That’s not true though. It’s not the one thing. There’s a reason my grandfather paid him off. If the truth had come out that Theron wasn’t of Montgomery blood, it would have shamed the old man. Tainted the family name. Theron knew how important this was to our grandfather and used that fact against him. Because being a Sovereign Son, he is protected by IVI’s laws. To murder Theron would have meant a death sentence to my grandfather. It will mean one to me.

But it doesn’t excuse what he did. He will pay.

Mercedes makes a sound and I hurry back into the bedroom. I strip down to my briefs and put on the folded pair of pajama pants Lois left on the foot of the bed, then lift the blanket to climb in beside her.

“No!” she starts. It’s always the same.

“Shh. You’re safe, Mercedes. It’s me. It’s Judge.”

With effort she opens her eyes to peer at me, but then closes them again.

I settle in beside her and the bed dips. Her body curls into mine. I cover both of us with the blanket and wrap an arm around her.

She pushes against my chest momentarily. When I don’t budge, her fingernails dig in. Although Lois cut them down when she saw my chest so she can’t do as much damage.

“You can turn me black and blue, little monster, but I won’t leave you,” I whisper against her ear, then kiss her temple. “Sleep now. You’re safe.”

She mutters something then settles down. An owl hoots outside. I hold on to her. My eyelids feel heavy but I fight to keep them open because if I sleep, I’ll have my own nightmare. I’ll relive that night, going over it again and again to understand something I can’t understand.

Light pours into the room. I wake to the clicking of a door and the smell of coffee. When I open my eyes, I see the steaming mug Lois must have just left.

I slept. A full night according to the clock which tells me it’s a little after nine in the morning.

Mercedes is curled into me, dark hair fanned out over my chest, her chin against my shoulder. One hand is laid flat over my heart. I hold my breath for a moment when I see that. It’s the same every morning. And so is my reaction to it.

My arm is beneath her neck and she’s so warm and soft tucked into me like she is that I don’t want to move.