Tyrant Stalker (Tyrant Dynasty 2)

"She's a girl I met while I was... looking out for you. I think she's about seven, eight years old."

"Oh." Her face softens. "A little girl?"

I nod.

"She has a problematic situation at home. Here." I pass her a file in an envelope. "Everything you need is in there. Name, address, info on her parents. I'm hoping you can use this to help her."

"Why can't you help her? Do you have to leave again?"

"Yes," I nod. "Soon, I'll have to go. I only have tonight."

"Tonight?" Her eyes widen. "So tonight's the only night I'm going to see you?"

"For a while," I nod, feeling the pang of pain as I say the words. "Unfortunately, it can't be helped. But I think you'll like Willa. I think you need her as much as she needs you."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Find her," I mutter. "I've been by her house and it's been emptied. I don't know where she is, but her parents are gone, too. I need you to promise me you'll help her, Dove."

"Okay," she says. "I can do that. I'll find her."

"Good," I nod. "I've also arranged for money to be wired over to you."

"Money?"

"To take care of Willa while I'm gone."

"I have my own money, Nox," Dove tells me resolutely.

"Yes, but this is a favor I'm asking you for, and I want to help. Okay?"

"Fine," she sighs. "But why can't you take care of her? Why can't we do this together?"

The fact that she's even considering that fucking hurts. There's a part of me that wants to forgo my plan, tell her to forget it, I'm staying, all this was just a stupid fucking idea to please her. But it's more than that. It's a goodbye to my past self and I need to go through with it before I can start my new life.

"I'm going to explain everything," I promise Dove. "I will. It's just... I don't know how you're going to react."

Her eyes widen even more, burning me with their intensity. Dove doesn't say a word, just silently waits for me to go on.

"I'm going to the police tomorrow," I tell her resolutely. "And I'm going to turn myself in for Robin's murder."

"W-What?" Dove whispers.

"You wanted me to do that and I didn't understand why," I go on. "But now I do. I ripped something away from you, someone you cared deeply about, purely because I was a selfish fuck. I know and understand I can never make that right again. But I want to at least try and show you how remorseful I truly am. I want to pay for what I did. I want to show you I'm capable of redemption."

"But, Nox..." She swallows thickly and I can tell she's trying to find the right words. "What about the little girl? What about Willa?"

"That's why I need your help. I've been losing my mind trying to find her again, but I have a meeting with the chief of police tomorrow morning. I need you to find and take care of Willa."

"But I don't even know her," she whispers. "You can't... you can't leave."

"I have to." I cover her hand with mine. I can feel her fingers trembling. I anticipated a different kind of reaction from Dove, certainly not what I'm getting now. I thought this was what she wanted. But even if she doesn't anymore, I know it's something I have to do.

"Why?" Dove asks, her voice breaking over the single word. "Why do you have to do this now?"

I smile and squeeze her hand gently. "Because of Robin. Because he deserves this, Dove."

Chapter 40

Dove

My heart is pounding from everything Nox just told me. I'm trying to piece all the information together, but there's one thing that's sticking out, reminding me that my life is about to change for ever.

Nox wants to come forward as Robin's murderer. He's volunteered to tell the truth, without any pressure from me. And he seems determined to go through with it, too.

It hurts. It hurts because I know nothing he does now will bring my brother back. And yet there's a sick kind of satisfaction deep within me. Something inside me wants him to pay. I want justice to be served for Robin. I want Nox to realize how impactful his selfish decisions are. I want him to understand what he took away from me, ripped from me without giving me any choice in the matter. I want him to fucking pay.

"But..." My voice is weak, shaky. "How am I going to see you?"

"You won't," he says roughly. "I don't want you to visit me in jail."

"Why not?"

"Because that's not a place for a woman like you," he gets out through gritted teeth. "Besides, this is my punishment. Why should you have to pay for my mistakes?"

I can't say anything. I'm fucking dumbfounded, chewing my bottom lip nervously as I try to come up with an answer. Nox reaches for my other hand and we sit like that, with the weight of the world between us, so many things left unspoken.