Chapter 6 - The Return to the Mansion
At 4:15 AM, the heavy wrought-iron gates of the Mercer Mansion swung open, allowing the black suburban to glide smoothly beneath the portico.
The rain had lessened to a gentle drizzle.
Inside the grand foyer, every light had been turned on. Rose stood near the bottom of the stairs, clutching a warm blanket, her face pale with anxious anticipation.
And on the third marble step sat Lily.
She hadn't gone to sleep. Despite Rose’s best efforts, the three-year-old girl had stayed awake, clutching Mr. Buttons, her small eyes fixed on the massive front doors.
The heavy mahogany door swung open.
Adrian stepped inside first, holding the door open. Behind him stepped Emily, wrapped in Adrian’s large coat, her hair damp, her face pale, but her eyes locked onto the staircase.
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Lily’s crayon-stained rabbit slipped from her fingers, hitting the marble step with a soft thud.
"Mommy?" Lily whispered, her voice so small it barely carried across the foyer.
Emily dropped to her knees right there on the entryway floor, bursting into fresh, uncontainable tears, opening her arms wide. "Oh, baby... my sweet baby..."
Lily didn't walk down the steps. She sprinted. Her little mismatched socks slid against the polished marble as she threw herself down the stairs, hurling her small body directly into her mother’s chest.
"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Lily sobbed, wrapping her arms around Emily’s neck, burying her face into her mother’s wet hair.
Emily pulled her daughter so tightly it seemed as though she would never let go, pressing dozens of desperate, tearful kisses against Lily’s forehead, her cheeks, her small hands. "I'm here, sweetie... Mommy’s here... I’m so sorry... I’m so sorry..."
Rose covered her mouth, bowing her head as heavy tears spilled down her face. Even Marcus Vance, standing near the doorway, looked away, clearing his throat roughly.
Adrian stood by the door, watching them. The cold, suffocating darkness that had gripped his heart for fourteen days finally lifted, replaced by a profound, quiet warmth he had never experienced in his thirty-eight years of life.
Lily pulled back slightly, wiping her mother’s tears with her tiny, dirty thumbs. "I waited on the step, Mommy. Like I said."
"I know, baby... I know you did," Emily choked out, kissing her daughter’s nose.
Lily looked up over her mother’s shoulder, her big brown eyes finding Adrian. She pointed her small, trembling finger at him.
"He got you," Lily said innocently. "He pinky promised."
Emily looked up at Adrian, her eyes filled with an overwhelming, silent gratitude that no words could ever express. "Thank you, Adrian. Thank you."
Adrian stepped forward, picking up Mr. Buttons from the floor and handing the rabbit back to Lily. He crouched beside them, resting his hand gently on top of Lily’s head.
"Go upstairs with Rose," Adrian said softly to Emily. "Get warm. Get some food. Rose has a bedroom prepared for both of you in the east wing."
Emily frowned slightly, noticing the dark, resolved expression returning to Adrian’s eyes. "Where are you going?"
Adrian stood up, adjusting his dark sweater. "Victor is still out there. And until he’s handled, nobody in this house is truly safe."
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Lily reached out and caught the edge of Adrian’s sleeve. "Are you going to beat up the mean man?"
Adrian looked down at her, offering a rare, genuine smile that reached all the way to his eyes. "No, Lily. I’m going to make sure he never comes back."
