Chapter 28
ASHER
Ididn’t return to Lily’s bedroom when I snuck back in. I was still shaking with rage and didn’t want to upset her even more, so I crept upstairs and sat on the floor of the shower for about an hour before falling into the single bed in Ronan’s room.
Easter Monday is quiet. I sleep in, not rising until after ten, only to find Lily still asleep. I watch her for a few minutes, the torment that was contorting her face the night before gone in this relaxed state.
She really does look beautiful. It’s tempting to just slip in under the covers with her, but before the blowup with Alex and the twins yesterday, things weren’t right with us, so I leave her in bed to give her some space.
I’m not exactly sure why Lily didn’t tell the twins that they had a sister, but by her reaction, she thought she was doing the right thing.
I don’t know how she does the whole parenting thing.
I can’t imagine what it must be like to be responsible for another human.
Let alone two. Lily has done an amazing job of raising her sons, and I guess me, too.
She’s only human. She’s not perfect and bound to make mistakes, and I know for a fact that parenting was made ten times harder for her because of Alexander.
By the time Lily rises, it’s a little after noon. I’ve been in the kitchen for a while searching the internet on how to make eggy bread. Not hard, by all means, but since I only ever used to help Lily with dipping the bread in the egg mix when I was younger, I have no idea what goes into the mix.
My first attempt is pretty fucking good, if I do say so myself.
“Something smells good.” Lily forces a smile in my direction as she enters, her voice husky. Probably from all the crying she did last night.
“My first attempt at eggy bread.” I slide a plate of what I cooked across the counter towards her, and she stops it with her hand, glancing over the food.
“Well, it looks and smells mouth-watering.” This time, when she looks at me, her smile is real.
Fuck, I’ve missed seeing that.
“Eat,” I insist, shooting her a playful wink and smirk, and she nods, rounding the bench to sit on one of the barstools.
I finish plating up my serving and take the seat next to Lily, where we both eat in silence. Well, except for the sound of Lily moaning around mouthfuls every now and then.
It makes me hard instantly.
When we’ve both finished eating, we sit in silence for a long time. It’s not an awkward silence. More like the kind of silence that comes from reflecting, or having your mind consumed with thoughts.
“I’m sorry about yesterday.” Lily’s regretful voice breaks the silence. “And the night before.”
Frowning, I turn on the barstool to face her.
“You don’t need to apologise for anything. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more to get Alexander out of here sooner. You and the twins don’t deserve the chaos he’s brought.”
Lily shrugs, keeping her eyes focused on her empty plate.
“Maybe I do deserve it. I should’ve told the boys sooner. They deserved to know.”
Reaching out, I take Lily’s hand, her head turning in my direction as her pained eyes meet mine.
“They did, but that’s not all on you, Lil. Don’t beat yourself up about that.”
Her eyes pool with tears as she studies me. “I can’t help it. If my boys are hurting, then I’m hurting.”
When a tear spills over, I reach out and wipe it away with my thumb, her head leaning into my touch as more tears fall.
“Come here,” I whisper, reaching for her, and she comes easily, letting me pull her onto my lap, straddling me on the barstool.
Wrapping my arms around her, I squeeze her close as she cries silently, and fuck, I wish I could take away her pain.
She’s the most loving mother I’ve ever met.
I know it doesn’t really seem fair to compare her to my mum, but knowing Lily and how much she cares for her sons, and even me growing up, it gave me hope.
It showed me that there are people out there who sacrifice for their children and their families.
It showed me what love was really meant to be like.
Not transactional like my parents’.
Real love is unconditional, and Lily Bennett’s love for her family is absolutely unconditional. I know Jude and Ronan feel that way, too. They just need to move past their anger first.
When Lily’s silent tears start to dry up, she peels herself from my lap and leaves the room to clean up her face, her eyes still looking red and puffy when she returns ten minutes later.
I’m flicking channels on the TV when Lily sits in her armchair, putting space between us which annoys me, but she’s dealing with something bigger than my need to have her close every fucking second, so I force myself not to take it personally.
“Stop there,” Lily yells all of a sudden, and my finger hovers over the channel button on the remote in time to see the news headline.
Two unrelated brutal murders at the same location prompt police to step up patrols and the manhunt for the Crimson Angel.
I frown as I take in the images on the screen, recognising the street my mum lives on, and the house across the street from where I hid in the shadows last night.
On the concrete path is a tarp draped over the form of a body as detectives stand around the scene, talking, or taking photos. Then the screen pans out to the house behind it as a body bag is being carried out.
“What the fuck?” I whisper, my panicked eyes darting to Lily before returning to the screen.
Lily clears her throat. “Isn’t that near your mum’s house?”
“Yeah,” I mutter.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Carlo died?
I must’ve beaten him worse than I thought.
Fuck!
I guess it’s possible, given the rage I felt. I hadn’t meant to do that, though. I wanted Carlo to deliver a message to Monty for me.
“Turn up the volume,” Lily insists, and I obey, my gaze staying locked on the screen as the news reporter’s voice fills the room.
“Detectives have released the note that was brutally attached to Gilbert Dorrington’s lifeless body. Please be warned. What you are about to witness may be distressing to some viewers.”
A crinkled, bloody note appears on the screen with a torn hole near the top that must have been where the note had been attached to the victim.
MY NAME IS GILBERT AND I’M A RAPIST.
I WORKED FOR JULIAN AND STUART MACKENZIE
WHO ARE ALSO RAPISTS.
THEY ARE SEX TRAFFICKERS AND ARE CURRENTLY HIDING FROM THE CRIMSON ANGEL BECAUSE THEY ARE GUILTY MOTHERFUCKERS AND KNOW THAT WHEN SHE CATCHES UP WITH THEM, THEY WILL SUFFER FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO EVERY SINGLE VICTIM. TEN THOUSAND TIMES OVER!!!
“The Crimson Angel was there?” I say, shocked as I shake my head, wondering when that happened. Was it before or after I was there? What would the Crimson Angel have done if she saw me beating a man to death?
The reporter continues speaking.
“Detectives say that although there have been two murders in close proximity to each other in Hedgwick, they don’t believe the two are related given the different nature of the murders.”
“Hmmm,” Lily hums, and I frown, glancing at her.
Her blue eyes are fixed on the screen with interest, not looking concerned or even disgusted by what she’s watching.
“Who are Julian and Stuart MacKenzie?” I ask, and Lily responds absentmindedly.
“You’ve probably seen their faces on TV before. They are twins who claim to advocate for world peace and women’s rights. It’s a front to give them better access to innocent girls and women to extort or sell.”
“How do you know it’s a front?” I ask, and her eyes widen a fraction before turning to me.
“Oh. I think I heard something about it on the radio a while ago.”
She’s lying. Again.
I watch as she nibbles the inside of her cheek… her fucking tell.
I could call her out on it, but I don’t want to push her away when we’ve come this far. I need more time to figure things out before I let her know about her tell, if I ever do.
Right now, it’s the only way I know things aren’t what they seem with her.
Nodding at her statement, I pretend to accept her words, and we both glance back at the TV.
“Maybe you should reach out to your mum and make sure she’s alright,” Lily suggests, and I relax back on the couch.
“She’s fine. I’ve been checking on her occasionally,” I lie.
I’ve only swung past there once, which nearly ended badly for me.
Fuck.
“You have?” Lily asks, leaning back in the armchair to curl her legs under her body as she glances back at me.
Fuck, she’s beautiful. Even with her red, puffy eyes, she’s nothing but perfection to me.
“I have.” I nod. “She hasn’t seen me, of course. But I’ve been checking on her.”
“If you want me to check in with her, I will,” she offers and I frown.
“No way am I sending you anywhere near Monty,” I hiss, and she smiles.
“I can handle the likes of him.”
Smirking, I nod, her fiery copper hair making her blue eyes more vibrant under the glow of the TV.
“I’m sure you can.” I chuckle. “But I’d rather not have you in the same vicinity as scum like him.”
She smirks back, her cheeks flaming red before her face falls.
I’m about to ask her what’s wrong when she speaks, her words just above a whisper.
“Have you heard from the twins?”
Shaking my head, I pull my phone out to re-check. I haven’t heard a thing from them. They haven’t even reacted to the string of texts I’ve sent asking if they’re okay.
It’s never good when the twins go radio silent. I can only begin to imagine the shit they’re getting themselves in. Probably wasted. On a bender of some sort, up to their necks in uni pussy.
I hope it eases their pain for now.
“Nah. They haven’t responded to my messages,” I say honestly, glancing back up at Lily in time to see her expression fall even more. “They’ll be alright, Lil. They’re probably blowing off some steam, and once they have it out of their systems, they’ll reach out.”
She nods and curls in on herself while I start flicking through the channels again until I find a movie I know she likes.
Mr and Mrs Smith.
The rest of our Monday is quiet. Lily falls asleep in the armchair, and I fight the urge to start playing with her while she’s unconscious.
She isn’t in the right frame of mind for me to take advantage of her like that, so instead, I go to my room to collect my sketchbook and charcoal, and spend the afternoon sketching my sleeping beauty.