You have thirty minutes before the crew will be here, so make it quick.” I gesture to the bathroom, and they turn to leave together. “Wait. Abel. He’s your father.”
“I know that,” she says coldly from the doorway.
“You can trust him. He’s a good man.”
“That. I don’t know. He never even tried.” She shakes her head.
“He wants you.”
“We’ll see…” she says, turning again to leave.
Kendrick looks to me when she walks into the bathroom, out of earshot.
“Abel?”
“You can trust him. If there ever comes a time… Jaxx, Costin, my daughter. Those four will help you. Don’t figure you will have much of a choice in the end. I never did. Eliana is relentless, and those boys would follow her anywhere. So they will find you eventually. Actually, finding people is Jaxx’s specialty. Besides, you can’t just hide forever. How will you live? Money?”
“Well, Andrew. We know how to stay hidden and quiet… it’s our specialty. She is my only concern. I will make sure she is safe and has what she needs. There is nothing I won’t sacrifice. Nothing I won’t do for her.” He steps from the room, calling back, “If he wants his daughter back, he will have to prove it… not just to her but to me as well. And Andrew, that’s not going to be an easy sale.”
I nod to him, understanding. “I have the same path ahead of me. I understand. Good luck. Keep her safe. Trust or not. If you keep her from him and something else happens, you are a dead man.”
Shaking his head with a humorless laugh, he answers, “If something happens to her, I can guarantee you that I am already dead. You have no idea the life we have led and the sacrifices I have made. She is as much mine as I am hers. There is no life without her.”
“Good man.”
“Andrew, thanks for handling this sack of shit, and good luck.” He walks into the bathroom with her, closing the door behind him.
Costin
“Oh! I’m so sorry.” We glance to the door at the sound of a soft feminine voice. Lilabelle. “I just wanted to drop this box off. Andrew said-”
“Come on, Dame. We should go.” Kendrick pulls her behind him and places a warn shoebox on the floor, scooting it to us with his foot while staring at me with distrust.
“Wait!” I step forward.
“I don’t think so, man. This was a mistake,” he says, inching her closer to the exit, but she doesn’t budge. “Run, Dame.”
“Who are you?” Eliana eases herself up slowly on the bed.
“Princess-” I need to keep them here, but I didn’t have a chance to explain all of it. I know this is going to upset her.
“No. I know you. Both of you. Please, stay. We won’t hurt her,” E begs.
“And him? I’ve seen him before,” Kendrick sneers, jerking his chin in my direction.
“You have?” Eliana looks up at me.
“The basement, Princess. Douglass brought them. I never touched her.” I look from my girl to Kendrick. “I won’t hurt her, either. We have been searching for you both. Abel is desperate-”
“Abel?” E asks, confused.
“My father. Desperate for what?” Lilabelle’s sweet voice turns icy at the mention of her father.
“He wants you home, safe. With him,” I plead.
“Now? I don’t need him now. My mother told me he would come for me every day until they killed her. She said he was a good man. He would save us. He never came. But they did.”
“Oh, God, no.” Eliana breathes out, wiping away a tear, and Lilabelle nods once.
“He didn’t know-” I try to defend.
“Liar! My mother died trying to keep us safe. Where was he then? Where was he when she gave her life, trying to keep them away? To keep us safe where there were only monsters and darkness! How dare you say those things! She would never have told me that he would come if he didn’t know. My father let them have us! He never cared!” Her tiny body begins to shake all over, and she lets out the saddest whimpers I have ever heard. More wounded than even my Princess’. What hell have these two survived?
Kendrick pulls her to his chest, rocking her to a tune he softly hums, and seemingly erases everything outside of their tiny bubble. “It’s okay. You’re my girl, Lilabelle Fayre Maxfield. I am so sorry. You and me. Forever. I love you, Dame.” She looks up at him, and he kisses the tears from her cheeks. “There