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Corey felt like he’d been slapped. “I...” I can’t do it. He didn’t love her. But he did care about her, and she’d been through so much already. He’d been the one to hold her when she cried after Liam’s death because Aaron was off fucking Sandra the Whore. Not that Dianne had known that at the time. Which had made it even worse.
Corey had cried with her, missing Liam. Grieving with Dianne. And now...
She might not have heard.
He couldn’t risk it, though. What have I done?
You done fucked up, boy. That’s what you’ve done.
He opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. I can’t do it. Goddammit.
“I’ll just give her extra sleeping pills,” Ed murmured, so softly that Corey barely heard him. “She’ll go to sleep and won’t wake up. It won’t hurt her. I promise.”
Corey wanted to snarl, because his chest hurt. This was Aaron’s and Rick’s and Jace’s fault. Aaron wasn’t supposed to have killed Dr.Singh. Rick wasn’t supposed to try kidnapping Cardozo’s kid, and Jace wasn’t supposed to have been smart enough to get away.
Nothing was going the way it was supposed to.
He exhaled heavily. “Do it, Ed.”
Ed nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of anguish and anger. He’d been Dianne’s friend, too. But Ed always did what needed to be done. “All right.” He drew a deep breath and let it out. “What are we going to do about this?” He held up his phone, their faces still staring from his screen.
Corey stood abruptly, his chair clattering to the floor. “We’re going to get Jace. When we get back, we’re going to figure out how to get to Rick in lockup. We’re going to do what I should have done a long time ago. You got that address for the safe house, Bobby?”
“I sure do.” Bobby patted his pocket, then strapped on his ridiculous gun. “Let’s roll.”
Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 3:00 P.M.
“Did everything go well?” Molly asked cautiously once Val had kissed the top of Czar’s head at the front door and sent him upstairs, where Elijah was taking a nap.
“Yep. I sent the log-in for Rick’s cloud account to Antoine. Didn’t he tell you?” Val glanced to the dining room table, where Antoine had his three laptops arranged and was typing on two keyboards simultaneously. “Show-off,” she muttered.
“No, he didn’t tell me. I learned a long time ago not to bug him when he’s working.” Molly opened the door again when Jace approached with Lucien. “No excitement?”
“None,” Lucien confirmed. “Just a dirty look from the cop on duty when I said I was Rick’s lawyer, but I’m used to that.”
“Why don’t the three of you catch some z’s?” Molly suggested. “Val, go on upstairs. I’ll stay on duty until Burke gets back.”
“I will,” Val said, thankful that Phin had taken a break from Elijah’s safe room and the house was quiet. “Or I won’t be able to take night duty.”
“I don’t think I could sleep if I tried.” Jace tugged on Kaj’s tie. “I just want to get out of this suit before I mess it up.”
“I just want out of the suit,” Lucien said lightly, “because I hate them.”
Jace stuck out his hands. “You can cuff me while we go up the stairs.” The teenager shook his head when Lucien looked pained. “It’s okay. I’m grateful I’m not in jail. Mr.Cardozo has been nice, and I don’t want to go against him. Cuff me.”
With a sigh, Lucien handcuffed him, then followed him up the stairs.
Molly’s brows lifted. “He’s won over Lucien.”
Val snorted. “The man talks a mean game, but he’s a marshmallow.”
“I know. He spends all his extra time at our house, spoiling my sister and Harper.”
“Good. Chelsea and Harper deserve a little spoiling.” Because Molly’s niece had survived a living hell, having been molested by her own father.
“So do you,” Molly murmured, because she knew the truth. She was one of the few people who did. Burke knew basic details. Val’s parents only knew that she’d had a stalker.
