he gave you, the bruises he left…do you not remember?”
“And what of the bruises you left? What does that make you?”
She tilted her head and looked defiantly up at me. “I did what I had to do to save our family name, just as you did what you had to do with Tommy.”
I stiffened. A shiver of unease whispered down my spine. “I have murdered no one. Tommy is safe, and you’ll never find him.”
“Perhaps. But I found him before, didn’t I?” She smirked. I’d thought her greedy, selfish, but up until now, I’d never thought her truly evil. “People say you are like your father. But you’re not…you’re like me. We both have an insatiable need for power, control. Wealth, privilege. And because of me, we have London in the palm of your hand.”
“What will you do, Mother? Kill Tommy? Kill me, so that Chris might rule? I don’t think the ton will overlook three murders in our family. Now, get out,” I said firmly. “Get out, never come back.”
She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “You might think you don’t need me, but you’ll see. A few months from now, you’ll be begging for my help.”
“Gabe,” Oliver rushed back into the room, a coat in hand. “Ginny left the house. I think it would be best if you went after her.”
I started toward the door. I’d wasted enough time on the woman. “I mean it, Mother. Get out and never come back.”
“And what of Ginny’s less than stellar lineage?”
I paused at the door and laughed. “You think that matters to me? Ginny, her lineage or not, is too good for our family. Too good for me. But if she will have me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove my worth.”
“You’re weak.”
“No, Mother.” I took the greatcoat Oliver handed me. “Weak people lie, cheat, hate. Because that’s the easy way to live. Honesty, love, openness, that takes strength. Something you’ll never understand.”
Dismissing her, I headed toward the foyer. “Oliver, I want you to go to Izzy. Watch her, please. Don’t leave her side.”
I pulled on my greatcoat as I moved into the foyer. Where had Ginny gone? The stables? Hell, it was freezing outside. She could catch a chill, fall on the ice.
“You think your own mother would harm Izzy?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, not at all surprised. But then his family wasn’t exactly pure of heart and soul. It was safe to say that my parents would be rotting in hell with their father and step-brother. “I’ll guard her, even after your mother leaves.”
“Thank you.” My boots tapped against the marble floor as I made my way toward the front door. “Any idea where she might be?”
“There’s a hunting cottage just south,” Oliver said. “We went there once as children. I believe she might have gone there; her prints are headed in that direction.”
“Thank you.”
“Stay as long as it takes.” He started toward the stairs and Izzy. “I’ll tell the others. Don’t worry. We’ll get rid of your mother, and we’ll protect Izzy.”
“I owe you.”
He paused. “She needs you, Chambers. She might not admit it, but she does.”
His words made my chest feel tight. I gave a curt nod, and raced into the bitterly cold evening, praying I found Ginny before one of us froze to death.
Chapter Five
Ginny
“Ginny!”
His voice was just barely audible over the howl of the wind, an echo of a memory that drifted away so quickly, I wasn’t sure if I had imagined it. I didn’t dare look back. With one goal in mind, I could not relent. Would not rest until I succeeded.
Snow swept from the dark sky, pelting my face until the skin stung. I ignored the pain. Ignored him. Even though the temperature had dropped with the sun, I was determined. Nothing could stop me. For some reason, I was desperate to find it. Had to find it, or I thought I’d go daft.
Just around the cropping of rock… It had to be there. It must. I remembered it. Truly, I remembered. My mind was not a complete muddle of foggy dreams. It was there: our safe haven. And I needed it now more than ever.
Damnation, I needed something to be true.
“Ginny! Wait, just wait. Whatever you want to do, where ever you want to go, I’ll be there with you. Just wait for me.”
But I couldn’t wait for him. Didn’t he understand? I was alone in this. I had always been alone, and apparently, I always would be.