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Lennon smiles, walking over to give him a kiss. She’s careful to make sure she doesn’t deepen it, so it doesn’t ruin her lipstick. They insisted on driving us, just in case, uncaring that they’d be cooling their heels outside of the conference room.
“I don’t care how long the meeting takes, I have work to keep me occupied,” Orion murmurs, gesturing to his laptop bag as we leave the house, making sure to set the alarm. “Please make sure you all break for lunch. You’ve been a little bit crankier the last couple of days when you’re hungry.”
I snort, because it has gotten worse. Greg has taken over her sparring and knife training, insisting that she be armed at all times. So now, when Lennon mutters to herself about killing for a sandwich, we all run to feed her because she’s capable of it.
Lenny rolls her eyes as we walk to the car. “I’m growing a little person that makes me sleepy and hungry all of the time, I think I should get a pass,” she says and I smirk.
“And you look beautiful while doing it,” Turner confirms, earning a blinding smile from Lenny.
Getting into the car, I realize this is a turning point in our lives. We may decide never to perform again. Will I miss it?
I used to need the energy and the excitement of the performance. My drums have been an extension of myself for a long time, and while I’m itching to get a drum kit in our basement to play, my interest lies in Lenny’s safety.
I can’t go through losing her again. I won’t survive it.
The brick building we pull up to is in downtown Georgetown, and looks like it was converted from a larger home. I haven’t spent a lot of time in other southern cities, but I like how welcoming everyone has been so far here.
Stepping inside of the building, we climb the stairs to the second floor to speak to the secretary at the law office Jordan gave us the address to. She escorts us to a conference room where Jordan, Atlas, Mav, and Layla are already sitting. They offer tight smiles, while Jordan is completely relaxed.
What does the old man have up his sleeve?
“Don’t look at me like that, Roark, this meeting will be filled with good things. I just wanted to get through the holidays before we talked,” Jordan assures me, rolling his eyes.
“Alright old man,” I mutter as Lenny gives him a hug before sitting. “Please explain your almighty and wonderful plan.”
“Mav and Atlas are adamant that they areTheDarkestNightsband members forever, and do not want to end their contract. Layla,” Jordan continues and I glance at her to see if she’s upset by any of this. Instead, she nods as if Mav and Atlas have already discussed this with her. “She wants to join theDarkest Nightsnow that Leo and Albert have been fired due to their continuous snide remarks towards her.”
“I never liked them,” Lennon mutters. “What did they do?”
“They noticed that I was becoming friends with Atlas and Mav, and made it very clear that our father wouldn’t approve,” Layla responds cooly. “I found out that he was keeping tabs on me through them, and found it a gross invasion of privacy.”
Everyone scoffs or curses under their breaths at this. “James called me a whore when he saw me at the police station,” Lenny tells her.
Layla pales as she hears this. “What? Why would he do that?”
“Your dad doesn’t appreciate Lenny’s relationships, Lay,” I confess, sighing. “Turner punched him, so he was probably sporting a wicked black eye, but—”
“It sounds like he deserved it,” Layla huffs in annoyance. Mav and Atlas exchange a glance and I wonder if that’s another reason that they’re holding Layla at arm’s length.
“I’m going to have a baby, Uncle Jordan,” Lennon reminds him, steering the conversation back to why we’re here. “A tour bus isn’t the best place to raise a child. How do you propose that I continue to perform, if I’m able to get over my little fear of performing?”
All eyes turn to Lenny and she shrugs. “I’m not the same person that I was in October. I’ve tried writing, and everything has been really dark. I can’t record that, it’s just too personal. I was taken after a performance, so what if I have a flashback and freak out?”
I watch her carefully, but she’s very pragmatic in her words. “Lenny also isn’t in the clear yet,” I remind them. “Xav is still out there, so performing is off the table.”
“Lennon won’t be on the run for the rest of her life,” Layla says. “We won’t allow it. Greg has been working hard to ensure that won’t happen. So, I want to plan for the day that Lenny is safe.”
Lenny blinks furiously, hugging herself. “I don’t even know what that’ll feel like,” she gasps, struggling to reign in her tears. “I’m training every day to learn how to kill people, how do I go back to normal life after that?”
Turner is sitting the closest to her and gently pulls her out of her chair and into his lap. Running his fingers through her bright hair, he soothes her.
“This is just a moment in time, baby girl. Life won’t always be like this, I promise. You’ll be safe, our baby will be born in love and happiness, and this will all feel like a dream soon,” Turner tells her. “Let’s plan for the future, and then we can always tweak based on what comes our way, okay?”
Nodding, she takes a shaky breath, swiping at her tears. Jordan quietly grabs a box of tissues and hands it to her.
“Have you mentioned this fear to your therapist?” he asks.
Lenny shakes her head, blowing her nose. “I haven’t, but she’s a big proponent of exposure therapy,” she explains. “I need to see what she thinks, but the owner ofThe Spinning Cloudsuggested singing in one of his cages.”
