Page 127 of Nest Of Lies

“China is sick. She has always been sick. We tried getting her help for many years, but she resisted all our attempts. But we’re here now. You can go.”

“Why now?” Lia snarls.

“China called us, asking for help. She said about the voices. She said she can’t control her mind,” Cara says with a shrug. “I’ve found a very expensive hospital for her to stay in.”

Chile looks at me, but when she looks at Lia, there’s no affection, no love. The three sisters are as evil as evil gets as far as I’m concerned. I just want them away from Lia.

No matter. She has an entire world of family with us.

“Take my hand, and let’s go home. You don’t owe these people another second of your time or energy, Lia.”

Lia inhales, and I feel the pack gathering close. Bailey walks out and beams at Cara and Chile.

“It’s the Wicked Witches of Westcove.”

I snort a laugh. Westcove is a pretentious part of our city that has a bad reputation as being rotten at the core.

“Ah, look, it’s the Raines who isn’t a Raines.”

“Ah, blood will tell, and turns out, I have blood and…the name. Boom, bitches.” Bailey chortles as he stomps down towards us.

Cara shudders. “You remind me of-” She cuts herself off and stomps up the porch. “Get off our property.”

“Sure, Aunty, nice chat. Love you, too. Locke sends his regards.”

She stumbles, pauses, and then walks in like he hasn’t said a damn thing. That blow must have hurt. Her prodigy is living it up, happy as can be without her. Having achieved more fame than her and living the dream of a pack life.

Chile follows, unwilling to get into an argument.

Lia puts her hand in mine with certainty and grips my fingers hard.

“Okay, let’s go home.”

I start walking, and then my conscious pricks at me, and I stop, rubbing my free hand over my forehead. Damn it! Oh, of all the unfairness in the world, this is the worst. I grit my teeth and turn back.

“Bailey, are you coming?”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Can I?”

“Yes. You’re, after all, our brother.” It hurts to say those words.

Bailey and I wrinkle our noses at the same time. Ianto mutters something about alphas cut from the same cloth and disappears back towards home. I lead Lia back, and then before I can even wrap my brain around today, Mills is whirling around his kitchen, cooking burgers, handing out beers, cake, and biscuits.

Anderson joins us an hour later. We stand on the porch watching the sunset.

“We’re rivals. My club and yours will never get along. There’s too much bad blood. But that’s the closest thing to a daughter I have, and I don’t want to lose any more time with her. Besides, Bailey has always considered her family. He’s got no one but me.”

“Yup,” I say shortly. “He’s got us now, too.” The reluctant words drag out of me. “Peaceful truce? Define the boundaries. You stay on yours, I’ll stay on mine?”

“With a neutral territory,” Anderson agrees. “For family catch ups.”

We clink our beers together.

“You got Lia out before she saw?”

“I think so. If she did, she hasn’t mentioned it yet.”

“Good. Look, China is an amazing woman. She is clever, flirtatious, seductive, mysterious. She can be magic. But what she has always been is a terrible mother. She just wasn’t made to do it. It would be better for Lia to just cut ties because China has tried her best, but she can’t be around Lia. Or Bailey.”

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