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A line appeared on Pauline’s forehead, her eyebrows drawn toward one another. It surprised me that this seemed like the first time she’d truly considered such a thing.
Then again, before Nem, would I have considered it either? After growing up seeing women only used to prop up men, would I truly have been able to envision a woman taking over, to think about a man relenting to her wishes?
Probably not.
“You’ve said yourself that your sister is different, though. She is an enigma. Who is to say that what she’s done can be done by anyone else?”
I looked straight at Pauline, praying she truly heard me this time, that she listened, that she accepted it. “Your daughtersdeservethe chance to try, don’t you think? Lorien’s warped—you know it. I’ve seen no evidence that your family matters to him at all. The rumors are that he was behind the death of your husband and other son, after all.”
“There’s no proof of that,” she rushed out.
“Maybe not, but you’re too smart not to know the truth. In your heart, you know whether or not Lorien is capable of it, whether or not he did it. Do you really think Lorien can lead the family? That he has what it takes to put the needs of your family first as you have?”
“With you…” Her words trailed off, an uncertainty there.
“I can’t change him. That’s not how it works. He’s willing to run over and remove anyone who doesn’t serve him, so if you place him in that position, do you really think your family will survive? Do you think he’ll protect your daughters?”
She looked down at her hands, and I could almost see the way she thought about the wrinkles there, the spots that had come with age. Things like that could convince a person, could force them to recognize how quickly time passed and make them come to terms with a reality that they’d never wanted to see.
“So what do you want me to do? How is it that you think me betraying Lorien is going to help anything?”
“I’m not asking you to betray him. I’m asking you to let him face his own consequences. I’m only asking that you don’t hand himyourpower so he can force it on others. Let him stand on his own. Let me deal with him and face him on his own. If I lose, then I lose.”
“And if that leads to his death? If what I do results in the death of my own son? Then what?”
I pressed my lips together as I thought back to how many things I’d gone through, what I’d witnessed, and the truth spilled from my lips, my voice quiet and soft. “I’ve seen people come to power and fall. I’ve watched other families succeed and fail and do terrible things for power, and you know what I’ve seen at the core of so much of it? People willing to sacrifice their women. They sell their girls to other families to buy fleeting peace, they tell their wives to smile and stay quiet and play the part and they train their daughters from day one to be useful while their sons run amok and do as they please. All I’m asking is that you don’t sell out your daughters for the sake of a man. Don’t trade their lives and their futures to pay for his mistakes.”
And there it was, the truth that I’d buried inside me, the wound I’d carried from a lifetime of seeing myself as nothing but a product, something to be traded and used for the benefit of those around me.
I couldn’t change my past, couldn’t change what had happened, but I could damn well open my mouth and try to ensure it didn’t happen to someone else.
And now? All I could do was hope that Pauline listened.
* * * *
Vance
I’m going to put that girl over my knee and spank her until she cries. No, more than that! I won’t stop until she’s actually sorry!
Even as I thought that, I knew it was a bluff. Just seeing her face safe and sound would be enough for me to forgive her. All I wanted was her back, to make sure she hadn’t gotten hurt, to kiss her until she was breathless and understood just how much she’d terrified me.
It wasn’t the first time she’d done something like this, but it was so much worse than before. This time, she knew better than to take anything we could use to track her, which left us with no chance of finding her.
Not that I didn’t know where she’d gone. It wasn’t hard to guess exactly what her plan was.
She went to Pauline.
Which meant she’d headed straight into enemy territory, alone and unarmed. And we had no choice but to wait, because any show of force would only endanger her more.
The roar of the engine to my car was a sound that I could never forget. I was off the couch and headed toward the door before it even fully registered in my head.
I refused to feel relieved yet, though, not until I actually saw her, until I knew she was okay.
Hayden was at the door when I reached it, and he yanked it open, rushing out before me. Char was on my heels, and Tor was already outside.
My car came to a stop in the driveway, the tint keeping me from seeing inside. The door opened, and my knees nearly gave out the moment I saw the familiar brown hair, when she stood on her own.
She’s alive.
