“Take him to mine… he’s familiar with the place.” Merci takes the keys with a nod, and Lucas follows her down the hall. They come out with a sleeping Jerome cradled in Lucas’s arms and head to Merci’s car.
“How did he know where to find her?” I ask the woman.
“An older lady. Adora’s sister told him that she was living with her. But when he got there, she wasn’t there,” she replies, and I clench my hands at my side.
My phone buzzes with a text from Keir, telling me our mother is okay and that she is sleeping and needs rest. He asks if I need him, but I tell him to stay with her.
“And who are you to him?”
“He hired me as a nanny,” she answers straight away.
“Did you choose to be his nanny?” I ask, and her eyes cast down. “Do you want to continue to help him?” I rephrase.
“No.”
“So why do you?”
“He… he owns me.”
“Not anymore, he doesn’t,” I say, standing. Lucas walks back in. “Where would he have taken her?”
“I’m not from here, but I did hear he bought some land.”
“Land?” Lucas asks, confused.
“Yeah, at a construction place.” Lucas strides off, messaging Piper as I continue to talk with the woman. “It was recent. I overheard him on the phone.”
“It doesn’t bother you that he wants Adora?”
She shakes her head.
“He’s nicer to me when she’s around.”
Well, I didn’t think that would have been the case.
“He’s madly in love with her. Would kill anyone for her, even their own son.” Her voice is shaky.
“Would he kill Adora?”
“Yes. If he can’t have her, he won’t let anyone else have her either,” she answers without any consideration. To her, it’s a fact, and it is easy to believe.
“Fuck.”
“I think he is going to kill her. He said on the phone as we pulled up that he has to get it done.” She shrugs, her hands trembling. “I assume the worst with him.”
“You should,” I tell her.
“I have nowhere to go,” she whimpers as we go to leave.
“You can stay here. No one will care,” Lucas says as I turn around to look at her once more.
“Lock the door, and don’t let anyone in,” I order.
“What about you?” she asks.
“Not even me,” I say before I shut the door.
“Guess we get to kill that asshole, after all.”