Page 96 of Ours to Keep

She blinks, looking at the rest of us before her sparkling grey eyes return to Jax’s.

“He’s dead?”

Jax nods his confirmation. “Yes, and I’m sorry to have to do this, Lily, but the authorities will need you to identify the body.”

“Of course, when?”

“Whenever you’re ready to go.”

I reach for her tea, and Jax releases her hands. I pass it to her.

“Thank you,”she says, hugging the mug. “I don’t want Mia to know until after, just in case it’s a mistake.”

A mistakeit most definitely was not.

It was agreed I’d go with Lily and Jax to the morgue while River and Elliot stayed with Mia, who was still sleeping when we left.

His cause of death was blunt head trauma, but the other contusions over his body would suggest he was most definitely tortured. All of his fingers had been cut off and then cauterised. His eyes had been gouged out, but the medical examiner had sewn his lids shut.

Lily handled it well under the circumstances. Nobody wants to see that, especially not someone as compassionate as Lily.

As soon as we arrived back, she shut herself away with Mia. Wecould hear her sobbing when Lily told her, and honestly, it was heartbreaking, a sound I never want to hear from her ever again. They only emerged late afternoon when Jax said he cooked, which managed to coax Mia out of the room she’d been sharing with Lily.

He hugged her and told her he was sorry for her loss.

We’re all seated around the table, but it’s a quiet, sombre affair. The Christmas tree in the corner is a stark reminder that it’s less than a week away.

“I’m an orphan now, too,”Mia whispers, pushing her pasta around the bowl with her fork. “We’re the same now, Lils, me and you. We’re alone. We only have each other now.”

Lily swallows hard, and I can see how much of a toll this is taking, trying to bestrongfor Mia.

“That’s not true,”I say, causing Mia to look up, her stormy blue eyes finding mine as I continue. “You have Avery, Malcolm… all of us.”I point to the guys, who all nod in agreement.

“But Lily is my only family.”

I nod. “By blood, yes, but the rest of us can be that for you,too, in every other way that counts. Trust us to be here for you—for Lily.”

Her lips ghost into a small smile, and she gives a subtle nod before her focus returns to her pasta.

Lily’s gaze captures mine as she mouths, “Thank you.”

It’s not long before Mia is yawning, and Lily suggests they go to their bedroom to watch some trash TV, as she calls it.

About an hour later, Lily sneaks out of the bedroom and finds us all in the living room.

“How is she?”I ask when she comes to join me on the sofa, our thighs touching. I reach out and take her hand in mine.

“She’s a mess. Her emotions are all over the place, which is understandable. I think it would be good to organise some counselling for her as soon as we return to England.”

Jax sits forward. “I can get together a list of recommendations for you if you’d like?”

“Yes, please.”

Her focus turns towards the Christmas tree, and the fairy lights sparkle around the tinsel.

“Lily. I spoke to our friend Caleb, and he said we’re welcome to keep using his house in Torquay until after the New Year.”

She relaxes at his words. “That would be perfect. I can pay him,”she says.

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