Page 141 of Fighting With Light

I nod and walk over to Mom, squatting down in front of her.

“Mom, I have to go get her,” I tell her, hoping she understands my reasons.

“I know, darling…be careful and please come home.”

I hug her and kiss her on the cheek. “I will, Mom. She’s the one who is going to hit Fred where it hurts. She will help us end this.”

Her lips thin, and her worried eyes search my face before she nods again. I hug her tight and head for the door. Emerson says his goodbyes, and Kai follows behind him.

“Ten hours, Three. Ten.”

I hug my brother and walk out the door without looking back. I know in my gut that she needs me.

I’m coming, princess.

52

Aelia

There’s a bulletproof RangeRover in the garage. If I can get downstairs with Mom, we can get a car and drive.

I’ve packed a backpack with as much as I can with the iPad. I wish I could bring my beautiful clothes and shoes with me, but I can’t, plus I left my favorite pair of Louboutins with Liam. At least I’ll have those. I shoved all the diamond and gold jewelry I could into my backpack because it’s smart to have some insurance, and I may need it to pay for things to get to California because credit cards are traceable.

I dug through the two suitcases I brought home seeing if there was anything else I put in here that could help me, and found two things. One of Liam’s t-shirts and his bowie knife wrapped up in it. He must have slipped it in there when I wasn’t looking. I put his t-shirt on and stashed the knife in my bag. Maybe I can use it on the guard to get his gun.

I lift the collar of Liam’s shirt and take another deep inhale. It smells just like him, the ocean. My eyes well and I blink the tears away. Now is not the time for crying.

There’s a knock and I quickly close my closet door, blocking my packed bag from view. I find the same guard that has been standing outside my door. I’ve been using the guise of visiting my mother to evaluate each of them. He’s short enough that I think I could take him. I figured my best opportunity for a moment of surprise would be when I leave my mom’s room to go to mine.

“What?” I snap.

“Your father wants to see you immediately.”

I look behind me, wishing I could find any other excuse, but I can’t. I’m almost ready to leave. Let’s hope Romeo did what he said he would and bought me more time. We will leave when the house is quiet, and I have an extra minute to get Mom down the stairs. It’s dark out now, but the house won’t settle until after eleven.

He reaches to grab my arm, and I growl, deftly avoiding his touch.

“Touch me again, and I will cut off your hand and shove it down your throat.”

He drops his hand and steps to the side, allowing me to pass and walk down the hall to my father’s office.

The door is open, so I don’t knock. He’s sitting there in another suit—this one charcoal and his shirt is light blue this time. He doesn’t look up right away, so I stand there and wait, staring at the place where I left Ben. It’s cleaned up like it never happened, yet it plays on repeat in my mind like a fever dream.

My father stands from his seat and walks around to the front of the desk, leaving a foot between us. I keep my chin up and meet his eyes.

“Have you decided to cooperate?” he asks.

“No.”

He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, and I know he’s about to burst. “No,what,Aelia?”

“No, I will not marry Enzo Ballerini.”

His expression twists in anger, and a vein throbs in his forehead. He grabs my arm, yanking me forward, and I bite down on my tongue to keep from whimpering and draw blood. Swallowing the iron, I keep my eyes on him, refusing to cower.

“You have noideawhat I’ve had to do to get the Ballerinis to agree to this marriage! You are ruining everything I have worked for! You are a selfish, thieving little bitch. Youwillmarry him, or I’m selling you tonight!“ he yells.

“You would sell your own flesh and blood because I won’t do what you want me to? What happened to familyloyalty?” I ask him.