Page 33 of Mercy & Her Devils

Perhaps, it’s that I didn’t only want to be a mom. I wanted the freedom of choice.

When I see Lark like this, I know that I’ll do anything to help him get his daughter back. It’s like the heart has been ripped from his chest.

“They’ll bring her back,” I say, quietly. “She’ll be okay.”

Lark ignores me.

I try again. “You did everything that you could. Can’t we…plot or scheme or…something?”

Finally, he stops mid-step. His growling cuts off.

When Lark turns to fix his piercing stare on me, it’s unnerving. “Plot? So, what’s your plan to break out of this cell and get my precious daughter back?”

I swallow. “I don’t know. But there must be something.”

He tilts his head, and his hair falls over his face, which is in shadow. “Why are you here? What did you do for your Alpha to break your bond? I don’t understand. You’re perfect.”

I can’t tell him, can I?

I mean, won’t it freak him out to know that he’s sharing a cell with a criminal like me on top of everything else?

Even if Millie is returned to the cell, he’ll never trust me around her again.

But then, he does deserve the truth.

“I committed treason,” I whisper.

Then I steel myself.

Lark’s eyes widen, before he snorts. “Fine, don’t tell me the truth. Keep your secrets.”

I huff in annoyance.

Typical.

Then Lark’s fierce expression simply becomes weary. “You don’t understand what’s going on here. That bastard Sheriff Ace, who runs this hellhole, is writing a case study on Brokens. I can only guess that he’s decided to find out what will happen to me, when I’m separated from Millie.”

My guts clench. “That’s…”

“Sick, twisted, sadistic?” Lark arches his brow. “We’re his broken toys, before he becomes bored and auctions us off. I didn’t want to tell you, until you were stronger.”

“He’ll return her though, won’t he?” I say, hopefully.

Except, then I remember what Fletcher told me, and I blanch.

The girl is a little too young to be moved to the Companion wing of the Institute to be trained and then fostered. So, we have a week or two to study father and daughter together…

Has he taken Millie away to be fostered?

I can’t even tell Lark without admitting how I know. But how can I keep something like this from him?

For the first time, Lark sits on the side of the mattress. His head hangs low.

I throw myself forward to loop my arms around him, nuzzling against his neck as I always did to comfort Gabriel when he’d been dropped off at our house with yet another black eye.

Lark allows me to soothe him. Slowly, some of the tension melts out of him.

He’s coming out of the feral fury by slow degrees.

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