Page 88 of Shattered Vows

“While I was dealing with the cops, Sid and Nero figured it out. They came in on the weekly food delivery truck. The bodies of the two drivers were found ten miles away, tossed into the woods at the side of the road. The police have no leads on them, but security shows Marcello’s goons driving the truck through security. Rapsody’s mom must have been hiding in the back.”

“She’s not my mother.” The words fall from my lips without me thinking about them.

“Of course. Apologies,” Asher says.

“They must’ve been watching the house for some time if they knew the weekly food delivery schedule.”

“Agreed.” Asher’s voice is ice cold.

“Unfortunate that the families of the two drivers will never know how or why they died.”

“Again, agreed.” For some reason, Asher seems to grow uncomfortable. He shifts where he stands and shoves his hands in his pockets.

“What is it?” Kol asks, obviously able to read his brother.

Asher clears his throat. “It occurred to me when I thought we might lose you that I never had the chance to say something to you that’s long overdue.”

I look between them. “Maybe I should give you guys some privacy.” I begin to get up from the bed, but Kol snatches my hand, cringing in pain from the fast movement.

“Whatever Asher wants to say, he can say in front of you. I don’t want you out of my sight.”

I look at Asher, and he nods, so I settle back down on the mattress.

“I’m sorry,” Asher says.

Kol arches an eyebrow. “For?”

“I should never have enrolled in boarding school and left you to take the brunt of Dad’s abuse.”

It feels as if all the air is sucked out of the room. I look at Kol, who’s looking up at his big brother with amber eyes full of an emotion I can’t quite place.

“I understood why you did it, Ash. You don’t need to apologize.”

“I do.” Asher swallows hard. “It was my job to protect you all, and I bailed on it.”

Kol frowns. “You always thought it was, but it wasn’t.”

Asher pushes a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. “At any rate, you should know that if I could do it over, I would.”

“I appreciate that,” Kol says.

“I’ll let you rest. The doctor said you need it. He’ll be back tonight to change your dressing.” Then Asher turns to me. “If you get sick of this one’s bedside manner, Anabelle has been asking about you.”

“Okay. I’ll be sure to touch base with her later today.” There’s a warm feeling in my chest that for the first time in my life, I have a friend who’s concerned for me. Once Asher has left, I lie down next to Kol again, taking his hand. “Do you want anything to eat, drink?”

“I just want you.”

Turning my head, I kiss his shoulder. “You came after me into the maze.”

He stiffens for a moment before he relaxes. “I wasn’t about to let her take you away from me. I’d face all my worst nightmares to prevent that from happening.”

“Still… I know that wasn’t easy for you.” Tears well in my eyes, but I suck them back. The skin on my cheeks feels raw from all the crying I’ve been doing in the past twenty-four hours.

“It was easy when I considered the alternative.” He squeezes my hand. “How are you? Are you okay after what happened with Margaret?”

“I will be. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she’s not my real mother. I wish I hadn’t had to do what I did.” I squeeze my eyes shut as the image of me plunging the knife into her chest resurfaces. “I would do it again though to save you. I know now why you did what you did for your brother and Anabelle. I’m sorry I doubted you.” A tear slips free, and I swipe it away.

“Look at me,” Kol says.

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