Nathan’s mind raced with questions, each one more urgent than the last. Who could have done this to Lily, the spirited, joyful girl who had always been the light of their family? His heart ached with a protective fury he hadn’t felt since his days on the battlefield.
Lily tried to smile, but it was a pale imitation of the exuberant grins she used to flash him. “Hey, big brother,” she said, her voice a whisper that trembled like a fragile leaf in the wind.
He sat beside her, gently taking her hands in his own. “Lily, what happened? Who did this to you?” His voice was calm, steadier than he felt inside, but it carried the weight of his worry and anger.
