The Beast (Black Dagger Brotherhood #14) - J. R. Ward Page 0,203

he thought with a sudden shot of pride. These … were his two girls.

The smile that hit his face stretched his cheeks so much he knew they were never going to be the same.

Especially as he thought back to when he had been holding L.W. down in the kitchen, staring out across a room he did not see, his heart aching for all he would never have.

And yet here he was now, everything he had wanted not just within his grasp, but in his arms.

“Can I move in tonight?” Bitty asked. “And when do I get to meet everybody?”

SEVENTY-ONE

The resilience of children was amazing, Mary thought later as she and Bitty and Rhage drove up to the front of the Brotherhood mansion.

In spite of everything she had been through, the girl was open-eyed and open-hearted at the prospect of a totally different kind of life, ready for anything, excited, happy. Then again, she was with people who loved her, even if it felt too early to speak of it.

Which wasn’t to say there hadn’t been some sadness. Especially as she and Bitty had been up in that attic room at Safe Place, retrieving the two suitcases. When the girl had asked if she could bring her mother’s things too, Mary had teared up. And then there had been the urn.

But overall, this was joyous. And Mary was focusing on that.

As she stopped the GTO right at the foot of the stone steps, it was probably overkill, given that the little girl didn’t have more than those two pieces of luggage and the urn.

But somehow, she just wanted to get Bitty in the house—and any distance seemed too far away. After Rhage had called Wrath, and Mary had called Marissa, it was decided that under a foster care situation, there was no reason Bitty couldn’t move in. Besides, it would mean that Doc Jane and Manny could check her out medically more easily, and there was really nothing to hold her at Safe Place.

The fact that there was no paperwork yet made Mary a little uneasy, but Ryhm was taking care of that. What was really worrisome? The six-month waiting period was starting tonight, and until that mutually agreed-upon clock ran out, this wasn’t a done deal.

And yes, Mary would continue to look for the hypothetical uncle, even though it gave her a frickin’ heart attack anytime she thought of that male coming out of the woodwork.

Still, she had a duty to do right by Bitty.

“Are we here?” Rhage asked. “I think we’re here. Bitty, what do you see?”

“Do the Munsters live in this house?” the girl asked. “It looks like the Munsters’ house, only … how big is it?”

“Hundred rooms or so. It’s tight quarters, but we manage to make it work.”

Rhage’s hand flapped around the door until he hit the handle and opened things up. As he stood up, he tightened the blanket wrapped around his waist and nearly tripped on the curb.

Mary turned the engine off, and pulled the emergency brake. When she glanced back at Bitty, the girl was just staring up at the great stone expanse. Cradled in her arms, right against her chest, were her mother’s ashes in that urn.

This was not a restart, Mary reflected.

This was not even a reset, an erase … or a replacement of everything that had been hard, brutal, and poor with shiny, sparkly fresh stuff. It wasn’t Christmas. It wasn’t happy-birthday, surprise-it’s-a-puppy, confetti-and-balloon-and-frosting time.

This was another chapter. One that was going to be so much more stable and emotionally supportive, but was still going to have its own ups and downs, its challenges and triumphs, frustrations and happiness.

“Bitty?” she said. “You don’t have to do this.”

The girl turned and smiled. “Which one is my room?”

Mary laughed and got out. “Rhage, I’ll get the suitcases.”

“The hell you will.” His blind eyes rolled around. “Where are they?”

“Fine, let me just get them and bring them over. And tuck that blanket in again, will you? I don’t want you flashing everyone as we make our grand entrance.”

Bitty stepped up next to Rhage and held the urn close. “Wow. It’s even bigger than it looks.”

“Wait’ll you get inside.”

Popping the trunk, Mary got out Annalye’s suitcase first, and she couldn’t help herself: She looked at the sky, trying to picture the female staring down from above, watching over all this and hopefully approving.

I’ll take good care of her, Mary vowed. I promise.

“Let’s go,” she said as Rhage shut the car door next to him.

“Suitcases?”

“Right