Page 49 of Secrets Unveiled

“These fine gentlemen here were all too excited to assist me with my plan, especially the mayor. You see, he couldn’t have his wife murdered. No, that would look too suspicious if Luther and Gloria just so happened to turn up dead. So, I enlisted their help with the promise of a nice hefty amount of the money once it was delivered. You see, I would have killed you both a long time ago, but since this all had to look like an accident, I needed more time to reconvene, replan, and ensure the steps were precise and measured so they’d never lead back to me. Plus, it would have been too suspicious if the pair of you died immediately after the fire. You know what I mean?” The smile Frankie gives me sends chills down my spine. Evil, complete and unequivocally evil.

How had I gone all these years thinking Frankie was anything but a demonic being walking this earth? Walking plainly in our lives? Playing this character of loving and present uncle, while all along, he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. A phony, masquerading around as a heartbroken brother who lost his sibling in a tragic accident. Had I been so blind to miss the signs? Racking my brain, I can’t even remember there being any signs to see.

I can’t hold back the choke and shakiness of my breathing. It feels like an elephant has just sat on my lungs, and my world is spiraling around me. Since my father was murdered, I’ve been living with pure evil. A man who wanted me and my brother dead. Everything feels like a movie; this couldn’t possibly be my own life. It all sounds so insane, so far-fetched I can’t quite wrap my head around it all. While I’m sure I’m about to have a panic attack, their laughs fill the room once again as they stare down at me. Their psychotic and deranged hyena laughter makes bile rise in my throat, but when I look up again, my racing heart begins to slow, and I inhale a few deep breaths to bring me back to center.

They are here. They are here to save me.

“What a riveting story you have there, Frankie,” Saxon’s voice silences the room, and all heads snap to the archway. “You made one mistake with your plan, I’m afraid. You thought you were on the same playing field as us, but damn, how you are so very, very wrong, Uncle.”

SAGE

Two shots pierce the air. My eardrums feel as though they’ve just exploded in my brain, and the only sound left is a single ring carrying on into eternity. My eyes had slammed shut at the sound of the first shot, my body tensing on its own. The second shot had me flinching in my chair, my brain ignoring the pain of my road rash and shifting into survival mode. When the room falls silent, I peel my eyes open to the sight of my brother holding his smoking pistol, now trained on an equally shocked Frankie.

My eyes dart to the two men lying motionless on the floor before me. Tim and Mayor Harrison lay in pools of their own blood that are rapidly expanding beneath their still bodies. I don’t know when my jaw fell open, but seeing my brother take the lives of two of my captors so fast, so instantaneously, with no remorse, is something I wasn’t entirely prepared for. My brother is ruthless, I know this. We all have an image of our loved ones, but we never imagine them being a cold-blooded killer. Saxon is unflinching, calm, and fixated on our uncle with pure savagery etched across his face. If he wasn’t my brother, I would fear the man standing before me.

“Listen, Sax, we can talk about this,” Frankie pleads, his voice laced with fear and regret as he takes a step back from my brother. Saxon, however, matches his every step. When Frankie takes one, so does Saxon. Until he is flush against the window and the barrel of Saxon’s pistol is pressed firmly against Frankie’s forehead.

I’m so fixated on my brother and uncle I release a small squeal when someone comes up beside me and holds my wrists.

“Oh God, Saint. You scared me.” I whisper as I watch him carefully cut the ties from my wrists. As soon as they hit the floor, he scoops me into his arms and presses me into his chest. The warmth and security of his hold sweeps over me, encasing me in all that is Saint. Home.

“I hate to admit it, but you had me fooled. Who would have known, Uncle Frankie? The man who took us in after the tragic loss of our father turned out to be the darkness plaguing our world all this time.” I turn to my brother, watching his towering rage encompass my uncle. Frankie’s frame grows smaller and smaller by the minute. For a brief moment, I feel sorry for him. Briefly. Until the memories of all he’s done swarm into my mind once again. No amount of pity will be wasted on this pathetic excuse of a man.

“You know what, I was going to arrest you and save you from these boys’ barbaric and torturous ways, but hearing you confess to all you’ve done, well, I’ve changed my mind.” My head swings around, not expecting to hear the once familiar voice, and my eyes collide with a very alive Dante. I noticeably gasp, not expecting to see him, while Saint and Saxon seem abnormally calm by his presence. Lifting my head to look at Saint, he gives me a reassuring smile.

“We’ll fill you in later,” he whispers to me, kissing the top of my forehead.

“What, you can’t—” Frankie stutters over his words.

“He’s all yours, boys. I’ll have this cleaned up by morning,” Dante says, before making his way over to stand in front of me.

“Are you okay, Sage?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, but how did you—what are you doing here?” I ask, confusion starting to make my head hurt. He smiles down at me as I fumble with my words.

“Like I said before, we’ve been investigating your father’s case since the beginning. It wasn’t until we received help from an unlikely source that we were able to connect all the dots leading straight to Frankie.”

“Unlikely source, who was—?” Gloria walks in through the archway, looking elegant and classy as she glides through the room. Coming up to me, she throws her arms around my neck, embracing me as if I was her own daughter. Saint lets me go, and I return the gesture.

“I’m so very sorry, Sage. I’m so sorry this had to happen to you and your brother. I never wanted any of this to happen.” Her hug grows tighter, my skin burns with her embrace, but I don’t show my pain. She needs this as much as I do. “When Frankie approached my husband about his plan, he was all too happy to oblige. All because of our relationship. I can’t help but feel responsible for everything.” I stop her right there. Pulling away from her embrace, I look her in the eyes. They are so blue, so beautiful.

“This is not your fault, Gloria. None of this is anyone’s fault but those three men right there.” I don’t have to turn to see the men I’m referring to. Gloria’s eyes fill with tears that quickly cascade down her cheeks. She was a prisoner to her husband for seven years, living in this home with the man that helped kill the man she fell in love with. She lost her love and her brother, Tim Blanchett. I lost my father and my uncle. So much loss, so much pain fills this room around us.

“When I overheard the plan to try to kill you and Saxon, I couldn’t let that happen. I snuck out that same night and ran straight to Dante. I knew he was the main agent on Luther’s case, and I told him everything.” She looks to Dante, who places a hand on her delicate shoulder.

“The moment she came to me, I knew you both weren’t safe. I headed to your school to inform you and then the drive-by happened. I was wearing a bulletproof vest, but one of the shots hit my shoulder, and I took the opportunity for them to believe I was dead.” I let out a breath. My body slowly begins to ease the tension I’ve been holding this whole time. Exhaustion is quickly taking over.

“After I heard about the motorcycle crash, I knew we couldn’t wait any longer. He was getting too close to you, and we needed to take action.”

“That’s when he showed up at the house, right before we were on our way here to get you,” Saint says beside me.

“Wait, how did you know where I was?” I look up at Saint, who looks at Sax, who continues staring at Frankie.

“Don’t be mad, babe, but I installed a tracker on your phone.” I pull my phone from my back pocket. It’s dead now, but the thought of Saint putting a tracker on my phone should infuriate me. However, I’m glad he had.

“Thank God you did,” I say, tucking my phone back in my pocket. Tension visibly releases from Saint’s shoulders at my reaction. He must have thought I’d be pissed, and normally, I would have been, but at this moment, I’m grateful. I yawn into my elbow, my eyelids becoming increasingly heavy.

“Get her home. My guys will have this cleaned up, and we’ll talk when you’ve all gotten some rest,” Dante says to the room. I can’t just leave. I need to talk with Gloria more; I need to know about her and my father’s relationship; I need to talk with Saxon. I need so many answers, but my body is betraying me. Slowly, I’m becoming drained from being in fight-or-flight mode for so long, and my need for rest is triumphing over everything else. While two police officers enter the room, they head over to Frankie where they proceed to put him in handcuffs, allowing Saxon to finally come over to me. I swing my arms around his neck, a small sob leaving my throat as he wraps his arms around me. I notice a small tremble in his arms as he holds me for a long moment.

---