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It shakes me to the core.
Knowing that Jacob forced eleven and counting families to endure that very fate enrages me.
So, knowing that Jacob is being tortured every minute of every day he lives gives me no moment of pause. When that prickly, ridiculous conscious of mine decides to creep in, I simply remind myself of Ilya’s words.There’s always hypocrisy in justice,and I leave it at that.
Should I have insisted Jacob Yancey be turned over to the proper authorities? Probably.
Does that mean I’m going to demand that be done? Absolutely not.
I’m human with faults. Apparently, this is one ofmine. Because that man deserves to suffer, and suffer he is at Ilya’s talented hands.
What he does not deserve is a prison cell, a full belly, and the chance to see old age. No.
Stirring the creamy butternut squash and apple soup, I glance at Kane when his phone rings. He tugs it from his pocket and my eyes meet Tav’s, who came over to surprise me with apuppyand is now staying for dinner, before shifting to Uncle Miguel, who loves this soup, and I wouldn’t dream of making it and not invite him.
Besides, I miss Uncle Miguel.
“Yeah,” Kane answers. Then his eyes lower slowly. “Thanks. I’ll tell her.”
He disconnects and I hold my breath, tossing a small square of bacon to the tiny yapping pup at my heels whom I’ve yet to name. “Ilya?”
Kane nods. “He heard from Cash. Arianna Newfield is among the remains.”
“Oh.” I touch fingertips to my chest, feeling a heavy throb. A pinch of pain.
“Jacob Yancey is gone.”
The breath of relief I release is unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life. It leaves me with an audible whoosh that has the pups’ yaps growing louder even as my hands grip for the counter. Uncle Miguel is there fast, holding me upright.
“Hey, kiddo.” His rough voice is soft for me. “It’sokay. This is good. He can’t hurt another woman.”
“I know.” I suck in breath. “I just—I don’t know what I’m feeling.”
It’s Tav who speaks. “The guilt you feel at the hand you held in his death—let it go.”
My eyes hold Tav’s dark brown and a tear hovers on my lash. “How?”
Why is this affecting me like this after everything? After I’d told myself over and over that it was the right thing, and I didn’t care.
Because a life is a life. Even an evil one.
“By knowing that in ending his, you ensured others would continue. Good lives. Full lives.” He comes around the island, and I can feel Kane watching as Tav takes my face in his hands. “You keep playing the music. Keep singing the songs. You don’t let him take away your life, not when you fought so hard to keep it.”
My smile wobbles. “Okay.”
He kisses my forehead, handing me to Kane as he says, “And you give the damn pup a name.”
I laugh, shooting him a mock pout. “I wanted a kitten.”
“You need a pup.”
“I needed one. Past tense. I’m safe now, remember?” I crouch to lift the baby Cane Corso into my arms, receiving a happy lick when I ask, “But you want a kitty friend, don’t you?”
“A cat too, eh?” Kane asks dryly, letting the sad fade into something more happy. More us.
I ask my pup again, “What do you think? Should we get a kitty?” When I get a happy yap, I look at Kane. “He said yes. Definitely yes.”
“The breeder has cats and young kids, so he’s familiar.”
