Page 70 of Her Sweet Surrender
Sir repeated their commitment to help. “What can we do?”
“Nothing at the moment, Sir Davis. But if you feel inclined, pray for him.”
Brie felt uneasy when they hung up. “What is Marquis not telling us?”
Sir looked equally troubled. “For now, we must trust Gray to guide Wallace through this. Once we see him in person at the funeral, we will be able to better judge if Faelan needs our intervention.”
In the days leading up to the funeral, Brie was plagued by formless nightmares. She could never remember her dreams, but a feeling of darkness and despair permeated her soul the moment she woke, completely terrifying her. She was certain that, on some subconscious level, she was picking up on Faelan’s state of mind while she slept.
The morning of the service, Brie attempted to put on her makeup with trembling hands. The idea she was attending Kylie’s funeral seemed unreal—being so young, and a new mother.
Kylie deserved to be there to love and care for her child. Brie could not accept that life could be that cruel.
As Sir straightened his tie beside her, he said, “I know today will be extremely difficult, but Wallace will depend on your strength.”
She turned to Sir with sad eyes and nodded.
He held out his arms to her. “I know you are fighting many emotions right now, babygirl. You’re not only dealing with the loss of your friend, but I’m certain it reconnects you with the heavy emotions my own brush with death caused you. Added to that is the overwhelming concern you have for Wallace’s wellbeing.”
Her bottom lip quivered, astonished that he understood. “How did you know?”
Sir caressed her cheek. “Every emotion plays out on your beautiful face.”
Brie closed her eyes, uncertain if she would be strong enough for the day and what lay ahead. She immediately squashed the thought.
Of course, she could do this. It paled in comparison to what Faelan had to face today. Brie stared into the mirror while she finished getting ready. Fate gave a person opportunities in their life to make a difference. No one would blame Brie for being an emotional wreck at the funeral, but that would be of no help to Faelan.
Looking up at Sir, she felt a surge of conviction. Faelan needed her, and she would not fail him.
Sir leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips, whispering, “Heart of a warrior.”
With newfound determination, Brie kissed Sir on the cheek before heading out of the bedroom.
The Reynolds had asked to watch Hope. They wanted to support Faelan by keeping the children at home.
Judy grabbed Brie’s hands when she saw her. “I want you to think of Hope playing with Jonathan when things get too hard today. I hope, in some way, it will help.”
Brie nodded, overcome with gratitude. “It will. Thank you.”
Jack shook his head in sorrow. “Such a tragedy. Kylie was a positive light in the world. I hate to think what a blow this is to Todd.”
“One can only imagine,” Sir answered solemnly.
Judy handed Sir a card. “Would you mind making sure he gets this? We want him to know we are happy to babysit his little girl anytime he needs it.” She looked at her husband. “It’s one of the perks of being retired, and we hope it will give him peace of mind to know his daughter will be well cared for.”
“I will be certain to give it to him, Auntie.” Sir slipped the card into the pocket of his suit.
Jack put his hand on Sir’s back. “You’ve been through hell yourself, so I’m confident you can help him through this, Thane.”
“I hate that he must face this.” Sir sighed sadly. “I owe the man in more ways than I can count and I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to help.”
“Todd is fortunate to have good people supporting him,” Jack replied, patting his back one last time before picking up Hope’s car seat and heading to the door.
Sir followed them to the door and smiled at Hope before leaning down to kiss her on the head. “Goodbye, sweet angel.”
On the drive to the funeral, Brie reflected on how selfless Faelan had been when he agreed to act as her protector after Rytsar was abducted. He even volunteered to travel to Russia in an attempt to save Rytsar, knowing he might not come back—and he did not come back the same man.
Yet, Faelan faced the consequences of his decisions without complaint. Today, he would need her to be just as selfless. Steeling herself for the day, Brie practiced her breathing.
