Page 72 of Ours to Keep

“Promise me you’ll be careful and look after each other. I’d never forgive myself if any of you were hurt because of me.”

Elliot steps up beside us, his hand moving to her cheek. “Sweetheart, none of this is on you. There is only one person to blame, and it’s not you.” He doesn’t need to say his name. Richard is the one at fault, and he’s about to get his dues.

She nods, her eyes flicking to Tommy leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. He lets them fall to his side before taking a deep breath and then slowly movestowards our makeshift circle, where he reaches for her free hand and wraps her palm in his larger one.

The air around us is full of unsaid words and silent promises as we allow them to wash over us, taking in the significance of the moment.

River leans in, his lips skimming that mark I left on her neck before pressing against her ear. As he whispers, her eyelids flutter closed, lips parting on a soft gasp.

“River, I?—”

His knuckle strokes over her cheek. “You don’t have to say anything back,” he says, his words filled with adoration. “I just wanted you to know.”

Seeing River and Elliot with Lily solidifies my decision for what can only be described as a high-stakes visit. There were so many variables I had to consider when coming here. The last thing I want to do is put Lily at any further risk. But we need her as much as we need to breathe, and fortunately, after ample checks, we are confident there have been no signs of her being tracked.

“I’ll look after her until you get back,” Tommy says.

His words are a stark reminder of the reality of the situation and that we don’t have much time before we need to leave.

Lily shuffles from one foot to the other. Her nerves are palpable.

“Come on, help Elliot and me grab our bags,” River says, tugging on her wrist gently.She glances at me, slightly unsure of herself.

I smile, giving her a subtle nod.“I just need to talk to Tommy. You go ahead.”

Lily straightens her spine with determination, yet again showing us her inner strength and one of the many things we’ve all grown to love about her.

I wait until she’s disappeared up the stairs with Elliot and River before sighing and scrubbing my palm over my jaw.

“You’ve got this, Jax. Mason is the best of the best. If anyone can help us, it’s him.”

He’s right, of course, and luckily for us, since leaving the MI5, Mason is now doing private security. He just so happens to be between jobs, and after we helped Caleb and Noah with his sister Jessica, he was more than willing to step up and help us take down Richard.

All too soon, we need to leave. I pull Lily in for one last kiss, hoping it conveys how much she means to me—to us.

Pulling away, I watch Tommy and Lily in the rearview mirror, feeling like I’ve left a huge part of myself behind.

Chapter Thirty-Four

TOMMY

Lily remained quiet for the rest of the day, sleeping or with her nose in a book. I’m hardly surprised if the sounds of last night’s and this morning’s activities were anything to go by. But I’m glad she was worshipped in the way she deserves. With everything else going on, I think it was their way of showing her how they feel. Jax told me they’d likely be out of contact other than to check in to let us know they’ve arrived and update us when they can. I just hope I can do everything possible to keep Lily somewhat occupied until we have news that Mia is safe.

Jax and I spoke at length about the best recourse for getting her away from Richard, which will be the real test. In the end, we had Lily record a video message, hoping it would be enough to understand the gravity of the situation without traumatising her. The worry is if she gets caught in the crosshairs, who knows what someone like Richard will be capable of under duress? So far, his actions have proven the lengths he will go to, and that’s what worries us the most.

Deep down, I have to believe that if anyone is safe around him, it’s her, but then again, Mia is a lot like Lily in many ways. That’s what worries me. It’s something I brought up with Jax.But I didn’t have the heart to address it with Lily. She already has enough to worry about. I saw the way she looked at the guys before they left. I’d do anything to take away her pain and her worries.

“Lily, are you hungry?” I ask, joining her on the sofa.

She shakes her head, and I let out a heavy sigh.

“You need to eat something. You’ve not eaten since breakfast.”

Her stormy eyes lift from her e-reader and meet mine. “I know, I just don’t have an appetite,” she admits.

I reach for her wrist, gently tug the e-reader away from her, and place it on the small coffee table.

“Do you want to know what my mum used to do with me and my sister whenever we were feeling low and didn’t want to eat?”

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