Page 108 of Bound By Blood and Lies

“You deserved to live, sweet girl.” Mum’s voice is thin and fragile as she speaks.

Why does she sound like that when it’s Fae that’s hurt?

“You deserved to be free, sweet girl, to love, to be loved… you deserve that little baby to bring you so much joy.”

My chest caves in on itself.

No.

No, no, no?—

“You just have to promise me…” Her eyes flick up to find me. “Promise me you’ll love my little boy too.”

“Mum—” My voice breaks completely as my hands finally find her and I press down uselessly, desperately, against her stomach like I can stop the blood, like I can force it back into her body if I just try hard enough. “No, no, you’re not—don’t?—”

“No, you’re not dying. Someone, get help!” Fae screams.

My head snaps up as I see the guys scrambling behind me, but my lungs are burning as I suck in a breath that doesn’t feel like enough.

“Stay with me,” I choke. “Mum, stay with me. Please.”

“Oh, my sweet boy.” She gives me a feeble smile as her bloody hand grabs my face and my features crumple under her touch. “I love you so, so much, do you know that?”

“Don’t you dare say goodbye,” I grit out as my jaw locks so hard it aches, and my hands press tighter over the wound like I can physically hold her here through sheer force. “Do you hear me, Fiona Longstaff? Don’t you dare say goodbye.”

A weak, breathless laugh slips out of her, cut short by a cough that tears through her chest. It sounds wet and wrong and it slices straight through me because I know it. I know that sound. I’ve caused that sound. I’ve stood over men and listened to it fade out of them.

Not her.

Please not her.

“Oh, don’t you be mad at me,” she murmurs. “I did what I wanted to do.”

My hands shake harder.

“What was that?” I demand, but it breaks apart under the weight of everything sitting in my chest.

“Save my beautiful son’s perfect family.”

“I—” My breath stutters, catching painfully as my vision blurs. “I can’t survive without you, Mum… please don’t do this. Just hold on. Help will come. I’ll fix this, I?—”

“You can,” she cuts in softly as her hand lifts just enough to brush weakly against mine, trying to ground me, even now. “And you will… for your babies.”

Her lips curve into the faintest smile, like something peaceful is breaking through the pain, and beside me Fae lets out a sound that I never want to hear again. It echoes through the church, raw with grief and far toofinal.

“Sshh, sweet girl,” Mum whispers, in a barely there but gentle voice. “I get to be with my other babies now… and you get to be with yours.”

Her words hang in the air like something sacred and unbearable all at once, and I feel the exact moment her strength starts to slip properly. It’s not dramatic. It’s not sudden. It’s quieter than that. Her hand still rests weakly against mine but begins to lose its grip.

“Mum—” I choke, shaking my head hard as I press down harder on her stomach. “No. No, stay with me. Stay?—”

Her eyes weakly find mine again, like it’s taking everything she has left just to keep them open, and the world narrows down to just that. Just me and her, just the way she’s always looked at me; like I was someone worth loving. Riggs drops beside her; his hand comes straight up to cup her face like he’s done a hundred times previously.

“No, no, Mumzy,” he breathes and his voice cracks in a way I’ve never heard before. His forehead almost knocks harshly against hers as he leans in. “You don’t get to do this, yeah? That’s not funny. Come on… come on, open your eyes properly, pretty lady.”

Her gaze flickers to him, and love passes through her expression. Victor kneels out of the corner of my eye and I hold my breath as we all crowd around her.

“Stay,” he says quietly, like it’s an order she should follow. “You’re not done.”