Page 50 of House of Soot

"Blaise, please. I just need help getting my mom to the hospital.”

"Good people don't force you to choose between your job and your dying mother.”

I’m practically sobbing. "I'm scared. I can’t lose her, but I can’t care for her if we don't have a home or healthcare." I take a breath to pull myself together. “I… I’m sorry I bothered you. I’ll find another way?—”

“I’ll take her.”

I feel relief, but it’s mixed with guilt and even a little resentment toward Blaise for not understanding, which is silly because he’s not wrong. Mrs. Kean is cruel in insisting that her gardens and floral arrangements are more important than my mother’s life. But right now, I’m between the proverbial rock and a hard place. I have no choice but to stay and work and pray that everything turns out. If my mom passes and I’m not there, I don’t know how I’ll live with myself.

20

BLAISE

After I left my short visit with Jenna in the garden, I headed out under the guise to investigate who might be planting negative information about the Keans. Since it’s my family who’s arranged the negative publicity, I don’t actually have to do anything but come up with a lie. Instead of investigating, I headed to Phoenix’s for a meeting with my brothers.

On the drive over, I did the mental gymnastics of telling myself that stopping to see Jenna before I left was part of my cover, even though my conscience was calling bullshit. I visited her today because I couldn’t help myself. She’s like a fucking drug, bad for my health but too addicting to quit.

Today, my brothers and I reviewed the security setup. It’s large, but with so many important guests, security will be spread thin.

“Ronan's bound to slip away at some point. He always does at these things to smoke or make a call or have some woman suck his dick," I’d told my brothers. “When he does, I’ll kill him.”

“What if there are others around, like a woman sucking his dick?” Flint asked.

“I’ll wait until she’s done. I’m not such an asshole that I won’t let him have one last orgasm.”

Flint snickered as he shook his head. “Such mercy for a man who doesn’t deserve it.”

“How will you get out?” Ash, always serious, asks, apparently not amused by my generosity.

“The secret passage Flint used. As far as I can tell, most people have forgotten about it. Even Ronan hasn’t mentioned it as part of what we need to guard.” I pointed to the map. “The other side of the woods will be the closest you can risk getting without being noticed by the extra security. If you could pick me up here or leave a car, that would be great. Hopefully, I can do the deed, get to the basement, and exit before anyone knows he’s dead.”

“Can the girl help isolate him?” Ash suggested.

I didn’t like that one bit. The thought of using Jenna as bait doesn’t sit well with me. "No."

"Why not?" Phoenix's eyes narrowed. "You said yourself that she's wrapped around your finger. And you want her to pay."

I couldn’t stop seeing Jenna with her bright green eyes, staring at me with trust and like the world revolved around me. "She's not part of this."

"She's been part of this since she helped them kill our parents," Ash reminded me.

He was right, of course. And therein lay my problem. I keep letting myself forget what she did, distracted by her warmth, her kindness, the way she makes me feel…

And then she called and told me she couldn’t take her dying mother to the hospital because the Keans were too important to defy, and I was reminded again why she deserves to be ruined. But I won’t destroy her by being a part of her mother’s demise. As far as I can tell, Mrs. Hart was always loyal to my family. She’s the only one on the estate who deserves to live.

I pull up to the small cottage, and Mrs. Hart is already waiting on the porch. Despite her frail condition, her eyes are sharp as she studies me through the car window.

I jump out, grabbing her bag and helping her to the car.

“I hope I’m not too much trouble. I know Mr. Kean won’t like my taking you away?—”

“I’m not on duty right now,” I lie. But I figure I can come up with another excuse about why I came back to the property and then left again. It’s not like the Keans are paying attention to someone like Mrs. Hart to notice her being gone.

Once she’s strapped in, I head to the hospital.

“Thank you for this, Blaise. For everything.”

“I’m not doing anything.” At least not anything anyone with half a heart wouldn’t do. I know the Keans don’t have a heart, but Jenna? She should know better.

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