“Yes,” Ruth replied. “Her branded Cursed name is Delilah. Judah named her because she looks just like you.” A cry came from Lilah’s mouth.
I cleared my throat and said, “Grace.” Lilah faced me in confusion. I pointed at the kid, who already looked completely enamored with Phebe’s sister. “Her name before my brother branded her was Grace. Phebe only ever called her that.” I pushed my hair back off my face. “She wants you to take her, raise her as your own. She saved Grace so you could give her a better life. Because she couldn’t see another child hurt the way you were”—I met Bella’s watery eyes—“the way you all were.”
Grace stepped forward and tugged on Lilah’s long cream dress. Lilah looked down, and Grace said nervously, “You . . . you are Aunt Phebe’s . . . sister?”
Lilah’s face contorted with grief, and with Ky’s help, she bent down and met Grace face to face. “You have the same hair color as me,” she said innocently, and my heart almost fucking cracked down the center.
Ky looked away, and I knew he was breaking too. Lilah smiled indulgently at the little girl. “I do.”
Grace pointed at Lilah’s eyes. “And your eyes are the same too.”
“Yes,” Lilah said in a husky voice. “They are blue.”
Grace tipped her head to the side, and she blushed. She clasped her hands in front of her. “Aunt Phebe said . . . ” Grace looked up at Ruth for approval. Ruth nodded her head in encouragement. Grace stepped closer to Lilah and said, “Aunt Phebe said you are to be my . . . mama?” The little girl swallowed. “Are you . . . is that true? Are you my mama? I never had a mama before.”
Lilah and Ky both turned their faces away for a moment, trying to control their tears. Then Lilah smiled. She cried through her smile and nodded her head. “Yes, Grace. I will be your mama.”
Grace’s smile practically lit up the darkening sky. She tentatively moved closer to Lilah, and Lilah pulled her into a soft hug. Lilah looked up at Ky, smiling so fucking big. She pulled back from the little girl and pointed at Ky. “Ky, my husband . . . He will be your papa, Grace. He will be your papa . . . ” Ky’s jaw clenched as Grace peered up at him.
“Hey, kid,” Ky said gruffly.
Grace smiled at him, and I heard Ky’s breath hitch. “You look like me too,” Grace said and pointed to her hair.
“Yeah,” Ky rasped. “The same hair and eyes too, kid.”
Grace looked back to Lilah. “Is Aunt Phebe going to live with us too?”
Grace’s question was like a bucket of ice-cold water over the happiness Lilah had found. Stephen crouched down next to Grace. “Aunt Phebe has had to go away for a while, Grace. She wanted you to get to know your new mama and papa first.”
Grace nodded her head like that made perfect sense.
“Do we have a house?” Grace asked Lilah. “Aunt Phebe said that you would have a home. With a bed.” She paused, then said, “I have never slept in a real bed before. Just on a mattress on the floor of the children’s quarters. The prophet told me I would sleep with him very soon, in his bed. A real bed, but that has not happened yet.”
Lilah flinched at Grace’s words, and it took her several seconds to pull herself together. I pushed back vomit at the thought of what Judah had planned to do with the kid. “Yes,” Lilah said breathlessly. “We have a home . . . with a room that I think has been waiting just for you.”
Grace laughed in happiness and Lilah stood, looking over at her sisters with an overwhelmed expression on her face.
“Come on, kid, we’ll show you your new house.” Ky bent down and took Grace in his arms. Lilah, Ky and Grace walked away, Grace staring up at them in complete fascination.
The other brothers began to filter into the clubhouse. And I didn’t know what the fuck to do. Suddenly, Bella was at my side, looking completely stunned by everything.
“Bella,” Mae called. “I will take Stephen and Ruth to my home to rest. Styx will give your other two friends rooms in the clubhouse.” Mae looked at me and smiled. “I am sure you wish to spend time with Rider.”
Styx met my eyes with a meaningful glare. I understood his message, a message that wouldn’t be spoken aloud. Then he lifted his hands and signed at me. I nodded, then reached down for Bella’s hand.
“What did he say?” she asked.
I forced a smile. “That I can clean up in his old room in the clubhouse.” Bella’s smile almost broke my heart.
“He is trusting you again?” she asked hopefully.
I shrugged. “Don’t know.”
Bella’s palm met my cheek. “Come. You need rest. You need to bathe.”
I let Bella pull me toward the clubhouse, then I took her to Styx’s old room. It looked exactly the same as it always had. Bella closed the door behind us, locking us away from everything outside, and stood in front of me. I didn’t know what to say.
My mind had clogged into a thick fog. My eyes burned from too many tears. And I was tired.
So fucking tired.
Without speaking, Bella began shedding my clothes from me. I let her. My arms hung limply at my sides as she rid me of my jacket and shirt. All the time she undressed me, I watched her stunning face, and a glimmer of hope pierced the numbness in my heart.
Because now she would be free.
“What is your real age?” I asked. I had suddenly realized she would not be twenty-three after all. That was another ruse to keep Judah from discovering her true identity.
Bella stilled. “Twenty-six. I am twenty-six.” She ran her hand over my bare torso. “And you?”
“Twenty-four,” I said. “But I feel older. I feel like I have lived a thousand lives.” I leaned against the door. “I’m tired, Bella. I’m . . . I’m so fucking tired.”