Malone's Fate (Haven, Texas Book 14)

Chapter 6

Present day . . .

Lilac stareddown at the single piece of toast on her plastic plate. She should eat it, but she knew that if she tried to she was going to choke on it.

She’d lost weight in the last six months. A lot of weight.

Her brother would be so proud. For the first time. He’d always tried to starve her into being a size two. Unfortunately for him, his staff had always liked Lilac better than him, so they used to sneak her food when they could.

So, she’d always kept some pounds on her. After her escape, well, she’d eaten whatever the hell she’d wanted and she’d enjoyed all of it. Even though she hadn’t enjoyed having to buy new clothes.

Now, nothing fit her.

Who knew that meeting the love of your life and having to leave him was what she needed to drop fifty pounds?

So, instead of eating the toast, she slid it onto Ryleigh’s plate.

Ryleigh needed it more than she did anyway. Lilac wasn’t important. Ryleigh and Opal were.

She watched Opal and Ryleigh share a look. She knew they were concerned about her. If she was in their place, she probably would be too. Yesterday, a chunk of hair had fallen out while she was washing it.

She was pretty sure that wasn’t a good sign.

“You need to eat, Lilac,” Ryleigh told her worriedly.

She hated that Ryleigh was worrying about her. She had enough going on. But Lilac couldn’t seem to shake this depression. Only one person brought a smile to her face anymore.

Ryleigh slid off the end of the bench seat across from Lilac and kneeled next to her on the floor.

Lilac stiffened while Opal let out a shocked noise. “What are you doing?”

Ryleigh stared up at her. “I’m so sorry, Lilac. This is all my fault. I never should have asked you to search them out. To speak to them. I should have been braver, should have done it myself.”

Lilac glared back at her. “You listen to me. I wanted to do it. I volunteered.”

“I shouldn’t have let you. Look what’s happened. You’re . . . you’re fading away before our eyes. You don’t eat. You don’t smile. I’m so scared.”

Fuck. What was she doing? She was being so fucking selfish.

“Get up, Ry.” Reaching for the other woman, she attempted to lift her. But she barely had the energy to move herself around.

Wow. She really was in a bad way, huh?

Ryleigh took pity on her and climbed up onto the seat next to her. Lilac wrapped her arms around her, running her hand over Ryleigh’s dark blonde hair. She glanced over at Opal, who was staring at them both worriedly.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry I’ve been worrying the two of you. But none of this is your fault, Ry. I was the one who decided to . . . to sleep with Tanner.”

To fall in love with him.

“I can’t believe he found us in Hopesville,” Ryleigh said, looking pensive. “And that it took us so long to lose his goons again.”

When she’d spotted Stefan’s goons in Hopesville, they’d hightailed it out of there. They’d been on the move for months, too afraid to settle in one place.

But things were different now. They couldn’t keep running like this.

Regret sat like a brick in her tummy. What must Tanner think of her? She hadn’t even been able to text him goodbye. Had he turned up at the bar only for her to stand him up?

Yeah, he had to hate her.

“Stefan’s going to find us again,” Lilac said. Fear filled her. Not for herself. But for Ryleigh and Opal.

And Kye.

“He can’t get his hands on Kye,” Ryleigh whispered.

“There’s no fucking way we’re letting him fucking touch Kye,” Opal said with a scowl.

“What shall we do, though?” Lilac asked.

The other two women, her best friends, shared a look. And she knew what their answer was going to be. She could feel it. They’d been heading down this track ever since she got a job at that bar, hoping to meet one of the Malones.

“We’ve got to go to them,” Ryleigh whispered.

Yeah. They did.

Or at least, Ryleigh did. They’d help her and Kye. Lilac was sure of that. If she’d learned nothing else, she knew the Malones took care of women and children.

At least, ones that didn’t cross them.

“Do you think they’ll accept us?” Ryleigh asked her.

God. This wasn’t what she deserved. None of it. Right now, Ryleigh should be enjoying this stage of her life. Not on the run, scared, worried about the future.

Worried about you.

Lilac had to pull herself together. At least long enough to get them to Haven.

And then she could leave.

“We’re nearly out of fucking cash,” Opal stated. As usual, her hair was teased up to about five times its normal volume. She liked her skirts short and her shoes high. Her make-up could best be described as loud. A lot like the woman herself.

And she was the kindest person Lilac had ever met.

Loyal to a fault. There was nothing that Opal wouldn’t do for them.

“We’ve got to do something, and we all know it,” Opal stated. “So, is this the best fucking option?”

Lilac stared at Ryleigh who was staring out the window. They’d found a place to park up last night, but they’d have to head out soon before someone came along and called the cops on them.

There was a toilet in the vicinity but no showers, so they’d all washed up as best they could with the cold water from the sink.

But Opal was right . . . they had to do something. They were running out of cash and options.

“We’re going to Haven,” she said.

Ryleigh took hold of her hand. “You’re sure? Maybe we can think of something else.”

Lilac let out a breath. “No. We probably should have gone there months ago.”

Maybe they would have if it wasn’t for Lilac and her broken heart. Perhaps, even now, they could have been safe.

“Nope,” Opal said. “We did the fucking best we could. We had to get rid of those assholes, then lie low for a while until things died down. Still don’t fucking believe all that hype. It can’t be real. Women being looked after and cared about.” She made a scoffing noise. But Opal was probably the most cynical of them all. “We still need to be sure that they can protect Ryleigh and Kye.”

“And you guys.” Ryleigh’s head shot up, looking over at them both in alarm. “You two are staying with me. Right?”

Lilac glanced over at Opal. The other woman looked uncharacteristically unsure.

“You have to stay!” Ryleigh cried.

“They won’t want us to stay,” Lilac said. “Or me, at least.”

“Well, they don’t get a say, right?” Ryleigh said. “All for one and one for all. Right?”

“We ain’t no musketeers,” Opal told her. “This hair isn’t going under no hat. That would be a crime.” She fluffed her hair. Lilac hated to think about how much damage all the hairspray it took to keep her hair like that was doing to the environment.

But right now, she didn’t have time to worry about the environment. She was busy trying to keep them all alive.

“Okay, so we’re not the musketeers,” Ryleigh said. “We’re like Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey.”

“I’m Donkey!” Opal said.

They stared at her.

“What? We all know it’s true. I’m the funny, likable one.”

“So, which of us is Shrek?” Lilac asked Ryleigh.

“Pretty sure it’s me,” Ryleigh replied. “Maybe Alvin and the Chipmunks.”

“I don’t think so,” Opal replied. “Not unless I’m Alvin. Someone like me has to have a leading role. At least a name.”

“The other chipmunks had names,” Ryleigh protested.

“Yeah? What were they?” Opal challenged.

“Well, hell. I don’t remember.”

Lilac sighed and they both looked at her.

Ryleigh took one of her hands and Opal reached over to grab the other. “You going to be okay, Lilac?”

“He’s going to hate me.” She had to fight back her tears. She’d cried enough.

It was getting ridiculous.

She’d left him. He might hate her, but she could handle it. As long as her friends were safe.

“If he does, I’ll set him straight,” Opal said.

Oh hell.

“No, don’t do that,” she said quickly as Ryleigh attempted to hide her grin. “I’ll talk to him myself.”

“Right. We have a plan then.” Ryleigh looked happier.

Dread filled Lilac. She hated living like this. Never knowing where they were going next. Not having a proper place to call home. So, she should be ecstatic that they had a plan. A place to go.

But all she felt was this sense of doom. Would the Malones actually help?

Tanner was a good guy. She’d met Raid briefly, and he’d seemed like a good guy too.

But the town . . . it sounded too idyllic.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom and then we’ll leave,” Ryleigh said.

They both nodded, watching as she left.

Kye started to cry, and Lilac walked over to where they had set up his bed. It was a wicker basket with a mattress. She had found it in a thrift store. It should hopefully do until he was three months old. If he didn’t grow too big too quickly.

Picking him up, she held him against her chest. Turning, she nearly slammed into Opal.

“Jesus, woman.”

“You’re worried,” Opal said.

“I’m sure this is the best thing to do,” Lilac lied.

“No, you’re not. You’re worried she’s pinned all her hopes on a town that sounds too fucking good to be true. On stories that her fucking useless old man sold her. We barely know these Malones.”

“Tanner is a good guy,” Lilac protested.

“Yeah, but we don’t know the rest of them. And we don’t know how they’ll react to all of this. You and I both know that Stefan isn’t going to just let us go. No matter who we’ve got on our side.”

“We need somewhere safe for Kye, though,” Lilac said. “And this is the best option we have. Plus, you know who their cousin is from that research you did.”

“Yeah, well, maybe we should go to him,” Opal suggested.

“To Regent Malone?” Lilac asked, fear filling her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. He could be just as bad as Stefan.”

“No one is as bad as Stefan,” Opal replied.

They both shuddered.

“We need to do something about Stefan.”

“Yeah? And what are we going to do?”

Lilac let out a deep breath. “I don’t know that part yet.”

That was a lie. She had a plan. Well, more like a rough outline. But if it worked then she hoped she’d save Ryleigh and Opal.

Opal eyed her. “Uh-huh. Well, when you know you need to tell me so I can help.”

Lilac shook her head. “It would be safer for me to do it alone.”

“Safer for who?” Opal asked.

“For you and Ryleigh and this sweet baby.” She breathed in the scent of him. God, she loved him. She’d do anything for him. “He’s innocent in all of this, Opal. I have to protect him.”

“And risk yourself? That’s not the way this works, Lilac.”

“Sure, it is. Ryleigh and Kye have to get through this.”

“And so do you,” Opal said. “We didn’t go through all of this to lose one of us.”

“I’m not planning on dying.” But she wasn’t sure if she cared that much if she did either.

“Glad to hear it. Whatever this plan is, I’m in, provided it isn’t a fucking suicide mission. I didn’t get out of that mess to dive back in. But I’m not letting you die either. So, you just figure out a way to get us out of this fucking mess that doesn’t involve someone other than Stefan dying.”

Yeah. She’d get right on that.

“We both know that Ryleigh is the optimist,” Opal said. “The one who has her head in the fucking clouds. We have to look out for her and this one. But you never fucking know, Haven might just be a haven for all of us.”