27. Forevermore
I move farther down the muddy path toward the lake, as far as I’ll allow myself away from Luna, keeping her within my line of sight but out of earshot. Still, I lower my voice.
“Benoit is dead.”
“You mother?—”
“I didn’t kill him.” My eyes flick back to my distraught girl, still exactly as I left her, then sweep the woods again. “But I’ll give you one guess who did.”
A pause, then Sol grits out. “The Wildes.” Rage roughens his voice. “None of this would’ve happened if you’d never stolen my daughter.”
My grip tightens around the phone.
“Let’s get one thing crystal fucking clear. You made a vow. King Fury’s kin kept our end, and we didn’t tell a soul. But somehow the Wildes found out. The only reason I had to ‘steal’ her in the first place is because you’ve got snakes in your own garden.”
I give him a second to choke on that before twisting the knife.
“You didn’t even know that Ozias was a Wilde, did you?”
“The hell he is. What did you do with him? He’s been missing since that night.”
Missing? He was supposed to be at the hospital…
I blink, pushing past that question to answer him, my voice firm. “I handled Ozias because you didn’t. And his cousins? Bart and Rufus? They slipped right past your precious shadows too. They drugged her, Sol.”
He sucks in a sharp breath. “No way that happened in my city.”
“I’m telling you… It. Did. If you don’t believe me, ask my brothers for the photo of the Pining blister pack we found on Rufus. There was some plan between him and Bart to take Luna. Maybe Ozias was even in on it too.”
Silence stretches between us, but I can practically hear him connect it all.
“We found Rufus dead,” he finally admits, less hostility in his tone. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that, I guess. “What of Bartholomew and Ozias?”
“This is the first time I’ve had signal in nearly a week, but last I heard from my brothers, Bart’s in the wind.”
Luna’s dad grunts his disapproval. “And Ozias?”
“My brothers were supposed to drop him off at the hospital, but if you haven’t seen him…
” I let the words drift before continuing.
“I’m not sure how much he had to do with it, honestly, if at all.
Hurting women’s usually off-limits with Zy.
But just in case, I gave him an invitation to fuck right off.
” My lips quirk wryly. “He won’t be smiling about much from now on. ”
“Good.” Then Sol mutters, almost to himself. “I still can’t believe this.”
“Believe it. This is like King predicted. You’ve underestimated the Wilde-Fury feud.
I was under your nose for years protecting Luna.
You really think someone just as determined to do the opposite couldn’t pull off a long con too?
I didn’t take her to fuck with you, Bordeaux.
I took her because she’s mine, and she was in danger.
If I hadn’t, who knows how far they would’ve gone.
Benoit’s death proves the lengths they’ll go to. ”
“I’ll shore up my defenses, then. We’ve never needed Furys before, and we won’t now.”
I seethe. “We’re in a war, don’t you get that? Luna’s not just your daughter anymore. She’s my wife . The Wildes will do whatever it takes to stop the pact between our families. Without me, she’s a sitting duck.”
“She’s not your wife unless she chooses it,” he snaps. “You’re forcing her into something she doesn’t want.”
I shake my head, eyes returning to the cabin. Luna finally looks at me, and as soon as our eyes meet, her expression softens.
“I don’t think that’s true anymore, Solomon.”
“We’ll see about that,” he grits. “Turn on video and give Luna the phone. I need to speak with my daughter.”
“Only if she wants to,” I shoot back, needling him even as I’m on my way back to her.
“You little…” He rattles off what I’m sure is a string of New Orleans-style French curses.
I mute him as I take the porch steps in two strides. When I’m beside Luna, I squeeze her shoulder and crouch to meet her gaze, phone extended.
“You wanna talk to your dad?”
She releases a ragged exhale, then nods, taking the phone and switching to video.
My jacket’s fallen off her shoulder, so I tighten it around her.
One because even though she says she doesn’t feel the cold, she’s trembling now, and to hell with my wife being cold.
And two… Solomon Bordeaux will kill me if he sees the bite mark I left on his daughter.
I’m not afraid of the guy, but there’s nothing wrong with having a healthy respect for your father-in-law, especially when he’s the most dangerous man in New Orleans.
I pull Luna’s head in to kiss her temple as the phone’s signal stabilizes. Sol’s scarred face appears on the grainy screen as I release her.
“Luna?”
She breaks.
“Daddy?” she sobs, voice fracturing into jagged pieces that tear my heart in two.
“Oh, ma luné ,” he croons gently. My moon . “Are you okay? Are you—wait. What the fuck happened to your cheek?”
She gasps, covering the welt, and I pull her into my chest.
“Watch it,” I snarl, my rage yanking at its leash. “Don’t talk to my wife that way.”
He ignores me. “Did that Fury boy do that to you?”
“The fuck I did.”
Luna shakes her head quickly. “No, Dad. I promise.”
I glare at him but force myself to back off, brushing her hair aside so I can meet her eyes.
“I’ll be right over here,” I murmur, pointing outside with my thumb.
She nods, and I step off the porch, giving her the illusion of privacy while keeping watch for her safety.
No way I’m going far when Wildes know where we are.
We already stayed too long, and it cost us too much, a mistake I’ll hate myself over for the rest of my life.
But now Luna needs to say goodbye, so I’ll hold our enemies at bay while she gets what she needs.
I doubt they’ll attack again. We’ve all got wounds to lick, and with the Wilde-Fury feud, there’s honor among thieves. Or there’s supposed to be. If we can’t take care of our loved ones even in death, then what the hell are we fighting over in the first place?
“I’m okay.” Her whispered voice is raw from crying. “Just a little banged up.”
She pauses. I peer back to make sure she’s okay, and her eyes lock on mine with an emotion that makes my pulse skip.
“Orion saved me.”
The words tug my heart toward hers, right until her father snaps.
“ Saved you? Luna, he kidnapped?—”
“I know,” she cuts in, looking back at the phone. I face the lake again, arms crossed. “Trust me, I’m still pissed about that. But it’s complicated now.” Her voice softens, and I feel her gaze warm my back. “He’s kind, Dad. Thoughtful. He’s saved my life more than once.”
“Are you serious?”
“Like you have room to talk,” a soft voice interrupts.
“Momma?” Luna’s pitch rises to a childlike hopefulness. “You’re there?”
“I’m here. Your dad put me up in a hotel while he was looking for you. He’s been out all night but came back to check on me.” Luna’s mom huffs, then orders firmly, “Come on, Sol, give me the phone already.”
My brows shoot up, and my grin widens. I’ve never heard the Phantom of the French Quarter get ordered around before, but it makes sense that Luna wouldn’t get all that sass just from her father.
Sol grumbles, and something rustles on the other end before Luna and her mom exchange teary hellos and updates between sniffles.
Luna’s voice lightens as she recounts what’s happened, thankfully leaving out some crucial, damning details.
By the time she’s done, my feisty girl even lets out a wry laugh.
“So, um, yeah. That’s all.”
“Oh, Lu, you’ve been through so much.” Her mom sighs, not letting Luna downplay it. “Tell me, really. You’ve seen your dad and me. You know what good looks like. Is he… is he good to you?”
“Yeah,” I hear Luna’s shy smile as she answers. “I know that’s strange.”
“No, honey… I’ve felt the way you do.” Her voice lowers to that hush only a momma has, the softness hardening a lump in my throat. “Those feelings are confusing. Terrifying even. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like this, not one bit. This life isn’t what I wanted for you.”
“That’s an understatement,” Sol scoffs.
“But don’t feel ashamed for caring for him,” Scarlett insists. “Bordeaux women have a knack for falling for the black knight.”
I pretend to scrub my chin, hiding my smile behind the ruse. Fury wives tend to do the same thing.
Luna chuckles. “Yeah. That’s another understatement.”
Wait. Falling for the black knight is an understatement?
Does that mean…?
My heart soars.
They talk a while longer with snippets about her friends making their way back to me on the light breeze.
Brylie’s pissed, apparently, insisting she should join the search even with her parents telling her to stay put and stay safe.
None of that’s a surprise from what Dash has shared about her.
Lucy’s anxiety is through the roof. Hopefully Hatch is in the know about that one.
Nox is murderous and protective over all the Troisgarde daughters now, something I can respect.
And everyone’s worried for Luna, desperate for her to come home.
Not gonna happen.
Eventually, Luna says her goodbyes, but then she calls my name, lifting the phone.
I’m already on the porch steps, stretching up to take it. The second it’s in my hand, I switch off video.
“Yeah?” I ask, walking back to the lake.
“Take care of her. I’m… I’m trusting you with one of the three people I’d burn the world over. If you hurt her?—”
“It’s not even a question.”
He exhales a grudging sigh. “After talking to her, I think I know that now.”
Pride swells in my chest, until he adds, “Which is why you need to do something for me.”
“Okayyy,” I hedge. “Only if it helps Luna.”
“It will,” he rushes out and continues reluctantly. “But she might not like it. Not if it’s too late.”
My jaw clenches. I glance toward the cabin, where she’s still curled over Benoit, and take another casual step farther down the path.
“ I already don’t like this. What do you mean?”