Children of Redemption (Children of Vice 3)

“I did. But Ethan always took them seriously.”

“I’m not sure how this helps? Did the rules ever say where to go when you didn’t want to be at home?”

I shook my head before switching the cameras. “Rule 5: One family. One Roof.”

“No…he’s not.”

“He is.” I grinned when, finally, I saw what I was looking for. “He’s at home. He never left the manor. He just wanted us to think he did. Where is the best place to hide when everyone is looking for you? Under their noses. In this case, in the walls.”

I showed her the heat signature that the cameras picked up of him walking in the walls of the hallways, like a ghost, at night when we should have been asleep. She shivered against me.

“So fucking creepy,” she said, just watching in awe.

“He’s been with us the whole time.” I could barely fucking believe it myself, but it was completely within his wheelhouse. Ethan loved this family more than anyone else. He believed in the rules more than anyone else. No matter how broken he felt, he couldn’t ever just abandon it…and furthermore, it gave him a perfect opportunity. “Ethan most likely knows about us.”

“Well, he’s known I have feelings for you,” she said while moving to sit beside me. “But do you think he’s been watching us?”

“I don’t think so, I know so. He might have been hurt the first few days, but I’m sure he wanted to know how someone was able to break through all of our defenses and kill Ivy. He did it also to make sure no one in the family betrayed him. He’s most likely been listening to everything.”

“Shit,” she whispered, eyes wide.

“What? I hardly doubt he’d be pissed we were—”

“Not a lot of people liked Ivy and with her gone, even if they didn’t do it, didn’t kill her, they still spoke down about her…I spoke down about her.” She frowned, putting her hands on her head. “We hurt him more.”

“Yeah.” I frowned, picking up the tablet to watch when I suddenly saw another heat signature next to Ethan’s.

No fucking way.

“It’s not Ivy.”

“How do you know?” I asked her, and she reached over, typing on the screen.

“The height difference, and the posture. Ivy sometimes hunched. This person…looks like she’s never not stood tall in her whole life…”

“Who are you talking about—”

“Who knows all, and never worries?” she whispered, looking at me with a small smile on her lips, but I wasn’t sure what she meant. “Who can survive a church falling on top of them and still walk in heels?”

“Nana?” I looked to the screen again, and just like that, it hit me.

“Rule 39: Have at least one man on the inside. Who is the one person who loves this family, has lost for this family…Evelyn Callahan.” I cracked my jaw to the side, feeling as if I were a dog at the end of its leash…not realizing I ever even had one on. “I’m now certain, without a doubt, that Ethan’s her favorite.”

“He was the fi

rst grandchild,” she reminded me while I pouted.

“I am very hurt by this. Those two are as thick as thieves,” I grumbled, and she just laughed, kissing the side of my face.

“If it makes you feel better, you’re still my favorite.”

I thought for a moment and leaned back onto her. “Yes, it does. Let’s have sex before I have to face these two.”

“You just ask for it now? You aren’t even going to set the mood? We’ve only spent one night together, Wyatt, you are a little too sure—ah…”

She moaned when I kissed her the spot right at the curve of her neck, my hand reaching up to cup her breasts, loving how they felt in my hand. With each kiss that same feeling rushed through my veins.

“Wyatt.” She moaned my name as if it was the only word she knew. I pushed her gently, and she fell back on top of the bed. The food we had been eating found its way on to the floor as I climbed on top of her.