by Dani René
For a moment, Alex looks like he’s about to walk out. The fear that flickers in his eyes makes me nervous. But then he responds, “They have three of the Don’s daughters.” And everyone in the room’s mouth gapes in shock.
“Fuck.” This comes from Darius, but he’s only voicing what we’re all thinking.
Alex settles in a chair, his hand grasping the tumbler of vodka in a fierce hold. “And one of them was meant to be my wife. Not that I want her, but she’s young, innocent, and I need to save her. I don’t play the hero, because I’m not, but for my Familia, I need to do this.”
A lot of made men who are forced to marry women they didn’t choose. And being a Capo, I’m certain Alex has rules he needs to follow, but if he refuses this girl, I’m not sure what that means for her future. Does she just get sent to another one of the other made men? That could be worse.
Even though Alex is still fairly young, some of them are in their fifties and sixties. I couldn’t imagine Scarlett would be happy with someone so much older. But then again, who knows what people desire these days.
“Then it’s settled.” I break the silence. “We’ll go in before sunrise, which will give us the element of surprise. Every man in position by three, no later. If this goes wrong, there will be innocent blood on your hands.” I take a moment to look at each of the men, and every one of them nods with an expression of pure need for violence.
As they take their leave and head to bed for a few hours of shuteye. I make my way to the bedroom where Scarlett sits on the bed, Kindle in hand, and I wonder if she’s reading one of those romance books she seems to love so much.
“I need some rest,” I tell her.
Those silver eyes flick to mine. “I’m worried about you.” Concern is etched on her face, and even though I should really be in bed for another couple of weeks, I can’t stay here while my men go into war.
Because that’s what this is, a war.
“I’m fine,” I assure her as I undress. Shrugging off my shirt, along with my slacks, I slip under the covers before I pull her toward me, needing her warmth to quell the urge to kill. That will come. For now, I close my eyes and nuzzle my nose into Scarlett’s hair.
She sighs, and I realize she’s not happy. But I also know she understands this needs to be done. I have to be there. And I’m thankful when sleep steals me quickly.
It’s still dark when I slip into the backseat of the car, along with Kahn and two of his men, Fletch and Amir. Both have been with us for years, and now that I’m out on a job with them, I can appreciate just how nerve-wracking it is because anything could go wrong.
I know this.
I’ve always known this.
But being on the front line is different.
The vehicle weaves its way through the empty streets. I didn’t think it would be this quiet, especially for a city like New Orleans, but thankfully, we’re under the cloak of darkness when he finally pulls up to the enormous building that’s shadowed by night.
There aren’t any stragglers around which is good. As we exit, my feet crunch on the hard ground. The gates of the convent are shut, but a couple of our guys, all dressed in black, make a move to slide it open, which it does, with a squeak.
We wait.
With bated breath, guns in hand, and masks covering our faces, we slip through the crack between the two ornate gates. The property looks even bigger up close. A garden that’s filled with trees which offer great hiding places, but then again, if someone is trying to escape, it may not be so good.
There’s a couple of benches under a few of the trees, and one closer to the entrance, where the large sign hangs, and I know what it says without needing to read it—St Jude’s Church & Convent.
We move quietly, but quickly toward the entrance. There are three from what we saw on the blueprints, and we station a few men at each. Kahn takes the lead, with Alex—who arrived a few hours ago—and I following behind him as he manages to get the heavy wooden door to slide open.
Silence greets us when we step into the dark space. From the sliver of the moon which illuminates the stained-glass windows, I can make out the pews lined from the back of the church to the front. Beside a metal rack of flickering candles is the pulpit, and to my left are a couple of confessional booths.
We each take an aisle, Kahn the center, Alex the left, and I take the right. As we make our way closer to the altar, I notice the crosses on the floor. When I reach another wooden door, this one smaller, I try the lock, which clicks open, leading me into an office space.
Using the flashlight, I move to the desk and shine a light on the top, where there are papers strewn haphazardly across the surface. It looks like random application forms with girl’s names on them. Some have photos which make my stomach roll.
Leaving those, I head to the right of the room, where there’s a filing cabinet. Two of the drawers are locked, causing frustration to burn through me. Luckily, the last one is open. Rifling through the tabs, I find names printed on each one, and my chest tightens when I find names with the letter B because staring back at me is a name I never expected to see in here—Bardot.
I’m not sure what it means, but I pull the file out and stuff it in the front of my hoodie. It seems the family my brother and I are trying to take down are linked with the church.
I head back out into the church to find Alex and Kahn waiting for me. “Let’s go.” I try to ignore their stares. We make our way out into the courtyard which forms a circle. This is where the convent is. The girl’s rooms are meant to be surrounding this fountain, which has a statue of Mother Mary looking down at anyone who stands beneath the flowing water.
The other men slip into the courtyard from various directions, and with one final breath, we signal to move. And that’s when all hell breaks loose. The doors are kicked in, screaming erupts from the young women who thought they would be in bed for the night.
Two men stumble out in sweatpants, and they’re immediately taken by the Italians. Alex’s men move quickly, and soon, most of the girls have been ushered through to the exit, with each man explaining why we’re here and where they’ll be taken.
I notice relief on their faces, but when I glance over at Kahn, the anxiety has his fists clenched, and his face is drawn with pure heartbreak. I go to him, knowing he won’t want to talk, but just offering silent support.
We watch as the anti-climax of wanting to find Lorenzo settles over the men. The priests who were here are taken away, and something tells me there’s more to all of this than meets the eye.
“Something’s wrong.” This comes from Kahn just as my phone rings.
I answer, “Darius.”
“Get out of there, brother,” the urgency in his voice has me already moving, tugging Kahn and signaling to Alex. I hit the speaker on my phone as we make our way through the courtyard, back into the church. “Howler picked up some weird vibration from underground. There are bombs planted beneath the church and fountain, they’ll be detonated because of the raid.”
I hang up before he can continue and shout to everyone, “Move out! Now!” Men race along with us as we head for the gates. “Move! Get the fuck out now!” We’re nearing the gate when an explosion that sends us flying, hits the air, the smoke rising, filling my lungs as I go down, hitting the ground hard. Debris falls around me as I cover my head with my hands. In an attempt to crawl away, I scrape my hands and knees on the ground as more pieces of the building comes crashing down around us.
Panic settles in my gut, twisting and turning. I promised Scarlett I would come home to her and I’m not about to fucking break it. I focus on the men in front of me, on the gate, and that’s when Darius steps in my view.
He holds out his hands and drags me up as I wrap an arm around his neck. This is the closest we’ve been to loving or affectionate since we were about sixteen. All the years after, have been filled with arguments and fighting.
“You saved my life,” I tell him. “If I didn’t know any better, I wou
ld think you loved me.” Even in the darkness of what’s just happened, I can’t help but grin.
“Only saved you so you could gift me a night with your wife,” he taunts as he drags my bleeding ass to the car, where I fall into the backseat. Pain shoots through every part of me, and my legs and arms feel like lead is weighing them down.
“Fuck you,” I bite out, responding to his taunt about Scarlett. She’s going to kill me when I walk into our room, broken and bleeding.
Alex and Kahn join us then. “Fucking bastard knew we would come,” Kahn says, his teeth gritted, his hands fisting. There’s a vein throbbing in his neck, and his throat works hard as he swallows. His frustration is at boiling point. Thankfully, none of us were hurt. At least, I fucking hope so. I don’t know about the rest of the men.
Glancing between the two of them, I realize Kahn is angry, but first things first. “Were any others hurt in the explosion?”
“No,” Alex is the one to respond. “They got out around the back, those who came with us are fine.” He leans back, blood dripping from his forehead, and we all need to get checked out. Just in case.
“Hospital?” Darius asks, and I nod in response. He takes it upon himself to order the drivers around, telling some to take the girls to safety. The drive to the hospital is bumpy, at least it feels like that because I’m in agony. Perhaps I should’ve listened to Scarlett and stayed home, but then my men would’ve been hurt.
The bright lights of the emergency room burn my eyes as we’re wheeled toward the waiting doctors. I hate these fuckers. It’s their job to probe and prod, but right now, the only thing I want is my wife. To hold her, to tell her how much I love her. And to tell her that if she truly does want one night with Darius and me, she can have it.
There is one thing I need to talk to my brother about, and that’s coming home. He needs to be back in Crimson Falls for our plan to take down Grace Bardot to work. The folder falls from my clutches when the doctor tells me to unzip my hoodie to check my breathing, and when I pick it up, I find a photo of Grace, along with an application form, this one is different to those of the girls they were selling.
This one it titled differently.
Sponsor.
17
Scarlett
The moment he walks in, I see the scars. There are scrapes on his handsome face, and my gaze drinks in every inch of him within seconds of the door shutting. He sets something down on the desk which is positioned against the wall near the entrance, before he looks at me.
“Oh my god. Are you okay?” I rush toward Lycan, careful as I gently wrap my arms around his torso, ensuring my hold on him isn’t tight enough to hurt. Even though he is bruised and battered, he seems to be okay because he’s smiling at me. Relief washes over me like a tidal wave. Emotions hit me right in the chest and tears spring to my eyes. The burn on my lashes is enough to have me blinking and allowing them to fall.
He nods, but it’s a concentrated movement, as if he’s focused on not letting me see him in agony when it’s so damn clear. “I’m fine, just a bit torn up.”
“And the other guys?” I question before I have time to think. But I don’t say Darius’s name, even though I want to know if he’s alive.
A slight grin on my husband’s lips tells me he knows. “Darius and Kahn are fine, they’re with Alex now.” Relief washes over me at his admission. Both men are good, and they deserve to find their own form of happiness.
I can’t hide how I feel, not with Lycan, because he can see right through me. And even now, as Lycan stares at me as if I were a precious gemstone, shining before him, but there’s something bothering him. It’s his eyes, those expressive jade orbs.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, my brows furrowing in confusion as I watch him watch me.
Honesty has always been something I wanted. In our lives and in our relationship. I won’t tolerate lies and hidden truths. Lycan leads me to the sofa where he settles in comfortably and pulls me in beside him.
He winces, and I can’t stop the sigh when I think about him hurting again. “I found something in the church,” he tells me, causing my heart to stutter. “I don’t know what it means, but we need to go back to Crimson Falls, and we need to do that very fucking soon.”
“What is it, Lycan? You’re scaring me.” And he is. I’ve seen him take charge before. I’ve even seen him in that controlling, commanding way he has, but this is something different. Lycan pushes to his feet, moving slowly as he does so. His arm wrapping around his middle as he holds onto his ribs. He picks up the item he set down a few moments ago before joining me again.
Once he’s managed to settle beside me, he hands me the manila folder. With trembling fingers, I flip it open and see my grandmother’s name under the title of sponsor. But it makes no sense. She’s given money to so many businesses over the years. This may not be anything to worry about.
“What is this?” I ask, my brows furrowing when I delve deeper into the documents, and my heart drops to my stomach. The job they went to earlier was the convent. When I learned about the details, I felt sick to my stomach. Lycan told me about the reason that place existed. It wasn’t a sanctuary. The girls were stolen. This is where he found my grandmother’s name.
“I’m sorry, little red,” he whispers as his arm wraps around me. He pulls me into the crook of his body, and it doesn’t escape me how well I fit there. “I’m not sure what this means yet,” he tells me.
But I realize what it means. It’s written in black and white.
There’s no mistaking my grandmother’s money funded the convent. And perhaps she was unaware of what was going on under the cloak of darkness. Maybe she was trying to help, but it makes no sense. Why would she send money to a place like that? All the way down in New Orleans. It’s nowhere near Crimson Falls.
However, my grandmother’s business in New York is somewhat of a secret. She’s never spoken much about it, only that she has meetings with her board members every few months. She travels a lot, so there’s no saying she didn’t know about this. Or knew about the operation that was being disguised as a place for women to find solace and healing.
“I need to speak to her.” I’m shaking. My hands tremble as I hand the folder back to Lycan because I can’t look at it any longer. The thought of being lied to, of my family being part of something so horrific has bile racing up my throat, and I rush for the bathroom, making it just in time to hurl my dinner into the porcelain bowl.
My body convulses as tears trickle from my eyes. My chest aches. Lycan is at my side within seconds, holding my hair, his big, strong hand circling my back as he comforts me, and I take solace in the fact that this man loves me so deeply.
When I’m done puking my guts up, he helps me to my feet, and I brush my teeth in the sink before Lycan leads me to the bed. We settle under the covers, him on his back and me cocooned under his strong arm.
“I’m sorry,” he says then, causing me to snap my gaze up toward him. “I’m sorry I can’t explain why I found her details in that place. I wish I knew more. I’m sorry you’re hurting.” There’s pain in those words, regret that seeps from his lips, and I press my mouth to his, needing to silence his apologies.
“This isn’t on you,” I tell him. “You can’t protect me from everything in this world.” It’s a mere whisper, but he hears it.
Those green orbs lock with mine, hooking me and reeling me in. “I can damn well try,” he confirms. “I’m your husband, and if I can’t protect you, then my men will. I don’t want you hurt, ever.”
I nuzzle into his hold before I say, “Unless it’s you hurting me?” I can’t help but smile. My attempt at lightening the mood has him groaning. But I’m not sure if it’s because of my words, or because he’s in pain. “Do you want me to move?”
“No.” He tightens his hold as he answers, and now I definitely can’t shift away from him with his heavy arm wrapped around me protectively. “I don’t want to let you go again,” Lycan tells me easily, his voice rough
with exhaustion, and I stay silent, hoping he’ll get some rest.
We’re all tired, and with the number of revelations that seem to be piling up, I’m not surprised. My family, his father, and the connection to that vile criminal, I have a feeling this is only the beginning.
“We’ll leave in the afternoon,” Lycan whispers before his breathing evens out, and I’m excited to go back to Crimson Falls, to the Shaw manor which is now partly mine. My ring shimmers when I trace my hand in circles over Lycan’s chest as it rises and falls.
He’s asleep within seconds, and I lie awake. His warmth cocooning me, but like I told him moments ago, he can’t protect me from everything, no matter how much he tries. I wish he could. I do. But there comes a time in our lives when we need to keep each other safe.
We’re equals, even though he is a dominant alpha male who wants to act like a caveman at times. But this is my family’s lies that are coming to light, and I need to deal with this the only way I know how—by sitting them down and talking face to face. My parents and grandmother have a lot to answer for.
The contract my father signed comes to mind. He still hasn’t answered for his transgressions and it’s time he did. There are more things they need to explain, so many more, but we’ll start off small and work our way up to the much more pressing matters, like how my grandmother could have killed Conall Shaw.
My heart hurts for the two men who have come to mean so much to me. My brother-in-law, who’s so broken, so tortured, I’m not even sure he could have a normal life anymore. And my husband, whose need to control everything and everyone is now so much clearer. I thought he was just a domineering bastard, but he’s more than that—he’s a broken man who needs to know he won’t lose anyone else that matters to him.
It makes sense. When you’ve had to say goodbye to everyone you love in your life, it’s scary to think you would have to do it again. But he has to know I’m not going anywhere. If you had told me months ago that I’d be here, in this position, wanting to stay with Lycan, proud to be his wife, I would’ve told you you’re lying.