Page 23 of The King of Hearts (The Raven Group #1)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

HER

F or the first time since Liliana and Harper were brought here, when I knock on their bedroom door, Liliana opens it.

She stands on the other side wearing a pair of black jeans and a pale-green baggy sweatshirt that looks two sizes too big.

Her hair is twisted into a braid that hangs over one side.

Our eyes meet and hers look a little uneasy.

Her face is pale, like she’s not really sure she wants to follow through with what we’re getting ready to do.

Harper, who’s smashed against her mother’s side, peeks her head around Lili’s thigh, her big green eyes staring up at me.

Lili moves her gaze to the person next to me.

“Lili, do you remember Caroline? She’s my mother,” I tell her.

When she first came here, I thought it was a good idea to limit Lili and Harper’s exposure to other people. With her uneasiness, we didn’t want to overwhelm her with too many faces, so I’ve been the primary person who visits her daily. Mom’s only been by a couple of times.

“Hello,” Lili replies, her voice quiet and reserved.

“If it’s all right with you, my mom is going to watch over Harper while we visit my dad and brothers.”

She doesn’t look like she’s completely on board with that idea, and from the way Harper squeezes her mom’s leg, the little girl doesn’t like it either. The meeting we’re about to have is not for little ears, so if Lili denies the request, the meeting can’t go forward.

I open my mouth to reassure them both, but Mom beats me to it. She squats down, and directs her gaze at Harper, smiling at the little girl. “Do you know what macarons are?” she asks.

Harper slowly moves her head back and forth.

“They’re delicious cookies with a yummy filling on the inside. Kind of like Oreos, but even better. Lea, the cook, and I are making some in the kitchen and we need someone to taste test them. Would you like to help by being our taste-tester?”

Her eyes light with interest, and she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. I smile on the inside. Mom knows exactly what she’s doing. No child would forfeit the opportunity to eat sweets.

Harper looks up at her mom. “Can I, Momma?”

Lili lays her hand on top of Harper’s head, smoothing away some errant strands of hair off her forehead. Lingering uncertainty still lines her face, but after a moment of hesitation, she relents. “For a few minutes.”

Harper smiles big, her eyes sparkling so bright it’s nearly blinding.

Mom stands and holds out her hand. “Come on, sweetie. Lea is waiting on us.”

It’s obvious Lili doesn’t want to let her daughter go, and the worry in her expression breaks my heart.

How long has this woman been terrified for her daughter’s safety?

Every parent fears for their child, but this goes beyond normal parental worry.

She looks like she wants to snatch her daughter back, wrap her in her embrace, and never let her go.

As Mom and Harper walk away, the girl’s hand wrapped protectively in my mom’s, I reach out to grab Lili’s. “She’ll be okay. I swear it.”

It’s not until they’re out of sight before Lili brings her gaze to me. “I don’t remember the last time she’s been out of my sight. I don’t like it.”

“I understand. If it makes you feel any better, I have my guard stationed in the kitchen. Marcelo is ex-special forces and is as tough as they come. No one gets in this house who we don’t want in here, but even if they did, Marcelo would protect her with his life.”

A dark, masked figure appears in my mind, and I mentally amend my statement. No ordinary person could get inside this house. My devil, apparently, isn’t normal. I’m not sure how he’s doing it, but he’s somehow bypassing our security system.

The mention of me having a guard gets her attention. “Why do you have a guard?”

That’s not a subject I want to go over, so I give her the partial truth. “My dad takes my protection very seriously.” I smile at her. “Are you ready?”

She lifts one of her slender shoulders. “Not really, but let’s get this over with anyway.”

We leave her room and go down the stairs, heading left toward Dad’s office once we reach the bottom.

The door is closed, but the people inside are expecting us, so I don’t bother knocking.

Just before I open the door, a childish giggle reaches our ears from further down the hallway where the kitchen is located.

Lili’s shoulders lose some of their stiffness at hearing her daughter enjoying herself.

When we walk into Dad’s office, all conversation stops, and several pairs of eyes move to us. Lili shifts uncomfortably beside me. I can’t imagine being the center of attention is something she enjoys.

“Lili, this is my dad, Alexander, and my brothers, Bishop and Cassio.” I point to each one as I say their names, then gesture to the female sitting across the room.

“And this is Charlotte. I invited Charlotte because she’s utilized The Raven Group’s services before and understands the client’s point of view. ”

Dad, who’s sitting behind his desk, gets up from his seat and walks around to stand in front of it. He leans against the hardwood with his hands on the edge, purposely leaving them visible. He’s trying to make Lili feel as comfortable and as safe as possible by keeping his distance.

Bishop and Cassio stay in the two seats across from Dad’s desk, their hands on the armrests.

“How are you, Liliana?” he asks, keeping his tone low and even.

Lili, with her hands clasped together in front of her, moves a step to the right, putting herself closer to me. “I’m fine.”

“Your injuries seem to be healing well.”

I keep a watch on her out of the corner of my eye, so I don’t miss when she flicks her gaze to my brothers and back to Dad.

“Yes, they are.”

Dad gestures to the sofa that’s in the center of the room. “Would you like to have a seat? Something to drink? Coffee, perhaps?”

“Nothing to drink, thank you,” she replies.

Her arm brushes against mine when she drops it to her sides, and she hesitates.

Recognizing what she wants, I take a step toward the sofa, and she follows my lead.

She sits on the end of the sofa, and I’m sure she chose that spot because it only leaves one empty spot available.

She doesn’t want to be surrounded. I take the place beside her, keeping a few inches between us to reassure her I’m near, but leaving enough space so she doesn’t feel crowded.

Dad and my brothers wait until we’re settled before they get up and come over.

Bishop and Cass take the two armchairs opposite of each other on either side of the sofa.

Dad grabs a chair that’s by the window and sets it down opposite of the sofa, directly across from Lili and me. Charlotte doesn’t move from her spot.

Lili stays quiet, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. She’s nervous. Not that I blame her. She’s probably been wondering since yesterday what the hell is going on.

“I don’t need to hear your story to know that you’ve been through a horrible ordeal,” Dad begins. “And I can guess that ordeal involves at least one man.”

He pauses, giving Lili the chance to interject, but she keeps quiet, neither confirming, nor denying his claim.

“Bishop says you demanded no cops or hospital, which makes me believe that whoever hurt you is still very much a threat.”

Another pause, and still, she remains quiet. She doesn’t need to speak, though. I can feel the tenseness in her body beside me. And from the way Dad’s jaw tightens, he notices it as well.

“What if I tell you that I can guarantee he won’t hurt you again?”

Her brows drop. “How?”

Dad leans back in his chair. “How do you think, Lili?”

Her gaze moves around the room, looking at each person before she settles back on Dad. “You would kill him?”

He inclines his head. “That’s one way. But there’s an alternative if you would prefer.”

Lili releases the death grip she had on her hands and rubs her palms down her thighs. “And that is?”

“Before we get into that, I need you to tell me what happened to you,” Dad says instead of answering. “I know it’s a difficult subject to talk about, but before we move forward, I need to know exactly what we’ll be facing.”

As expected, Lili doesn’t like the ultimatum.

It would be difficult for anyone to talk about such a horrific event.

We don’t know what happened to her, but even without the details, it was easy to guess when she arrived that she was brutally attacked.

And from what Dr. Bale said, that night wasn’t the first incident.

When Lili hesitates, I grab her hand. My touch startles her enough to flinch.

“Lili, look at me.”

She lifts her head, and our eyes meet. Pain, anger, and indecision reflect in the pretty green of hers.

“I know this is hard. I’m sure all you want to do is forget everything that happened.

But that’s not how you move forward. It’s not how you feel safe again.

This is more than protecting you. It’s about protecting your sweet baby.

It’s about ensuring whoever hurt you won’t ever hurt another person.

It’s a way to find closure and shut the door on that part of your past. What you endured doesn’t make you a victim.

It makes you strong and it makes you a fighter. ”

I squeeze her hand when tears appear in her eyes. This is the first time I’ve seen her eyes wet. As a mother, it’s her job to stay strong for her child, but she also has to learn that it’s okay to release her emotions. The consequences of keeping them bottled up could end in disaster.

“What we’re offering you is a step in correcting a wrong that was done to you and your daughter.

It’s a way to release all the hatred and pain still inside you.

If it’s not one you want to take, that’s up to you, but you deserve to have that choice presented to you.

That bastard already stole from you something that wasn’t his.

Don’t give him the power of your emotions. ”