Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
REON
She’s sound asleep when I reach my apartment.
After pulling into the parking garage under the building, I park in my usual spot.
Hiding the axe under the seat for now, I open the door, then close it quietly after I get out, before rounding the car to her side.
I ease her door open, and take a moment to check her over.
She’s a mess, but she’s safe with me for now.
I slide an arm under her knees and the other behind her back, then lift her out of the car closing the door with my hip.
Cradling her against me, I make the short trip to the elevators.
I have my own private elevator, so I don’t have to worry about anyone seeing us.
As I step inside, she stirs quietly, still clutching the knife in her hand for dear life.
A loud gasp rings out throughout the apartment when the elevator doors open directly into my place.
“Who is that, and why is she covered in dirt and blood?” My sister, Abigail, stands there, staring in wide-eyed shock at Lilith in my arms.
“Just because I gave you a key doesn’t mean you can use it whenever you please,” I tell her, as I carry Lilith into the apartment.
Lilith stirs but doesn’t open her eyes.
“Who is she?” Abigail demands.
“Lilith,” I reply, giving her nothing more.
Lilith’s eyes flutter open, and her grip tightens on the knife.
“Hannah mentioned her,” Abigail says.
“Of course she did. Now, if you don’t mind, leave.”
“No. She clearly needs my help.” My sister walks up and gently touches Lilith’s head, causing Lilith to jolt in my arms.
“It’s okay, it’s my sister,” I assure her. Lilith’s beautiful gaze finds Abigail.
“She’s dehydrated. She needs fluids,” Abigail says. “Put her in the shower. I’ll wash her.” I walk to the bathroom, and Abigail follows behind me.
Abigail went a completely different route than me.
She was in medical school but switched to nursing instead.
She’s loved it for as long as I can remember.
While I don’t see her often, she messages me constantly.
If I don’t reply, she gets infuriated and will sometimes show up like she did tonight—uninvited.
“Lilith, you need to get clean so we can check the wounds,” I say gently.
Before stepping into the shower with her, Abigail turns on the water, and I make sure it’s warm before I place her on her feet.
She is covered in dirt and grime, and god only knows what else.
Her dress is unsalvageable, so I carefully remove it after taking off my jacket.
I’m sure at one point it was red, but now it’s covered in so much dirt it’s hard to tell the original color.
There isn’t much left of it anyway, so it’s easily discarded in the corner of the bathroom.
She still has panties and a bra on, so I carefully place her under the warm spray when I notice the necklace lying on her naked, pale skin with dried blood and dirt washing over the pendant.
It infuriates me and also puts me at ease that she still has it on.
I should have kept her safe. But I’m also glad she never took it off.
Her tired eyes meet mine, and she mumbles, “But I’m really tired, Reon.”
“I know, Caterpillar. I know.”
I push her hair back, and she lays her head on my chest as the water drenches us, with the dirt and grime from the night swirling down the drain.
“Sit her down and call the nurse who does IVs. I’ll look after her,” Abigail states. Moving slowly, I lift Lilith in my arms. I turn and direct her to sit on the built-in shower bench.
Abigail removes her heels and pulls her skirt and shirt off until she’s just in her underwear, then she steps in to care for Lilith.
“You got her?” I ask because I vow that no one will ever fucking hurt her like that again. They will pay for ever thinking they can touch her.
She nods and takes hold of Lilith.
“I do this often, Reon, but please take that with you.” She motions to the knife still clutched in Lilith’s hand. I crouch down so Lilith can see me and cover her hands with mine.
“You can have it back once you’re clean. My sister will help you.” Her grip loosens, and I take the knife from her. I back out of the shower as Abigail starts to wash her. First, she runs her hands through Lilith’s hair with shampoo as Lilith rests her head against Abigail’s stomach.
“Reon, go. She’ll be fine. She needs an IV.”
I nod and inhale deeply as I exit the bathroom. Finding my cell, I press call and tear off my shirt. The doctor who answered said he would send someone immediately and ensure NDAs were signed beforehand. My phone rings immediately after I hang up with the doctor.
Soren.
I don’t answer.
Instead, I reject the call and throw my phone on the bed.
It wouldn’t be wise to talk to him right now. I will more than likely say something he won’t like, and ultimately, it will come down to one of us killing the other.
“Reon,” Abigail calls softly.
Going back into the bathroom, I find Lilith clean and asleep, leaning against the shower wall.
“You need to carry her to the bed, but be careful. Did you know she’s bleeding?”
“I had guessed so,” I reply. Lilith’s leg and arm are injured. Stepping into the shower, I bend down and lift Lilith into my arms. “I have skin glue in my drawer. Get it, please.”
Abigail grabs a towel, wraps it around herself, and does as I ask.
I lay Lilith on my bed, and she curls into herself. Her teeth start chattering, and her eyes remain closed.
“Care to tell me what happened? And if you say anything about the Forsaken Society, I will kill you all.” I turn to look at Abigail. “What? Do you really think I didn’t know?” she says with an eye roll, then gets to work on Lilith. “I just chose not to comment on it.”
“Does Hannah know?” I ask.
“No, of course, she doesn’t. You’re my brother. I keep your secrets. It’s what we do.”
With Lilith’s arm now fixed and bandaged, Abigail moves on to her leg. As she glues the wound, she shakes her head while I sit at the end of the bed. Reaching out, I place my hand on Lilith’s leg and leave it there.
“I know you have dark tendencies. I know of a lot of things going on in that mind of yours. But I thought the Society would help you. Was I wrong?” Abigail says.
“They did help for a while,” I answer, shrugging. “You mustn’t speak of this to anyone, Abigail. Swear it!”
“I won’t. I know some of those men you talk to. All of them are extremely powerful.” I nod. “But so are you, Reon. You took our father’s legacy and made it into something incredible. You are amazing, even with the dark tendencies you have.”
“I don’t think she’ll think that any longer,” I say, nodding to Lilith.
When Abigail is done, she stands, and I cover Lilith with a comforter and turn up the heat in the house.
“She was put in harm’s way. By the looks of it, she went through the wringer. Did you save her?” she asks.
“I did. I’ll always save her.”
“Well, let’s hope she sees the man you actually are, not the devil you show the world.”
The doorbell rings, and Abigail returns to the bathroom to get dressed. I let the doctor in.
The doctor doesn’t ask questions as he sets up an IV.
He looks at the wounds that Abigail worked on, and Lilith clenches her teeth through the pain while keeping her eyes closed.
I don’t know how conscious she is, but the doctor asks me to turn up the heat in the house to get her core temperature up.
I can do it easily from my phone while I am next to her.
It always surprises me how strong she is.
How resilient she is.
I stay next to Lilith the whole time until the doctor is finished.
Abigail lets him out and then comes back into the bedroom. “What are you planning to do?” she asks.
“What do you mean?” My eyes don’t move from Lilith as she makes a noise of pain in her sleep. The doctor said she will need a lot of sleep and time to recuperate.
“With her. What do you plan to do?”
“I forgot to tell you,” I say as Lilith makes a noise. “She’s my wife.”
Abigail’s eyes widen, and she shakes her head like she’s trying to determine whether the words I spewed are true.
They are.
Very true.
Now, I just have to ensure my wife won’t try to kill me when she wakes.