Tia

“What is this?” My words sound distant even to me as I reread the words on the paper I’m holding. My fingers tremble as I scan the note a third time. It can’t be. Huxley wouldn’t betray me like this. And yet the evidence is right here in my hands. A letter from my father to my husband.

Huxley,

Your information has once again, proven to be most valuable.

We will be picking up our asset in two days.

This wouldn’t be possible without your help in locating patient C65.

Please ensure our patient is at the specified coordinates as have been discussed.

As our contract agrees, you will receive payment upon pick-up.

-Warren Thorne

My other five husbands surround me, but it’s only Huxley I see, fear and betrayal strangling me and making his face blurry.

“What have you done?” I can barely force the words out.

I hand the note to someone, I don’t know who, because I can’t see anything but the guilt in Hux’s eyes.

“Tell me this isn’t what it looks like,” I beg, needing it to not be true.

He doesn’t say anything, just holds my gaze.

I grab the bottle of whiskey from his hand and fling it aside, watching him flinch when it shatters. But still, he says nothing.

“Tell me you haven’t betrayed me. Betrayed all of us!” Each word hurts to say as if there’s sandpaper in my throat.

I beg him with my eyes to tell me some version of the truth other than the words I’d just read. To give me some excuse other than that he’s been working with my father this whole time.

Huxley swallows hard, then he says with the distance I felt from him the second he walked in the room, “I can’t tell you that, Tia.”

With his admission, my knees give out, and someone catches me, pulling me back against a strong, hard body. But I can’t take the strength. I feel the betrayal in the deepest part of my soul.

Tears blur my vision, and I say on a sob, “ Do you know what you’ve done? He’s a monster, Huxley. A monster.”

“I know,” he says blue eyes finally filling with regret. Or maybe it was there all along, I just hadn’t been able to see it through the shield he’s placed around himself. Yet, when he speaks again, I know I’m wrong. There’s no remorse in him. “But I figured by now you’d realize that I’m a monster too.”

Fallon is on him, and the screaming begins as my husbands finally realize what Huxley has done. He told my father where I am. Gave me and our children up, for what? Money?

The room spins and I feel like the floor falls out from under me.

“Get her upstairs,” Fallon growls out to Emerson, who I now realize is holding me. “She won’t want to see what I’m about to do to this lying bastard.”

Huxley doesn’t fight back, his expression has gone distant like he’s willing to take whatever punishment the others intend to inflict.

It’s Salinger who gets the first blow, which surprises me since the two have been friends for years. But it settles something inside me, knowing Salinger had no idea that Huxley was in touch with my father. That he’s been working with him all along.

Emerson tries to steer me away from the fight, but I shake him off.

“No.” I pull at Salinger’s arm stopping him from taking another shot. “I need to know why.”

“Does it matter?” Fallon barks out. “He betrayed you.”

I know it’s the truth. Huxley already admitted it. But it doesn’t make sense. I’d given my heart to the man, and I thought he cared about me as well. I need to know why he’d do this.

“It matters,” I whisper, studying Huxley, who won’t look at me now. “Tell me why.”

He drags his fingers through his dark hair and gives a rough shake of his head. “I can’t.”

“You’re giving me over to my father, giving our children up to the man who has tortured and killed women in the name of science, and you won’t tell me why?” I’m shaking, every muscle in my body vibrating with anger.

“Not won’t, Tia.” There’s something in his eyes now like he’s begging for me to understand, to not push him, to know that he does have a reason. And yet his words are cold, distant, hard. “Can’t.”

“Was it for money?” I know he has more cash than he needs, so that doesn’t make sense either. But then maybe he’s been ruled by greed all along.

His nostrils flare, but he doesn’t answer.

I shake my head at him, knowing I won’t get a straight answer from him.

With two more steps, I near him and start to pound my fists against his chest, and yell, “How could you?”

He doesn’t try to defend himself, and none of my other husbands try to restrain me. I know I could never do any real damage to him, but I strike out nonetheless. When I finally step back in exhaustion, Em’s arms wrap around me again, and I sob against him.

“There’s no way we’re going to be able to keep your condition out of the media now,” Banks says to me, scrubbing his hands over his face. “We’re going to have to use it to get out of this mess. But if they find out you hold the cure--”

“The cure?” Hux says, eyes widening. “What are you talking about?”

“Why do you want to know?” Banks grabs Hux by the scruff, nose to nose he spits out, “So you can run to Warren Thorne and betray us again?”

“I didn’t... I wasn’t...” Huxley seems to choke on whatever words he’s searching for. Finally, he stutters, “Y-y-you can save her?”

“Yes. I found a fucking way to save her,” Banks says harshly, letting go and pushing him away.

Huxley’s face goes pale, but a flicker of hope sparks in his eyes, confusing me.

“That’s why I’d been calling you. Why I asked for everyone to meet me here.”

“Fuck.” Huxley staggers backward, reaching out for the couch to steady himself. “I... I didn’t know.”

“No fucking shit,” Banks yells.

More arguing begins, but it’s like their words are just a buzzing in my ears.

My father knows where I am. He’s coming for me. I don’t have much time. Running isn’t an option. I promised my husbands. And I won’t live a life on the run.

Plus, my chances of survival without Banks medical help, the drugs he can only get from his lab, are minimal at best. I may hold the cure within me, but I’m also carrying six babies.

And I know my husbands will fight to the death to keep me safe. There’s no happy ending here. No way out of this mess. Not even Miriam and the Director will be able to keep me safe from my father and his backing by the United States Government.

Unsteady, I take a few steps away from my husbands, needing space, ready to bolt, to run, to go anywhere but here. Once again, my world has been flipped on its axis. But this time I don’t see any way of righting it.

As the others continue to argue with Huxley, Giles moves beside me. Strong arms wrap around me, and he breathes out shakily. “We won’t let him take you, Tia. We found a way to ward off Lawson. We can deal with your father. You’re our wife. Trust us to keep you safe.”

I have to trust him. I promised them I would, no matter what. But with Huxley’s betrayal, it’s difficult.

“I’m calling my parents,” Salinger says, pulling out his phone and punching in the numbers. Before he disappears into the study, he says to me, “They won’t let him take you. I promise you that.”

“You don’t know my father,” I whisper, falling back against Giles' chest.

“This isn’t what I... shit,” Huxley rasps, face in his hands. “I’m sorry...”

Two meaningless words.

With the last amount of strength I can muster, I glare at the man who made a vow to protect me, the man I trusted with my heart, and whisper, “I’ll never forgive you.”

Shaking off Giles’ embrace, I turn on my heels and start towards the stairs, needing to be alone, but I hear Hux’s response above the other men’s arguing, “I never expected you would.”