Page 86 of Rogue’s Reckoning

"I love you, Willow," he murmurs. "You and Wren—you're everything to me."

"I love you too," I whisper back.

“Tell me what happened when he took you. Tell me what he did to you. How did you get those bruises?” he asks, and I know he’s not going to leave it unless I answer.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself to tell him what happened with Lochlann. I know Ezra. He needs to hear it, even though it's going to be painful to relive.

"When he grabbed me from the clubhouse, he hit me in my jaw to subdue me," I begin quietly. "He was... angry, ranting about Ivy and how he thought we had planned something together."

I watch as Ezra's jaw clenches, but he stays silent, letting me continue, which I really appreciate.

"He kept demanding to know where Ivy was, but I honestly had no idea. I told him I hadn't seen or spoken to her since...since that night years ago." I swallow hard. "He didn't believe me. He was convinced Ivy and I had planned some kind of escape together."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ezra says, his brow furrowed. "Ivy just stood there that night and watched. She didn't try to help you."

Pain slices through my chest at the reminder that my sister did nothing to help me while I was being assaulted. "I know. That's what I told him. But he was obsessed with finding her for some reason." I shiver, remembering Lochlann's manic state. "When we got to the warehouse, he tied me up, and when I couldn't tell him what he wanted to hear, he got more violent. He hit me a few more times, threatened to... to hurt me like he did before."

Ezra's arms tighten around me protectively and I sink into his embrace. "I'm so sorry, Little Flower. I should have been there to protect you."

"You came for me," I remind him gently. "That's what matters." I take another steadying breath before continuing. "He made that call to you. I was so scared he was going to kill you when you showed up."

"I wasn't going to let him hurt you again," Ezra says fiercely. "No matter what."

I nod against his chest, snuggling closer to him. "I know. And you didn't. You saved me, Ezra."

He’s quiet for a moment, and I take a breather to process everything that’s happened. Finally, Ezra speaks again.

"Do you have any idea why Lochlann was so fixated on finding Ivy?" he asks. "It seems strange that he'd be looking for her after all this time."

I sigh. "I don't know. From what he said, it sounded like Ivy disappeared around the same time I did. But I swear, I had no contact with her. I wouldn't have, not after what she did."

Ezra holds me tight. "Don’t worry about her, Little Flower. Right now, you need to rest and recover."

As if on cue, there's a soft knock at the door. Natalia pokes her head in, Wren at her side.

"Someone wanted to see her mama and daddy," Natalia says with a soft smile.

Wren doesn't wait. She rushes into the room and climbs onto the bed, wedging herself between Ezra and me. Her little arms wrap around my neck as she buries her face against me.

"Mama," she whimpers. "I was so scared."

I hold her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I know, baby. I'm so sorry I scared you. But I'm okay now. We're all okay."

Ezra wraps his arms around both of us, creating a protective cocoon. "That's right, princess," he says softly. "We're all safe now. And Daddy's not going to let anything bad happen to either of you ever again."

I look up at him over Wren's head, seeing the fierce determination in his eyes. I know he means every word.

"Thank you, Natalia," I say, glancing at my friend who's still hovering in the doorway. "For taking care of Wren."

Natalia gives me a warm smile. "Of course. That's what family does." She hesitates for a moment before adding, "I'm so glad you're okay, Will. We were all so worried."

I nod, feeling a lump form in my throat at her words. After years of feeling alone, of running and hiding, it's still sometimes overwhelming to realize I have people who care about me, who consider me family.

"Get some rest," Natalia says gently. "We'll talk more later."

As she closes the door behind her, I settle back against the pillows, Wren still clinging to me. Ezra adjusts his position so he can keep an arm around both of us.

For a long while, we just lay there in silence, soaking in each other's presence. Wren's breathing eventually evens out as she falls asleep, her little body finally relaxing.

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