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“I know you’re good at deflecting, babe,” Layla says knowingly, and Lennon blushes. She’s not very good at hiding from the people who love her. “Come on, how are you really? We haven’t talked at all, and Jordan said it was partially because it wasn’t safe.”
Blowing out a breath, Lennon stretches her neck, as if to release tension “Mr. Xav, one of the men who is working with my mom, wasn’t above threatening you. It’s one of the ways he’d rile me up, or get me to do what he wanted. So, since I’m basically in hiding, I didn’t want him to decide to go after you to find out where I am. It was just better if I disappeared.”
Layla looks stricken as she processes that. “We didn’t really tell anyone that we were sisters…” she says, thinking.
“My mother told him everything,” Lennon says with a shrug. “They met years ago, and I’m pretty sure they’re romantically involved. I just wanted to keep you safe, so I did what I had to.”
She sounds blasé about it, but I was there, I know what Lennon put up with to protect the people she loves.
“But…” Layla’s lashes are wet as she blinks at her, shaking her head. “I don’t understand why they’re doing this to you. Lennon, you’re one of the best and strongest people I know.”
Lennon’s eyes look away at the floor as she thinks. “I think that may be one of the reasons they chose me,” she laughs without mirth. “Some people enjoy breaking strong, pretty things just to see if they can.”
Layla is stricken as she hears that, and Lennon turns and hugs her tightly, ready to bail on the conversation. “I’ll see you for Christmas at my house, okay? We’ll talk about things that aren’t so serious. All I can say is I survived, and I’m doing everything I can do to make sure I’m never taken again, okay?”
Lennon goes to move away and Layla holds her tighter, shaking her head. “Wait, wait. You can’t go yet. You have a house? We don’t have to talk about what happened if you don’t want to, but I want to know about other things. Will you tell me?”
Lennon is quiet for a second before she gives a quiet, “Yes.”
I stand taller, because her answer was too damn soft. Roark is moving before I can, squatting in front of her. “Lenny, look at me, honey,” he commands.
Layla lets her go, and Lennon turns to look at Roark. “Hey, you’re doing so good,” Roark praises and she nods, even as the tears start to fall. “We can go whenever you’re ready, okay? You don’t owe anyone anything.” His eyes drill holes into Layla, and she looks away, ashamed for pressuring her.
“I’m okay,” Lennon whispers.
“Make me believe it,” he growls.
Her fingers tap on her thigh, and Atlas and Mav’s eyes are drawn to them.
“Lenny, have you been writing at all?” Mav asks carefully, watching how her fingers tap as if to music only she hears.
“Here and there… but it’s all been really dark. No one wants to listen to that,” she whispers.
“I always want to hear your words, even when they hurt. You know that, right?” Atlas asks her.
I feel as if I’m watching something I don’t understand, and my eyes stay on them, trusting the agent outside to cover us for any dangers while I’m distracted.
“You don’t want to hear these,” Lennon says with a bark of laughter that she doesn’t mean.
“Lennon O’fooking Reilly,” Mav barks, and her eyes snap to him. I’m ready to step forward to stop whatever this is, but see Turner and Roark are smirking.
“Fuck, what?” she whines and he gestures that she stands. Roark gets off the ground, taking a step back and crossing his arms.
Lennon gets up, her dress climbing for a moment to flash her knife holster at Mav. His eyebrow raises even as he stands as well.
“Do you remember when you went to talk to Derek the dick, and you came to find Atlas and I to get your words down?” Mav asks.
Derek snorts at the nickname, rolling his eyes. “I’m not a dick anymore,” he mutters.
“Yeah, of course I remember,” Lennon says, ignoring Derek.
“Those words hurt, right?” Mav asks, waiting until she nods to take her hand.
“And do you remember what happened when we performed that song?” Atlas says, caging her in from behind as he prowls across the bus.
“Fuck,” she sighs. “That was amazing. It’s really too bad that won’t happen again. It’s an epic song.”
“Why won’t it happen again?” Layla asks, staring at her sister, struggling to keep her alarm out of her voice.
