Page 30 of Shelter (The Wanderers 4)

She waved a dismissive hand between them. “Pshaw. You should know me better than that.” She stepped closer. “There’s an underground railroad of sorts. A system is set in place already. They will help you escape. All you need to do is tell me when you’re leaving, and I’ll set it up.”

The collective gasp filled the room.

Braylon’s shoulders dropped. He hauled Marian into his embrace and hugged her tight. When he leaned back, he met her gaze. “You’ll come with us?”

She shook her head. “No. I can’t do that. I won’t leave my Harmony behind.”

Storm fisted his hands at his sides, hating the loss of Harmony as much as any of them. “Are you expecting to reconnect with her?”

Marian shrugged. “This is the only place she would know to look for me if there was ever a chance she…” Her voice cut off. They all knew what she meant.

“Where is your daughter?” Rush asked gently.

Storm turned to him. “She’s in a girls’ home. The kind Haley grew up in.”

Rush nodded. “And you’re sure she’s still there?”

“Most likely,” Storm added. “Usually girls are promised to a family and turned over to them at the age of twenty. Harmony is six months shy of that age.”

Rush nodded again slowly and faced Marian. “I think it would be better if you came with us. Perhaps my people might know of a way to rescue Harmony.”

Marian hesitated, glancing at all of them before meeting Braylon’s gaze directly. “I would be a burden to you. Trying to move across the country with any female is extremely dangerous. You will have your hands full protecting Haley. I won’t ask you to harbor me too. I’ll stay behind and cover your tracks as best I can. I feel close to my Harmony here. This was her home for twelve years. I can’t leave without her.”

Bray nodded. “I understand. If you change your mind, you know we’ll take you with us. You would never be a burden to any of us. We owe you our lives, Marian.”

Marian reached for Bray’s cheek and stroked it. “You’re a good man, Braylon. All of you are.” She released him to look at the rest of them before turning her attention back to Rush. “The fact that Rush has offered to take me with you speaks volumes. I implore you to trust him and accept his help. I’ll make arrangements on my end to help you get as far West as possible. After that, you’re on your own.”

Bray reached out and grasped Marian again. He hugged her tightly, as one would do their own mother. Except Storm knew Bray had never had this kind of relationship with his mother.

They were all truly indebted to Marian and would never forget her kindness and everything she’d done to mold them into better human beings than they would have been without her influence.

Marian stepped back and took a deep breath. She cupped Braylon’s face. “You know your parents love you in their own way.”

Braylon nodded.

“In a lot of ways, this estate has always been a coveted place to work. Your father has given your mother free rein to manage the estate however she wishes. Not many homes operate that way. Not many of your parents’ friends realize what an unusual division of labor they have.”

Storm knew what Marian said was true better than any of them. He’d seen more of the world.

Braylon rubbed his temples. “Thank you for trying to sugarcoat it, but you’ve always been more of a mother to us.”

Marian sighed. “Lorena’s under a lot of pressure from The Republic to keep up appearances for your father. He’s rather oblivious to the fact that he’s not conforming to society. She hides that for him.”

Braylon smirked. “Of course she does. She benefits. It’s a win-win. What I don’t understand is why she doesn’t want me to be happy or why she felt she needed an heir so fast.”

Marian nodded. “I think part of it is jealousy. She can see you have a better relationship with Haley than she ever had with your father. I’ve overheard her when she’s with the other women from the neighborhood. They ramble on and on about the women they’ve purchased for their sons. Women who are meek and demure and already pregnant.”

“My mother can’t know for sure if any of her friends are even telling the truth,” Bray pointed out.

“That’s true, but appearances are all that matter to her. She’s spent years putting on a façade, convincing the world her household looks the same as theirs. The outside pressure to secure a grandchild is tremendous. Her friends have started whispering behind her back, wondering if her son is capable of fathering a child.”

“She didn’t give us enough time,” Bray spat, clearly infuriated with his mother. Storm knew he was equally frustrated with his father for being so aloof and marginally present. Even now that Braylon worked with his father, the man was still an arm’s length away. Unreachable.

Marian rubbed Bray’s arm. “She was antsy from the first night for you to give her a grandchild.”

Bray groaned and rolled his eyes. “She doesn’t even care about the human being it would be. She only cares about bragging to her peers.”

Marian simply smiled. She rarely said anything bad about her employers. She didn’t have to. They did all the damage themselves.

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