Page 71 of Hellfire

“Honey.” When my gaze focused on hers, she implored me, “Please, give him a chance. Let him explain.”

I nodded. We’d come here for that very reason. No one said it would be easy, or fun, but it was something I had to do.

She stepped aside and introduced Avery to Arnauld. Avery shook his extended hand, yet neither of them exchanged a word, instead, conveying all their warnings through narrow-eyed glares. When Arnauld turned to me, my arms instinctively wrapped around my torso. Avery caught the movement and frowned.

Arnauld did his best to shake off the mild look of guilt and cleared his throat. “Thank you for visiting, Hallie.”

Thank fuck he hadn’t said “It’s nice to see you again”. It would have set my tongue on fire and produced words I couldn’t take back.

“Come inside?” Mom asked with a hopeful tone and expression. “We were sitting out back in the sun.”

My shoulders relaxed a fraction and Avery nodded. “Out back will be perfect. Thanks, Trudy.”

“Drinks?” Mom asked as she ushered us into the house.

“Coffee please. Iced for Hells.”

Our combined footsteps echoed as we walked down the wide hallway and into the large open-plan kitchen. The bi-folding doors were pinned wide and invited me outside onto the covered deck. Since we stayed with her, Mom had added two outdoor loungers and a low table to the space. Two unfinished drinks sat closer to one couch, so I chose the opposite one to sit on, at that moment realizing I was alone.

I took the moment of solitude to inhale and release it slowly. The first—and often hardest—step had been completed just by turning up, and I silently praised myself for completing that tiny goal. The next would be sharing the same space as Arnauld.

A somewhat forced conversation came from inside, then Mom appeared, plastering on a smile as she joined me outside.

“The boys are making the drinks,” she explained. “I figured I’d leave them to it so they can get whatever they need to out of the way before they come out here.”

“Let’s hope there are no punches thrown,” I joked, only to sober when her eyes widened with worry. “Mom, I’m kidding.”

“Oh…” She sat on the couch across from me and nodded.

“So, how have things been since he’s been here?”

Happiness lit her features, telling me everything I needed to know. “Wonderful. Albeit it’s only been a couple of days, but it finally feels like we can relax. You know?”

“Aren’t you worried Father is going to come hunting for him?”

“He won’t,” Mom mumbled.

I upturned my palms. “What makes you so sure?”

Her lips twisted to the side in contemplation, then she sat forward and lowered her voice. “Because he’s got evidence of tax evasion, fraud, and written correspondence between Johannes and the police detailing arrangements and monetary payments in exchange for them ‘unseeing’ what happened when his men took you last month.”

My blood ran cold. “He’s got everything with him and is using it to blackmail my father?”

Mom nodded. “To Hell and back.”

“How did he get those documents?”

She shrugged. “He won’t say how, but I guess when you’ve been one of Johannes’s right-hand-men for two decades, you know how to get what you need if you ever need it.”

Made sense. It was surprising what people kept hidden deep in their records.

Avery and Arnauld emerged from inside with Avery carrying our drinks. He sat the iced coffee in front of me with a small smile. “You okay?”

I nodded. “You?”

“Yup.”

Feeling eyes on me, I cut mine to Arnauld. “Are you using my mom?”

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