Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
TOBIAS
As the plates are cleared away from our regular monthly family dinner, Dad asks me to join him in the drawing room. An uneasy feeling circles my abdomen. This could only be about one thing, and if it’s bad news, I’m not sure I’ll handle it all that well.
He pours us a drink, handing me a snifter of brandy. I take a sip and wait for the bottom to fall out of my world.
“There’s been movement in the Southall case.”
A jolt of electricity shoots through me. I was right. God, please let the movement be in a positive direction. “Oh, yeah?”
“You were right, son. There are others. Many others.”
A deep sorrow burrows into my chest. Sorrow for strangers I have a connection to, even though they’ll never know.
“Any willing to come forward?”
In some ways, I feel cowardly for not being that person, the strong one who takes the lead and drags the Southalls through the hell they deserve.
On more than one occasion, I’ve been tempted to just take them out, wipe them off the face of the earth like I did with Rebecca’s rapists.
But I regret not asking her what she wanted to do, even though she was fine about it.
These other victims deserve the chance to decide what justice looks like to them.
If no one is willing to take this through the legal system, then I’ll act.
“Yes. Several.” Dad checks his watch. “In fact, the police should be knocking on the Southalls’ door any time now.”
Relief hits me with the force of a tsunami. I take a step back. “Good. I hope they rot in prison for a long time.”
My phone vibrates. I take it out, my pulse rate spiking.
Benton
Lab results are in. Sweet contained anatrophile, a controlled rat poison that was banned in the UK in 2010. Not enough to kill, but enough to make someone pretty sick.
I fucking knew it. My gut rarely leads me wrong.
“Excuse me, Dad. I need to deal with this.” I rest my hand on my dad’s upper arm. “Thank you. For everything.”
I see the play, clearly. Felicity couldn’t get Isla through legal means, so she planned to make her sick and, I’d hazard a solid guess, point the authorities at Rebecca, then swoop in as the “safe” option for Isla.
Never would’ve happened. No judge would go up against my family, but Felicity must’ve thought she had a chance. God, to be willing to make your granddaughter ill just to try to gain custody shows how fucking evil she is.
I take out my phone and put my plan into action.
Isla’s little chest rises and falls, her cheeks pink, her arms thrown overhead. I pull up her covers and tuck them underneath her chin before bending to press a kiss to her forehead.
“Sleep well, sweetheart.”
She cuddles her bear and rolls onto her side.
I hang around, watching her for a few moments. If she’d eaten those sweets, I dread to think what would’ve happened.
“You still here?”
I hold out an arm to Wren, and she tucks herself inside, resting her head on my shoulder. I haven’t figured out yet the best way to tell her about the poison. Instead, I go with, “Dad told me earlier that they’ve found some other victims of the Southalls.”
“Oh, my God. How many?”
“Too fucking many. Some of them want to go down the legal route, so we’re supporting them in that.”
“How do you feel?”
“Vengeful. I want those bastards to suffer, to lose everything.” I shrug. “I also feel guilty.”
“Guilty for what?”
“Because I’m letting others do what I should find the courage to do. Step up and tell their stories.”
“No.” She cups my face, eyes locked on mine.
“I will not have that. You don’t owe anyone anything.
This happened to you. To you, Tobias. That means you get to decide what’s best for you.
If you’d rather stay anonymous and help in other ways, then that is your decision and it is a valid one.
Everyone has the right to make the choice they feel is best for them, and you’re making yours. ”
It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am that this woman came into my life and changed me for the better. Saved me.
“I love you. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I promise, I will always put you first. Protect you and love you and be there for you.”
“Same. This is a two-way street. I will always put you first and protect you and love you and be there for you.”
I rest my forehead against hers. “How about a bath?”
She yawns. “Do you mind if we just veg out in front of the TV? I’m exhausted.”
“I don’t mind at all. As long as we’re together, I’m good with whatever you want to do.”
We curl up on the couch and put on the TV.
To some, this may seem like a boring life.
To me, it’s all I need. My wife in my arms, engrossed in an old black and white movie, my daughter fast asleep in her bedroom, the rest of my family somewhere in this colossal old house, enjoying the company of their loved ones.
It’s the perfect life. I can only hope what I’m about to say doesn’t upset her too much.
“The results came back on the sweets.”
Rebecca sits up, worrying her lip. “And?”
“They contained a form of rat poison that’s illegal in this country.”
Her hand flies to her mouth with a muffled, “Oh, my God.”
I grimace. “Right? Not enough to kill, but more than enough to make Isla very poorly.”
“But… why? Why would Felicity want to poison Isla?”
I run a hand through my hair. “Stab in the dark? Leverage. If she could paint you as a neglectful mother then she might stand a chance of getting custody.”
“Good God. If you hadn’t…” She breaks off, squeezing her eyes closed. “What do we do, Tobias? How can we stop her from coming for Isla again and again?”
I run my tongue along the inside of my cheek.
Wonder how she’ll take this? “I called in a few favors. Earlier this evening, the police raided the La Salle residence and found the poison. Felicity will be charged with possession of an illegal substance, and she will be found guilty, which means she’ll have a criminal record.
I should imagine her arrest will be all over the news by now. ”
She ponders for a second. “How can you be sure she’ll get found guilty?”
I grin and wink. “Sometimes it pays to be a De Vil.” I squeeze her hand.
“And even though there isn’t a judge in the country who would take Isla from this house, it seems Felicity had some trouble accepting that.
A criminal record will put paid to her ever trying again.
And if she still comes at you or Isla, I’ll take care of it the De Vil way. ”
She steeples her hands over her nose and mouth and shakes her head. “You fixed all my problems,” she whispers. “You took care of every single person who hurt me.”
“I did, and I’d do it again.” I bring her hands to my lips and kiss them. “But I need to know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Does it scare you? That I’ll do anything to keep you and Isla safe.”
“No.”
The way she answers immediately reassures me she isn’t saying what she thinks I want to hear. She believes it.
“It doesn’t scare me. It makes me feel loved and protected.”
I pull her close, and we lapse into a comfortable silence. The credits roll on the movie neither of us was all that interested in, so I reach for the remote to turn it off.
Rebecca wraps her arms around my neck. “Kiss me.”
I don’t need asking twice.
My lips touch hers, soft, slow, languid. Her fingers entwine in my hair, tightening slightly. I deepen the kiss, unhurried, content to stay right here and make out with my wife. I missed this part as a teenager. I’m making up for it now.
She stands, holding out her hand to me. “Let’s go to bed.”
I rise and follow her without hesitation.
She knows who I am, what I’m capable of, what lines I’m willing to cross in the name of protecting our family, and she doesn’t flinch.
That knowledge settles into my bones. I regret nothing, not when it comes to my family’s safety and happiness.
There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them, and that truth doesn’t scare me.
Whatever was broken in me began to heal the moment I realized I loved them both.