Page 54 of A Violet Obsession

“He’s not asking for your permission, Brady,” Sera adds, her voice sharper now. “He’s telling you what’s going to happen. The question is whether you’re going to help or get in the way.”

Brady swings his gaze to her. “You’re taking his side?”

She makes a face. “Uh. Duh.”

The room hangs on the silence that follows. I can feel Rhodes watching Brady’s expression, carefully neutral. Leo has brought his chair down on all four legs, which means even he knows this is serious.

Brady stares at me. The anger is real, but so is the concern behind it, and I know him well enough to see both. I respect that. But I’m still not backing down.

“You’re family,” Brady says finally, his voice rougher than before. “And if this is what you choose, we back you. A hundred percent.” He holds my gaze. “I just want you to be sure.”

“I’m sure.”

And I am.

Movement at the top of the stairs catches my eye, and my chest seizes.

Lily is standing on the landing, and the look on her face tells me she heard everything.

She descends the stairs slowly, dressed in a red dress similar to the one she had worn the night before. The color shouldn’t look good with her fiery hair, but with her curls wild around her face, she looks like a princess coming down from her castle.

Okay, yeah. Maybe I need to get some sleep.

Lily stops on the bottom step. Her eyes find mine first, then sweep the room.

“I heard most of what you were saying.” Her voice is steady, but I can see the effort it costs her. The way her fingers curl around the railing. “I never wanted to cause any of you problems. If my being here puts people at risk, I’ll leave. I’ll figure something out.”

“You’re not going anywhere alone,” I snap.

She holds up a hand. “I came down because I need a phone. I need to call Dawn and Trevor—they deserve to know what’s going on, and they need to be warned.” She swallows. “And I should call Emma.”

Brady’s posture shifts and his expression changes. I’m not sure if it’s the practicality of what she’s asking for, or the fact that her first instinct is to warn the people around her, but when he speaks, the edge is gone from his voice.

“Emma will be here within the hour.” He looks at Leo. “Go get her and bring her back here. You up for a trip to South Georgia?”

“I don’t know,” Leo winks at me. “Is your sister cute?”

“Leo,” Vincent barks, and Leo smiles. “Just trying to lighten the mood around here, sheesh.”

To my surprise, Luke Bloom steps forward, extending his hand with a smile. “Lily, it’s nice to see you again. Though I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

My eyes dart between them. “Again?”

“You two know each other?” Sera asks.

Luke hesitates, but Lily says. “Yes.” Her chin lifts, and I watch her make the conscious decision to own her past. “He’s defended me before.”

Brady stiffens, and Luke clears his throat. “I came upon Ms. Jenkins in a vulnerable moment, about six years ago. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Luke says evenly, his gaze returning to Lily, “and was being made a scapegoat. I took her case pro bono because the situation was epically unjust.”

Lily’s eyes are bright. She blinks fast and looks at the floor. Fuck. How did I miss Luke in her plea deal paperwork? I could blame the shock of discovering what happened or the lack of sleep, but the excuse feels weak. The truth is, I was distracted. More worried about the woman upstairs than the details. And that’s unacceptable.

Brady scrubs a hand down his face. “Is there anyone in this room who doesn’t have a personal connection to this woman?”

“I don’t,” Rhodes offers from the wall. “If that helps.”

“It doesn’t.”

Sera snorts. Then her gaze lingers on Lily, and she tilts her head. “Other than last night,” she says slowly, “have we met before? You seem very familiar.”