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Muffled voices had me clicking off the phone. “Yeah, he knows it’s coming. Not really sure what he thinks about it, but I’m not waiting. Lily’s belongs with me. If I can’t marry her, my ring will be on her finger until the day comes, however long that may be.”
The door opened and Brace and I stood as Lilian walked out. Her eyes were puffy and I immediately headed in her direction.
“Remember to call me if you need anything.” The blonde woman’s eyes narrowed at seeing me, but she stayed quiet.
“I will, thank you.”
My arm went around Lily’s shoulders as we headed for the exit. Brace followed behind and I stayed quiet until we made it to the car. “You okay?” I pulled the strap over her chest, buckled her in, and kneeled down, staring deep into her eyes.
“Yeah, I think so. Reliving all of that just wears me down. I feel better, though.”
“As long as you’re okay.” I gave her a light kiss on the lips and stood, shutting her door. Brace was walking in the opposite direction of the parking lot and I waited until he got closer to the SUV before I moved. Lily watched me warily and I wasn’t sure why. Did she know I suspected that she was having Brace follow us? Did she not trust me or was Brace truly just being safe? I got in, buckled my seatbelt, and started the car.
“You feel like telling me how things went in there?”
A sniffle had her wiping her nose. “Eight to nine months. That’s the average of how long I’ll have to go through this. That’s why I’m upset. My doctor said it could become manageable before then, but there’s no telling. I just can’t imagine having these flashbacks for that long. And, yes, they might not happen every day or even every week, but it just seems like a long time. Especially when you throw that number out of the window and face facts that this could continue forever.”
“Or never again,” I assured.
“I just want to be normal.”
Where I thought she’d burst into tears, she didn’t. Lilian’s face turned hard, but a tear still escaped.
“What is normal other than someone else’s view of the way things are supposed to be? It’s bullshit.” My hand cupped her cheek. “I’ll be here for you, no matter what happens. If it continues forever, then so be it. You have nothing to fear with me by your side. When you return from whatever scares you, I’ll be there to hold you and remind you that there’s no reason to be afraid. I’ll take care of you, Lilian. Forever.”
Her hand reached out and grasped my wrist, holding it while I kissed her again. When she pulled back, she gave me a grin.
“There, I like that. Keep smiling, baby girl. That’s what I love to see on your face the most.”
I started the car and took off toward Lily’s building. The drive was hindered by traffic but we made it to the parking garage just in time to see Slade walking toward his car with Mary and his guards in tow. He waited until we parked and got out.
“I was just about to head out to do a little shopping. How’d the appointment go?” His attention went to Lily and she stepped in closer to me. My arm automatically pulled her to my side.
“It went good. I still have quite a ways to go before things get back to the way they were, but I feel better now that I’ve talked about it.”
Slade nodded. “Good. I’m glad to know you were able to open up to your doctor. It’ll do you well.” He paused. “Listen, I was going to call a little later, but I should just tell you now. I talked to Mr. Volstin. He changed his mind about the meeting in the morning. He wants to discuss things over dinner. Be ready by six. You can ride with me. It may take a few hours to negotiate what I have in mind, but it has to be done.”
Lily’s head lowered, only for her to look up at me confused. I could tell she was torn on what to do. This was her job, but I knew she was worried about our plans.
“Go. We’ll have dinner tomorrow night.” I gave her a reassuring squeeze and I could feel the tension in her shoulders ease almost immediately.
“Thanks,” she whispered to me. When she turned to her brother, her confidence was back. I could so clearly see it by the way her face became serious as she took on her business expression. “I’ll be ready at six.”
“Good. See you then.” Slade turned and headed toward his car where Mary was waiting. She gave a wave that Lily returned. Brace and Caleb were getting out of the SUV and they trailed behind as we made our way to the elevator.
“I’m going to leave you here,” I said, turning Lily to face me. “I have a few errands to run. Are you going to be okay?”
There was surprise on her face while she peered up at me. “Yeah, I mean, I’ll just be getting ready in an hour or two.”
“Rest before then. You need all that you can get after what you just went through. If for some reason you need me, don’t hesitate to call. I’ll come right back.”
“I will.” There was strength in her voice as she stood tall. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in my slave. She’d been through so much, but if I knew anything about Lily, she was a fighter. She’d come back from this and the setback would only make her stronger in the end.
Brace and Caleb led her inside and my stomach dropped as the doors shut. I knew what I was about to do had nothing to do with rings or visions of fancy romantic engagements. It was time I found out if Saul was trying to locate me, and I didn’t even have to go back to my car to find out. If anyone had talked to the front desk of my old building, they’d tell me. What I discovered would set the path on what I needed to do. Or…who I needed to deal with.
Chapter 43
Lily
