Page 189

“I’d never ask that of you,” I reply, imbuing the promise with as much intensity as I feel. “Which is why I made the Dukes give me his identity.” I glance between the brothers. “Mutually assured destruction.”

“They know?” His grip goes slack on the shovel, mouth parting on an aborted inhale. “Who…”

“Timothy Maddox.” My lips press into a tight line. “The King of the Barons is Remy’s father.”

I watch as it hits him, seeing his tormented gaze drift into the distance. “FuckingMaddox?”

It’s dangerous to give this information to him—I know that. I don’t even like knowing it myself. Timothy Maddox destroyed his own son, but long before that, he sentenced Whitaker Kayes to a life of abuse and degradation.

I can only think of one man more vile.

But if they’re going to trust me, then I need to trust them.

I take a deep breath. “I know you don’t like it, but if we’re going to raise this baby together,” I nod at Lex, “these are my terms.”

Like Pace and Wicker, he’s still reeling from the identity of the Baron King, but I watch as he regains focus, eyeing my belly with a skeptical frown. “What if we have terms of our own?”

I thought they might say as much, and the smile I offer him is sour and so, so tired. “This isn’t a negotiation, Lex. This is… it’s a relationship.” I glance at Pace. “No more contracts. No more secrets. No more plans made behind my back—”

“Or plans made behind ours,” Pace cuts in, eyebrow raised.

“The plan hasn’t been made,” I remind him, waving my phone. “That’s why I’m here. Because I want you to listen to me. I know I’m not always right, but I promise, I’ll always try to understand.” Eyes pleading, I add, “I just want you to do the same.”

Lex is the one to straighten, turning to me. “This is what it’s going to take to keep you? To keep our son?” He flicks his gaze to Wicker. “An alliance with the other houses to control our father?”

It sounds bigger when he says it like that. Enormous. Punching above my weight class. That’s what the Dukes would call it.

I take my swing. “Yes.”

But he and Pace don’t look at me. They turn their gaze toward their brother, something painful and significant passing between them. Another mistake on my part, thinking they’d follow Lex.

They follow each other.

Wicker dips his chin before turning back to the garden bed and slamming the shovel into the dirt.

Lex turns to me, sucking in a bracing inhale. “Make the call.”

But just as my finger hovers over the screen, Wicker makes a sharp, startled sound. “Uh, guys? We might wanna hold off on doing that.”

Pace glances at his brother. “Why?”

“Well…” Bending, Wicker pulls a stick from the dirt, holding it up to inspect it. “You were saying we need more leverage?”

That’s when I realize it’s not a stick.

It’s a bone.

Lex marches toward him, eyes jumping between the bone and the garden bed. “What the fuck?” He snatches it right out of Wicker’s hand, inspecting it. “This is a human femur,” he reveals, gaze moving to the dirt. My heart sticks in my throat as he jams a hand into the soil, digging out something else.

A skull.

“Oh my god, is that—” I gasp, clutching at Pace’s arm as I stand. “The missing girls?” I stumble back. “Stella?”

Lex looks at me, the confusion on his face turning to urgency. “Hey, no, these are… these are too old to be Stella or any of the other girls. Look.” He gestures to the pile of cut nettle bushes. “This place hasn’t been disturbed in years.”

Beside me, Pace’s throat clicks with a swallow. “How old are they?”

“I don’t know,” Lex admits, forehead creasing as he turns the skull over in his wide palms. “I’ve taken my share of human anatomy classes, so I might be able to identify the age, sex, and race of a skeleton, but I’ll need to find other pieces to—”