Page 156
Story: Princes of Ash
“You’re not like Wicker,” she says, watching me closely. “You want to be a father, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Even if…” She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “Well, what if you find out it’s not yours?”
“Verity,” I whisper, mouth forming a tired grin. “Family isn’t DNA. There’s no circumstance in this world that would make Wicker and Pace anything less than my brothers, and there’s no universe where I’d see this baby as anything less than mine.” I stroke her cheek, the awe so big in my chest that it’s almost more than I can contain. “We created him, didn’t we?”
Her eyes glisten. “We did.”
“All of us.”
She nods, and for a moment, I think two people will never be as connected as we are now, contemplating the absolute fucking enormity of what we’ve made. She takes in a long, shuddering breath. “I want you to drug test—”
“Absolutely.”
“And you’re going to talk to your brothers about this,” she stresses, glancing up in the corner. “No more secrets.”
“I will,” I assure.
“We’ll help you stay accountable.” Her hand rests on her stomach. “We need you. Not just me and the baby, but them, too. Especially after what we just went through.” When she pauses, I hear the unspoken words.
Especially for what we’ll have to go through.
I want to tell her about leaving, that we have a plan, and that I’d never abandon her in this wretched fucking basement a minute more than absolutely necessary. But Father’s eyes and ears are everywhere, and he can’t know. The plan is too fragile.
Feeling somehow both heavier and lighter, I begin gathering my things. “I need to head back up soon. Is there anything else you need?”
Her eyes track my movements. “Can I keep the Doppler? So I can listen to the baby’s heartbeat while I’m down here?”
My heart sinks at the hope in her eyes. “He never allows electronics down here,” I say, hating to snuff out the light in her eyes. But then, “Oh, wait. You can have this.” I reach into the supplies and grab the stethoscope. Carefully lifting her hair, I loop it around her neck. “It might take some time to find it with that.”
She glances around the cell, her grin bleak. “I have time.” Another pang shoots through my chest, and I shake out the blanket. “This is yours,” she notes as I tuck it around her.
“It’s clean.” The truth is, something in my chest unwinds at the sight of her wrapped up in it. “I’ll send Pace down as often as I can.” Sighing, I rub a temple. The withdrawal will start soon. “That is, if I can pull him away from Effie. He’s been obsessive—well,extraobsessive—since you got sent down here.”
She pulls the blanket up tight around her neck. “I guess that makes sense.”
Distractedly, I ask, “Why’s that?”
“Ashby—Father,” her face sours at the word, “he wanted Effie to punish Pace for killing Charlie.”
“He was going to take Effie away?” Slowly, it starts to connect. “He was going to kill her.” I look at her. “That’s why you stepped in. To save Effie.”
“Pace killed Charlie to protect me,” she says, the expression on her face somber yet knowing. “And she’s more than just a bird to him, isn’t she? She’s… she’s his heart.” Holding my eyes, her head tilts pensively. “It’s like he was afraid of having a soul, so he gave it to her to keep safe. Something untainted that would love him back.”
I crouch in front of her, stunned speechless. No one has ever understood that about Pace. In fact, I’m not even sure I fully did. Not until Verity gave it flesh. Springing forward, I press my mouth to hers. Not because of the wild, scratching need in my chest, but because she sees him, and how?
How can I not fall for someone who sees my brothers for what they really are?
Part of me wants to tell her that she’s right, but only partially. Whatever paltry thing Pace has granted to Effie, it pales in comparison to what he’s imparted to her.
But I have work to do. Pulling back, I mutter a curse. I realize now why Pace is so worried about Effie’s safety when we need to focus on getting ourselves out of East End in one piece. I can’t have him distracted right now. There are too many balls in the air.
Verity’s eyes flutter open, so soft and sad. “What?”
“You’re right,” I say, thumbing at her bottom lip as I pull away. “We’re going to have to find somewhere to keep her safe.”
“Actually…” Her green eyes blink, and suddenly, an arm appears from her blanket cocoon. “Can I see your notebook and pen?”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192