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“So, you were the one who broke into our cells and deposited Ida?” Earnest questions.
Carver nods and not another word is said about the cells.
“Alright,” I say as Carver takes his seat. “I don’t believe that Ida is entitled to our time this morning. Her confession has already been made. Does anybody disagree?” Heads shake all around the table and I continue on. “Very well, then we shall take a vote on how to deal with the situation. Do we adopt that same callous nature and execute her for her involvement with Paris Moustaff and the recent kidnappings, or do we show her kindness and allow her to live the rest of her miserable life in our cells? I’ll give you all a moment to consider the options.”
A minute passes and then another. “Is everybody firm with their decision, or do you need a few more moments?”
“Ready to go, Miss Ravenwood,” Matthew Montgomery says from across the table.
No objections come from around the table and I quickly get on with it. “All in favor to allow Ida Carver to spend her days in our cells, locked up until we decide otherwise?”
Hands begin rising around the table, heads flicking from side to side as everybody tries to gauge how one another is voting. Carver’s hand remains down, as does King’s, Mr. Danforth’s, and Harlen Beckett’s, all the men whose children were affected by the kidnappings. I keep my own down, wanting to stand by Carver in this, but the numbers are against us and even before continuing, we all know how this is going to go.
“Thank you,” I say. “All in favor of a private execution?”
The five hands, including my own, raise high and we quickly lower them back down. “The votes are in. Ida Carver will remain in the cells until we, as a group, decide that she should be let free. That concludes this morning’s meeting and you may all be excused to go back to your families.”
I turn to Earnest who packs up the papers that he’d prepared for today, the papers which definitely weren’t needed. “Please see to it that Ida has the basic necessities that she requires for a long-term stay in our cells and ensure that we have a guard on duty around the clock.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says, and just like that, scurries away to get it done.
I stand and find Carver still seated at the table, looking completely deflated. I make my way over to him and prop my ass against the table as King discreetly leaves the room, giving us a moment of privacy. “You were hoping for a different outcome?” I question, picking his hand up off the table and holding it in my lap.
Carver shakes his head and lets out a deep breath. “I honestly have no fucking idea what I was hoping for. I want her dead for the things she’s done to me and the girls, but—”
“No matter how you look at it, she’s still your mom and it makes you feel like the worst kind of human being for wishing her dead.”
“Yeah,” he mutters. “Something like that.”
“You’ve got to look at the silver lining,” I tell him. He raises his chin and meets my stare with a look of disbelief etched across his gorgeous face, clearly believing that there’s no such thing as a silver lining in this situation. “Despite how you voted, your sisters’ wishes were honored, and I know you don’t see it now, but in five or ten years they’re going to come to you wanting to know more about what went down here. They’re going to want answers about why she got locked up and they’re going to go through all these shitty emotions that you’re going through now, and when that happens, you’ll be able to offer them retribution.”
He watches me for a moment, his brows furrowed. “That’s why you kept saying ‘until we decide otherwise.’ You added a loophole.”
A smile stretches across my face and I watch as Carver stares back at me in awe. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He shakes his head and stands, laughing as he pulls me into him, wrapping his strong arms around my body and holding me close. “Fuck, I love you,” he says, crushing his lips on mine. “You never cease to amaze me.”
He pulls back and I grin up at him, my eyes sparkling. “Right back at ya, asshole,” I tease. “Now, do me a favor and hold on to all that pent up rage because we’ve got a date at the school tonight and I’ve never been so excited.”
Carver’s hand drops to mine and he leads me out of the room, holding the door open for me. And as I pass by him, a questioning look flickers through his eyes. “Do you think Cruz will do me a solid and let me take the big finale into my own hands tonight?”
