t allow it.
“I’m not going to let you do this to yourself.”
“If you had any inkling what I went through at the hand of those monsters, you’d leave me alone.”
The last three words were said on a hair-raising screech. Her mother surged to a sitting position with a suddenness that belied her motionless state. Blade inserted himself between them, but Beatrice didn’t even notice. Her whole focus was on Lyla. She leaned forward, deformed face terrible.
“You have no idea what I’ve been through. Every moment of every day, I’m reliving it. Drugs don’t help. They even follow me in my dreams. Do you know what they did to me? Do you know what they said? How many hours I was bound while they—”
Her mother screamed and ran her nails down her cheek. Lyla leapt forward, but Blade got there first. He yanked her hands down while Beatrice bared her teeth like an animal. Blood slipped down her cheek as she stared at Lyla with a manic gaze.
“I prayed for death. I begged for it and then you come at the last second. How dare you!”
Beatrice tried to lunge, but Blade kept her on the bed. She didn’t even seem to be aware of him.
“You had no right to save me. I wanted to die. I should have died. You think this is living? A life where I need help? Where no one can look at me? You think I want to live with those animals’ marks all over me? Do you know how many times I was raped?”
She saw her mother’s face go slack as she relived the horror. Her body began to vibrate. Beatrice pressed her face against Blade’s chest and shuddered as she fought her waking nightmare. Lyla wanted to touch and soothe but knew it wouldn’t be welcome and may incite her mom to violence. She watched helplessly until Beatrice lifted her face and shoved Blade away as if he was nothing. It was another indication of just how much she changed. The doctors said the trauma was bound to change her. The woman she faced today had nothing in common with the soft-spoken submissive she had been.
Beatrice jabbed a finger at her. “You bought this house because you feel guilty.”
Lyla’s stomach clenched.
“When your dad and I needed you, you turned from us, and now you offer help? When it’s too late?”
Drool slipped out of her mouth. She wiped it away, but Lyla could see it was going to be a permanent problem because her lips didn’t meet.
“You survived against all the odds. There’s a reason you’re still here,” she whispered.
“Without your father, I have nothing.”
Whatever pity she felt for her mother vanished in an instant. Her mother had Pat on a pedestal that no one could knock him off. Even in death, her mom viewed him as a fucking saint.
“You’re still breathing. You have the ability to regain your strength. Some people are fighting for their lives and here you sit in a dark room, willing yourself to die.”
Blade shot her a quick glance, which she ignored. It had been four months. Four months of worry, sympathy, regret, and guilt. There were things she couldn’t do anything about. She couldn’t change what happened at the safe house. She couldn’t erase what Steven Vega did to her or the city. She couldn’t will away the vicious nightmares or the panic attacks, but this—this was something they could do something about. Beatrice was still here. There could be a different outcome for her. Life was within her grasp, but she turned away from it.
“I’m not going to let you waste away.”
“Watch me,” Beatrice said through clenched teeth. “They raped me in front of your father. He was crying …” Her nails curled, ready to rake down her face again, but when Blade stepped forward, she hissed at him. “They wanted something from him. He promised he would save me. He’s never let me down.” Beatrice ran her hands over her scarred head and then wrapped her arms around herself as she rocked. “I know this has something to do with Gavin. Pat would never get mixed up in something like that. He never would have let this happen to me.”
Lyla’s hands balled into fists.
“Is he really dead, or is Gavin torturing him somewhere?”
Beatrice perched on the edge of her bed, crazed eyes fixed on Lyla. She seemed more animal than human.
“Tell me the truth, Lyla!”
“He’s dead,” she said.
“How do you know?”
Her chest swelled with the need to say what had been festering in her for months. She would never get over Pat’s betrayal, and her mother’s blind naiveté and faith in him enraged her.
She stepped forward. Her hand moved to the tie at the back of her neck. She tugged on the string and let the high neck top of her dress fall. It took Beatrice several seconds to register what she’d done. Lyla waited until her eye dropped to the eight stab wounds and three slashes over six inches in length that decorated her chest. They were nothing compared to her mother’s scars, but they had clearly been inflicted to kill. A flicker of some emotion wiped the loathing from her mother’s face.
“You think I know nothing of pain and suffering?” Lyla whispered. “I know more than you think I do. I’ve been stabbed, raped, and hunted. I begged for death too, and I didn’t get it.”
The darkness in her began to spread, roused by her mother’s hatred and broken belief in a monster.
“I know what it feels like to watch someone you love be tortured to death. I watched them smash Manny’s face in. I listened to him drown in his own blood. I know what it feels like to be utterly helpless. Three years later, I still have nightmares about it every other week.”
She traced one of her scars with a shaking finger.
“The man who killed Manny, the man who laughed while he stabbed me, your husband had made a deal with him.” She couldn’t stop her lips from peeling back in a snarl. Her breathing was harsh and ragged as bloodlust raced through her. “Pat sold Nora and me to him for five hundred thousand dollars. That monster had you raped for insurance. I caught Pat standing over Nora and Carmen with a gun.”
She got in her mother’s face, blood boiling with the need for violence. She allowed her mother to see the savage she kept under lock and key and was satisfied whe
n Beatrice recoiled.
“What do you think I did, Mother?”
Blade’s arm pressed against her upper chest, ready to force her back if need be. He knew her control was tenuous at best, that she had lost what patience she had and was going in for the kill.
“I did what any real mother would do,” she hissed. “I protected my daughter.”
Her statement filled the room, which was so quiet she heard the distant murmur of the guards standing in the living room. She waited for Beatrice to make a move, but she was stock-still once more.
“He sent men to kill Nora if Pat couldn’t do it. I killed them too.” Her voice shook with rage. “You have no idea the sacrifices I’ve made, the hell I’ve been through. You never came to see me in the hospital. You didn’t care that I was fighting for my life. It was all over the news. I disappeared for years at a time, and you never asked why. All you cared about was him.”
The last word was said on a roar. Blade forced her back a step, and she let him because she was so close to leaping on Beatrice. Years of bitterness choked her.
“Where the fuck were you?” Her voice was guttural with rage. “You dare tell me I never helped? I got a job at sixteen to help pay the bills. You gave me to the Pyres because you wanted a fucking dowry for me. All you ever cared about is what you could get out of me. I risked my life to find you, to get to you in time.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. Her nails dug into Blade’s arm as she tried to control herself.
“Whether you like it to not, you’re my only living parent. Even as useless as you are in that role, you’re all I have. The only reason I’m still here is because of Carmen. She lost Vinny, and my death would have pushed her over the edge. She wouldn’t let me die, so I fought for her. Since you don’t give a shit about anyone but yourself, I suggest you find inspiration because I’m not through with you. I don’t care if I have to find someone to spoon-feed you or force you out of bed with a cattle prod. You’re not done until I fucking say you’re done. You understand me?”