Fidelity (Infidelity #5)

The words stopped forming as hiccups sabotaged my speech.

Letting go of her hand, I clung to the edge of the mattress. With my head down I cried. I cried because I was scared that she wouldn’t live. I cried because I was scared of what would become of us if she did. We were breaking my grandfather’s will. I couldn’t ask Nox or Oren to support both of us. It wasn’t right.

I cried for the little girl who missed out on a mother’s touch. More tears fell at the realization of her sacrifice, at our sacrifice. I’d missed out and so had she. Maybe it wasn’t that she didn’t notice, but that she’d been too busy keeping the monster away. I felt it in my soul. Things Jane had said. Things I didn’t understand now seemed clear.

I cried the tears I’d held back at Montague Manor.

I cried for Chelsea and all she’d surrendered on my account.

With time, my tears slowed and breathing began to steady. As it did, I felt a touch to my head, a smoothing of my hair.

“Shhh. Don’t cry.”

The voice was weak, scratchy, but I’d know my own mother’s voice anywhere.

My head popped up. She looked exactly as she had. Her eyes were still closed. But her hand was moved. Had I moved it? Did I imagine it?

“Momma?”

She didn’t answer.

“Momma?”

The monitors continued their steady rhythm as the door opened.

Oren stepped around Liz. “Alexandria, are you all right?”

Liz hurried to the monitors. “Everything is stable. Did something happen?”

“She spoke.”

Oren looked from me to Momma and back. There was a skeptical expectancy in his expression as if he wanted to believe me, but doubted my sanity.

“Adelaide?”

I took a step back as he reached for her other hand.

“Adelaide, it’s Oren. Alexandria is here.”

The intimacy in his touch made my skin prickle. It wasn’t right, yet he didn’t hesitate as he bowed forward and lifted her hand to his lips.

“Amore mio, rest. We’re not leaving you.”

“Not real.”

We all looked up, Liz, Oren, and myself. It wasn’t a sleep-deprived hallucination. She’d spoken again.

“Miss Collins, that is a great sign,” Liz said. “Dr. Rossi will be in here soon. She’s not leaving the estate. We will want to run some tests, see how she’s responding. There’s nothing more for you to do right now. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

“I-I don’t want—”

The door opened wider. There was something in the expression of the most handsome man I knew. It only lasted a millisecond as he entered this room. His step stuttered and then he strode through, my confident, domineering Batman. “Did I hear something good happened?”

I nodded and swallowed more tears. “She’s talking.”

Nox reached for my hand. “Princess…” He kissed my forehead. “…you’re the most beautiful woman I know, but,” he said, pausing to wipe the tears from my cheeks, “you look spent. I’m spent. Your mom is doing better. Let’s get some sleep?” He looked to Liz. “If you need her, she’s in the suite down the hall. Don’t hesitate to wake us.”

“Yes, sir.”

He nodded toward Oren. “Thank you.”

“Tomorrow we’ll talk.”

“You didn’t?”

“No. One thing at a time.”

Nox took a deep breath and tilted his head toward Momma. “They know she’s gone.”

Oren nodded. “I’ve been following the chatter.”

“Wait!” I said. “What? Do you think they’ll come here? Do you think they’ll try to move her?”

“Eventually,” Oren replied. “But no one is entering this property without a warrant.”

I reached for Nox’s hand. “Alton has people. He got in our apartment.”

Oren smiled. “Get some sleep. Our people are watching.”

Nox’s eyes blinked in acknowledgment as he smiled at his father. And then the light blue stare was back on me. “Come on, princess. I have plans.”





IT HAD BEEN years since I’d stepped foot in the master suite at Rye. I know that sounds crazy. I didn’t sell the house after Jo died. I couldn’t. It was my mother’s. She loved this house. I had to separate myself from my loss.

I stayed away. I avoided my childhood home like it was the plague. In my mind it’d killed not only my mother but my wife too. For all practical purposes I gave it to Silvia. She deserved it more than me. She cared for it and honored it. I probably wouldn’t be here now, nor would Oren or Adelaide or Charli, if Silvia had taken me up on the offer I made her.

Despite what I knew would become an argument with Oren, I had the deed ready to sign over to Silvia. Everything was there except my signature. Deloris was the one who convinced me to take the paperwork to Rye, sit down with Silvia, and let her know that the house was hers. I was ready to do it from New York City and forget about it.