Page 42 of Scarred Sunrise

“An easy switch if you know the right people.”

Liz dropped her hands slowly and sat back heavily. “How am I going to tell Ty about this? It’s so fucked up that he’d pull Ty into his world for a job and not tell him who he was.”

Meg shrugged. “I remember him, but I didn’t know him as John. To me, he was Uncle Joe. He was a good man, kind but distant, as if he didn’t want to get close. He loved Rhea, though but I did get the feeling he didn’t approve of a lot of the things she did.”

“You were barely a teen when he supposedly died.”

“Yes, and that’s when things got really bad with Rhea. She was unpredictable and even colder than ever.”

“Shit, this is so weird how it all connects,” Liz said quietly.

“I know, it’s like a great big pressure cooker that has been building for years and is about to explode.” Lucy placed her milk-drunk baby over her shoulder and patted her back until she burped, making the three women smile.

“You feel that too?” Meg asked as she looked up from beneath her lashes at Liz and then Luce.

“I do, especially the night Harlow was born. I felt such a strong energy, as if it was almost tangible, which is crazy.”

“No, I felt it too. I told Daniel about it.”

Lucy laughed and wiped baby sick from her shoulder. “Well, all I felt was my hoo-hah burning.”

Meg rolled her eyes. “Yeah, pushing an eight-pound baby out will have that effect.”

“What do you think it means?” Liz closed the laptop and set it aside as she heard movement upstairs and wondered if it was Jace or her son waking up.

“I’m not sure, but it feels significant, like we need to be ready somehow, but I don’t know how.”

“I agree. We should practise our joint ability in case we need it.” Lucy nibbled on the toast Meg had made.

“Let’s wait until you’re a bit stronger,” Meg reasoned.

Lucy shot her an irritated look. “I had a baby. I’m not ill.”

“I know, but it still takes a lot out of you, and you don’t want to end up too weak and miss out on her first few weeks.”

“Fine, but as soon as I stop losing blood like I’m a human abattoir, we’re practising.”

Liz wrinkled her nose. “You’re so gross.”

“Maybe.”

Jace walked in the room, stopping to kiss Lucy before relieving her of their daughter and snuggling her into his arms as he sat beside his wife.

He looked between them his eyebrows pinched in suspicion. “What are you three plotting?”

“Nothing,” Lucy replied, resting her head on his arm with a yawn.

“Yeah right. You’re sitting there like three witches in a coven making plans.”

“Wow, did you just call me a witch?”

“No, I said like a witch.”

“Hmm, well it’s still gonna cost you.”

“Fine, I can take whatever you dish, Luce.” He kissed her nose with affection as he lifted his arm so she could settle against him better.

“Tell Jace what we discovered. He might be able to help you navigate telling Smithy.”

Lizzie told Jace what she’d learned as Lucy dozed on his shoulder and Meg bustled in and out getting her girls up.

“Shit, that isn’t going to be an easy conversation to have.”

“I know.”

“My advice just be open and straight with him and don’t baby him or watch him for a reaction. It will only make him hide his feelings more.”

“That sounds like a piece of good advice.”

Lizzie got up to help Meg make breakfast as a thank you for Jace and Lucy letting them stay when they had a new baby.

Around eight am she got a text from Ty that he wanted to see her, and would she meet him at Fortis around eleven that morning as he had news. As she replied to say she would, Meg and Jace received the same text from Daniel. It looked like they had intelligence, and if they were all wanted, then it had to be significant.