Page 15 of Keeping Lilith

Did that mean the things Alliez did were illegal? Although, if that were the case, did Julian and the FBI know? It seemed unlikely that a government agency would be happy with illegal practices. Then again, what did she really know? Her whole life, she’d lived under a rock when it came to things like that,and even though she’d tried to learn as much as she could the brief time she lived by herself, it was impossible to learn everything.

“Lilith? Are you okay?” Cass’s voice broke through her running thoughts.

“I don’t know. It’s all a bit much,” she said truthfully.

“I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have done that.” The sadness in Cass’s eyes hit Lilith. It wasn’t fake. Cass wasn’t playing with Lilith. She genuinely felt bad for what she’d done.

“You didn’t happen to see if someone deposited a butt load of money in my account so I don’t have to work now, did you?” Lilith surprised herself with her light-hearted response.

Cass blinked twice before she laughed. “I wish I could say yes, but . . .” She shrugged, and Lilith got the message that her bank account balance was as pathetic as the thought it was.

The doorbell rang, and Lilith stilled. Her instinct was to run and hide because what if the police were on the other side of the door and wanted to take her back? What if one of the men had escaped the FBI and had followed her and now were making their move?

“It’s okay. It’s Julian,” Irish stated, as if he could read her mind.

Julian! Is that any better?

She wanted to yell, but kept the words locked down.

“I don’t know everything that happened between you and Julian in the past, but if we didn’t think you’d be safe around him, we wouldn’t let him in.”

Lilith nodded and smiled, hoping that it didn’t look as strained as it felt. She had to remember that these people knew a different Julian than the one she’d known. It was possible he could’ve changed over the years. After all, he had been part of the team that had brought down Staunton Rello and his sick cult.

A second later, Julian appeared in the kitchen doorway. He had a folder in his hand and dark bags under his eyes.

Had sleep been elusive for him, like it had been for her last night?

“Hey, Lilith, you good?” His voice was gravelly and sent a shiver rippling down her spine, and she didn’t know what to make of it. She shouldn’t be reacting to him. Not after everything she’d been through and what he’d done to her in the past.

Yet she was.

“I’m okay. What are you doing here?”

Julian held the folder out he was holding. “I came to give you these.”

Lilith stared at the folder as if he were holding out a jar of venomous spiders, who, with one bite, could render a person paralyzed, or worse—dead. “What is it?”

Julian, as if sensing she wouldn’t take it from him, placed the folder on the kitchen table. “It’s who you are.”

Well, if that wasn’t cryptic, she didn’t know what was. Remembering her edict from earlier, the one where she was going to take this new opportunity and push it in her own direction, she sat at the table and pulled it toward her. It took her a couple of seconds to open, but when she did, she stared at the contents.

In front of her were the things she believed she’d never see again. The items that identified her as more than just a sister in the eyes of Staunton Rello and the members of The Hopeful Sunshine.

Without thinking, she picked up her driver’s license. One thing she had achieved during her short time out in the world. She hadn’t had it for long before she’d landed at the cult, but she had thought it would be the start of new things for her.

She put it down and then looked at the debit card from her bank. There was nothing else in the folder, just those two things.

The total sum of her life.

Chapter Eight

Julian remained in place,a respectful distance from Lilith, when all he wanted to do was go up to her and hug her. The spark that had lit her eyes when she’d questioned him died a sudden death when she looked at the contents of the folder he’d given her.

What had gone through her mind?

What had caused the light to stutter out?

What could he do to make it return? Would she even give him a chance?