Page 69 of The Devil’s Lair

Vicky puts her arm around me and rests her head on my shoulder. “You don’t have to tell us anymore if it’s too painful.”

“No, I want to.” I take a deep breath in. “At first, the changes were subtle. An odd comment here, a bit of criticism there. Before I knew it, I didn’t even recognize the man who’d stood up for me that night in the pub. I couldn’t move without his approval.”

I give a wry smile. “The funny thing is, I’d never have categorized myself as a woman who would let such a thing like that happen to her. I thought I had street smarts, especially growing up where I did. But I fell for the whole act, and I paid a heavy price for it.” I break off, the rest of it too agonizing to share. “The one good thing, though, is Isla. If I’d known she was the prize for going through what I did, I’d choose that life again in a heartbeat.”

The room falls silent, until each of these women get up from their loungers and envelop me in a group hug. There are no words, only comfort and solidarity. The tears come. I can’t help it, and then we’re all crying and hugging.

I went from my neglectful childhood home to an abusive and violent relationship with Marcus, and somehow, I’ve ended up here, feeling safe and loved and cherished.

I’m the luckiest woman alive.

Chapter Twenty-One

REBECCA

A few hours ago, I left Oakleigh as an outsider. A loner who has never felt a part of anything solid. Now, I’ve returned with four best friends, a heart filled with love, and hope for the future.

Alan, Charles’s butler, informs me that Tobias and Isla are still at the stables. On the way home, I watched two videos he’d sent me. One of them has Isla sitting on a tiny pony while Tobias shows her how to hold the reins. The second one is of her being led by him around a small paddock, and she is beaming.

My daughter is braver than I am.

There’s a spring in my step as I make my way to the yard. One of the grooms points to a stall about halfway down, where Tobias and Isla are. I thank him and make my way there.

I peer inside. Tobias and Isla are sitting on the floor covered in straw while the pony I’d seen her riding tucks into a bucket of food. They’re both laughing and tossing more handfuls of straw at one another.

My heart.

My heart damn near explodes right out of my chest.

I rest my arms on the bottom half of the stable door. They haven’t seen me yet, too busy laughing and playing.

“Well, would you look at you two.”

The pair of them jump, then Isla scrambles to her feet. I open the stable door, giving the pony a wide berth—it may be small, but those hooves still look big, and don’t get me started on its teeth—and drop to a crouch, enveloping her in a tight hug.

“Have you had a good time?”

She nods, then points at Tobias’s pocket.

“You want me to show Mama the other videos?”

She nods again. Tobias taps a few times on his phone before he gives it to me. I watch all four additional videos and, despite crying far too many times already today, more tears come. I’m turning into one of those women at risk of running out of tears. Only these days, they’re happy tears rather than ones borne out of pain or fear.

“Isla, you’ve done amazing. Look at you.”

Tobias smiles as I pass his phone back to him. “We’ll have her entering the pony games at the Horse of the Year show before long.”

“Not entering.” His smile falls, until I add, “Winning.”

“What was I thinking? Of course, I meant winning.”

“Right then, missy. What do you say we get you bathed, fed, and in bed?”

She shakes her head, then yawns.

I laugh. “Someone’s tired. Come on. You can come back to the stables another day.” She holds out her arms and I pick her up.

“How was your day?” Tobias asks as we begin the walk back to the house.