“He’s telling the truth.” Kelley looked at Mason as he said those words.“Andrea said basically the same. Kirk never touched her, he tried to help her.”Lee swung his legs off the bed and sat looking at them. “He did get her out of there.”“So we’re in agreement? We kill him and send them his picture? Make them sweat a little?”Connor stood in the doorway and listened to their conversation. “We can have Blaire wire it anonymously but they’ll still know who did it.”Mason nodded his head. “They’ll be pissed off. Where exactly is your mother, Kelley?”“I’m going to have to bring her in before we do this. Charles has always controlled her and I’m not sure if that spell has broken, even with all the years that she’s been gone.”“You should get her to the island, it’s the safest place for everyone. You can check on your wife while you’re at it.”Lee didn’t hide the smirk on his face and Kelley shook his head. “She won’t go with anyone else. Have Blaire track her and book me a flight to whe

Kelley watched Milana sleep for a few seconds before taking his clothes off and heading to the bathroom. He showered quickly and changed into sweats, glad now that he’d sent a bag with Jesse just for in case.He slid into bed next to her and molded his body around hers as she turned in her sleep. His hand went to her stomach, like it always did, and Milana sighed in her sleep. Kelley smiled then. Even when she was mad, she still liked his presence.Sleep came the moment he closed his eyes. He was at peace, here with her, a peace he’d never had before. He slept fitfully until an elbow gutted him in the ribs and a leg kicked out against his. “What the hell!”“I think you meant morning.” Kelley turned onto his back as Milana sat upright in the bed.“When did you get here?”“Last night. I didn’t want to wake you.”Milana looked warily at him and then she turned her face away from his. She shifted until she sat on the edge of the bed. She felt the movement behind her as Kelley moved with h

Kelley sat in his bedroom with the laptop open as he watched Milana on the screen. She was sitting on the bed with her phone in her hand. She kept looking at the screen and Kelley couldn’t bring himself to call her.He wanted her to call him, to tell him she was either pregnant or not. If she wasn’t though, why would she be hesitating to call him? Why was she hesitating in the first place? A million thoughts ran through his mind as he stared at her.She put her phone back in the drawer and Kelley sighed. Maybe she wasn’t pregnant and didn’t want to tell him that. What if she was and she didn’t want to tell him that either? She couldn’t still be that mad at him, could she?Kelley lay back on the bed and watched her as she got into bed and switched off the lamp. He fell asleep watching her sleep and that helped a little. He missed her a lot but at least he could look at her. They needed to speed things along.The next morning he walked into the basement where Kirk lay on the floor with

Lee looked up and for a moment he didn’t understand what he was seeing. Kelley was holding Marella in his arms, her shirt was torn, her lip swollen and bloody and in that moment he forgot about his own pain, both physical and emotional.Kelley placed Marella on the floor but kept his arm around her. Mason had stood up too, his own eyes red from crying. Connor had called them at six am to give them the news of Blain’s murder. Lee hadn’t been able to process it.He stood up and his hand instantly went to the wound near his hip, the one healing the slowest. Tears now welled in his eyes as he took Marella in, noting the exhaustion on her face. “Marella.” His voice trembled and Kelley nodded his head at Mason.Lee didn’t even register them retreating or the door closing a few seconds later. Lee took a step towards her and he noted her limp. Against his doctor’s advice of not doing anything, he picked her up and walked towards the bed.His wound pulled but he didn’t care. He sat down on the

Lee set up the video call and Jesse brought David and Cecile to the control room so they could talk to Lee. Kelley walked out of his study and pulled his own phone out of his pocket and dialed Milana’s number.“Hi,” she answered.“Hi.” Kelley briefly closed his eyes. “How are things on the island?”“It’s okay, considering,” she replied.“Lee’s talking to David and Cecile right now. You’re all flying back this afternoon,” Kelley said.“What happened?”“Blain was shot … he didn’t make it,” Kelley said.Milana’s intake of breath was sharp and she was quiet for several seconds. “I’m so sorry. I never met him, but he’s family, right?”“Family,” Kelley confirmed. “I’m not sure how long you guys will be here but we can’t bury Blain without his family.”“Kelley, are you okay?”“I’m fine, Mila. I’ll see you tonight,” he said.“Okay, see you later.”The call ended from her side and Kelley sighed as he stood outside his study and listened to David yelling at Lee. Cecile was crying so much that i