The quiet was unnerving. We were all waiting for the verdict.
“Dead,” he said, standing. “Pity, I’d rather have skinned him.”
“That’s a new one,” Freddie said. “Takes a while, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” Bodhi commented, his gaze fixing on me. “A long while.”
“Dimitri.”
“Madam?”
“Take care of the body. Burn it. Bury it with the garbage.”
He nodded once and held out his hand. “Gun?”
She passed it to him. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He nodded to me and then whistled. More men appeared, some from the direction of the theater and more from where Margareta had come from. The empty silence of the tunnel hummed with sound. They moved swiftly to take custody of the body.
Almost too fast. I watched the body disappear. My father? Or at least the biological contributor, died on the same day I discovered him. I was having a hard time feeling bad about that. What had my mother said about him?
He’s a terrible man. Stay away.
When Bodhi held out a hand to me, I clasped his and then he carefully took the baton that I still held in a death grip. My fingers and palm were numb from holding it so tightly.
The shaking hit in earnest then and Bodhi stripped off his jacket and wrapped it around me before he pulled me close. Eyes closed, I held on and just breathed him in. The copper scent mixed with his sweat and the faintest hint of the aftershave he’d used earlier.
The world faded away as I fought the reaction. Then the two-beat click of heels on stone hit me and I lifted my head.
“Margareta…”
The woman was walking away. Not toward the theater, but back the way she’d arrived from. Had she told the others about the tunnels? I had so many questions.
She paused and turned back to look at me. Elegant from her styled updo to her beautiful gauzy lavender dress. “You need time, Lainey. Time to recover from the shock and to look after your sister.”
“But…”
“I’m not going away, but I am going to give you time.”
“You knew I was your grandchild?” It wasn’t my only question but it was one of the loudest.
“Yes. When I saw you at that first charity event. You arrived with your grandfather, a powerful, poised young woman with a gambler’s eyes and the soul of a warrior. I knew exactly who you were, but I didn’t know what you knew. It took time to learn that no one knew who your father was.”
She gave a sad smile.
“No one will now and that is as it should be.” She took a breath and straightened. “I was going to watch the show tonight. I’ve heard wonderful things about Mrs. O’Connell, but I think I will retire for the evening.”
“Thank you,” I said. It seemed so damn weak for what she’d just done. She’d killed her son for me.
To save me.
She was my grandmother…
“I will always protect my family,” she said. “How did Mr. Cavendish put it? I will always protect you and what is yours.” Another sad smile that twisted my heart. “I’ll send word when we’re both back in New York. Maybe we can have lunch.”
“I’d like that.”
“So would I.” Then she turned and bypassed Kellan and Freddie, before disappearing with Dimitri and his men, leaving me wrapped up in Bodhi with the Vandals around. Eventually, they peeled off one at a time to go back into the theater.
“You really alright?” Bodhi asked me, his arms keeping me firmly grounded.
“No,” I whispered. “But I will be.”
We’d won.
Despite the enormous cost of it all, we’d won. My face hurt and so did my heart, but I had my grandfather, my sister, my lovers, their families and now… I had a new grandmother.
No, I wasn’t alright, but I definitely would be.
We. Won.
Epilogue
LAINEY
ONE MONTH LATER…
