Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
KINCAID
Four days.
Four-fucking-days!
She has been in bed, unmoving, not eating and only managing to keep down the water we are forcing down her throat.
The fever has yet to break. The three of us are taking turns laying with her and keeping her warm.
Huxley and Stone have headed into town to grab some supplies, leaving me alone here with her.
Having her in my arms feels so right yet wrong at the same time.
“Mom.” I tense at the sound of her voice. She keeps mumbling incoherent things and we haven’t been able to make sense of what she is saying for days.
“Shhhh,” I coo as I gather her up and pull her against me, then run my fingers through her hair. She’s still burning up and I just know that if this fever doesn’t break soon we’ll need to end this thing and take her to the hospital.
“Don’t… make me lie…” I tense and close my eyes, biting back my anger, now is not the time for me to lose my shit over her sending me to prison.
“Not Stone.” My eyes snap open at the sound of my son's name. My breathing turns erratic as I wait for her to keep muttering but she’s silent for so long I fear she won’t speak again.
“Kin…” My name sounds like a plea and the urge to comfort her and take away her pain is fierce.
“He didn’t touch me.” The oxygen inside me evaporates.
I wait with bated breath for her to keep speaking.
I’m hanging onto every word yet she remains tight lipped.
I didn’t realize how much I wanted to hear her reason why she lied about me until now.
I want—no, I fucking need to know why she lied.
The one night she came to me after her mother took off on another one of her benders, shit got out of hand.
I knew she was sleeping with my son and that he and Hux loved her, but I never stopped her when she dropped to her knees in front of me and sucked my dick.
I wanted her so fucking badly but she was off limits. She was my stepdaughter, and me lusting after her was wrong. But then she turned eighteen and everything changed.
“Dad?” I shake my head to clear my thoughts and look over to see Hux and Stone standing in the doorway with worry lines marring their faces.
These boys are here because of me. I made them put their lives on hold for my revenge.
I stole Lennon from her life at college and I had no fucking right to do that to any of them.
I close my eyes and exhale slowly before finally looking at my boys again.
“Get her some clothes, we’re taking her to the hospital.
” The shock on their faces is granted, for two days they have been begging me to take her to a doctor and I refused.
I didn’t want to admit it to myself but I was terrified of losing her.
Once she woke up and was fine, I wouldn’t be able to get to her again.
The fear of never being able to touch her, hold her or kiss her has been what’s holding me back, but that was selfish.
I’m done lying to myself.
Yes, I blamed her for robbing me of time with my son and ruining my life, but the real reason I was so angry with her was because she broke my heart and I didn’t even see her betrayal coming.
Stone sat in the back seat with her while Hux rode shotgun beside me. The snow covering the roads made the drive slow but as we pulled up in front of the entrance of the hospital my real fear kicked in.
I know Lennon’s friends would have reported her missing and the second we walk in there with her and they recognize who she is, cops will be swarming this place in minutes. Resigned to my fate, I put the car in park, then turn to look at both Hux and Stone.
“You two aren’t coming in.”
Both of their faces morph into anger. “Fuck you,” Stone bites out.
“You can’t stop us,” Hux adds.
I reach over and grip the back of Huxley’s neck and pull him in until our foreheads touch. “You’re a good fucking man, Huxley Verlies, and I know you love my son, which is why I’m asking you to do the right thing here.”
“What are you asking me, Kin?” he asks hesitantly.
I try to smile reassuringly but fail. “I’m going to take her in there and you are going to take Stone back—”
“I’m not fucking leaving you or her.”
I ignore Stone’s protest as I push on. “—to the cabin. When I take her in there and give her name, they will have cops here in minutes and I won’t have either of you two going down for kidnapping a college girl when it was my idea.”
Huxley’s eyes widen in fear as he reels back and shakes his head. “Kin, I can’t—”
“I’ve survived prison once, I will do it again, but I won’t be able to live inside a cage again if I know the both of you are in there with me.
I need you to do this for me.” His mouth opens but no words come out.
I turn to my son and smile. His eyes are filled with unshed tears and that shit fucking breaks me inside.
“Dad, I can’t let you do this,” he whispers.
“You can and you will. I got this, Son, but I need you to let her go when I step out of this car.” He shakes his head, trying to deny what I’m saying so I push on.
“Live your life, Stone. You and Hux deserve that. You have enough money to never work a day in your life and travel the world. Don’t throw your life away like I did.
Your grandfather's investments are still generating millions each year. You will be fine, Son.”
I step out of the car without waiting for his response and move to the back to pull the door open. I lean in to gather Lennon in my arms but Stone won’t let go. I shoot Hux a look, begging him for his help. With a defeated nod he reaches back and grips Stone’s shoulder, drawing his focus to him.
“You have to let go. We will fight this and help him however we can but we can’t do that if we are all arrested.”
“He’s my dad.” Stone fights back.
“And I always will be, Son. It's my job to look out for you so let me do that.” I manage to pull her free of his hold and gather her in my arms. I look back at both of them and nod. “Get out of here and don’t come back. I love you both.” Hearing my son scream for me and begging me to not go will haunt me for the rest of my days, but I don’t look back as I keep heading for the entrance.
Once I enter I call for help. Nurses begin rushing toward me.
Before they take her from me, I place a soft kiss on her lips.
“I will search a hundred worlds for you and live a hundred lives just so I can find you in every life and love you, my little convict.”