Page 116 of Darkness Falls

I mute the TV, not caring to continue listening to the reporter talk, and lose myself in thoughts of the last year. The world only knows the details of the compound we let them know. Obviously, my father was never masked, but he didn't deserve any sort of recognition for what he did. Setting it up this way was my own personal fuck you to him. Nobody will ever know who he was outside of the women and children of the society who were left behind.

It was pretty easy to cover the whole thing up, considering we have one of the most skilled hackers at our disposal. Barrett was able to create the webpage, giving small backstory on Rogue, which is now known globally as a cult. The website went live a few days after the explosion and gave a full explanation of the shadow leader, his beliefs, and how they could only be achieved through death. The reason for the delayed announcement was also noted on the website to hide suspicion. They wanted time for their bodies to ascend fully.

Obviously, none of it is true, but it seemed like the easiest way to explain why hundreds of men ranging in age who held various positions in society all died in the same place, on the same day. They didn't kill themselves, but thepublic doesn’t need to know that. Thankfully, we haven’t had any issues since. If there were any men that somehow didn’t go to the trial, which I highly doubt, they haven’t bothered us.

We still have the flash drive on hand in case we need to use it for anything in the future. Barrett keeps it under lock and key, making sure it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. There is an entire list of prominent members of society on that drive and a lot of information they could use to benefit. We don’t exactly know what jobs our paths may cross with, and we are not opposed to using what we have at our whim.

We decided to move to Tennessee permanently to be close to my mom. It only took us a few days to find a big enough piece of land to start building our house on. It was an added bonus that Kyler was able to find land with a waterfall. Buying the property and building the actual home took a bit longer, but we stayed in one of the nearby properties that my father purchased through Sheriff's sale, until our house was finished.

We could have stayed with my mother, but the cabin was way too small for something like that. Having our own space is an absolute blessing when your men like to make you crawl around and beg for them to fuck you. I willingly get to my knees and do it every time, too.

My mom decided to keep The Maxton Foundation permanently set up on the land with her cabin. There was enough acreage surrounding it to build several apartment buildings toward the back of the property for anyone seeking safe housing. It was something she requested. Seeing her so passionate about helpingothers makes me so proud of her. This has always been the kind of person she is—caring, compassionate, and dependable.

The last year has been a wild ride. I never would have dreamed we would be able to help so many people in such a small amount of time, but word of The Maxton Foundation made its way through the criminal underground fairly quickly, thanks to a few brothers I know. Just last week, a woman and her mother showed up from South Carolina. She got into some trouble while attending college and wound up with the wrong circle of people. They needed a quick out, so they ended up here.

The area surrounding the property has been thoroughly secured by Barrett and the small security team he hired to keep watch over everything. He invested in all of the top-of-the-line equipment to protect anyone who shows up here. We have a higher risk with the type of people the survivors coming here are running from, but so far, we haven't run into any issues.

We went back to Braxton Falls for a few days after we brought my mom down here so we could get our house all packed up and prepare for the move. I wanted to tell Avery we would be relocating in person in hopes that she would come along too, but she said she needed to stay in Braxton Falls for a while. She was angry that the cops never investigated her parents' deaths but also thankful because Damien was already dead.

Putting distance between us wasn't something I wanted, but she needed space to process everything, and I respected her too much to push that boundary. We Facetimed every day until sherandomly showed up at the cabin one day to tell us she moved to Tennessee.

Avery was extremely nervous about seeing my mom again. She wasn’t sure how it would go since finding out we are sisters. My mom sat down with her the first day she was here and reassured her that there was nothing to worry about. She’s even gone out of her way to be there for Avery when she was upset about her mom and needed someone to talk to. I know that my mother will never fill that maternal role for her, but she is there to provide support, which makes me happy.

Avery tried dating Reese and ultimately decided she wasn’t ready for that level of commitment. They’re still close and talk almost daily but haven’t taken the leap again. Since Avery’s moved here, Reese has been down to visit a few times, and I’m secretly hoping they will end up together once everything is said and done.

Together, Avery and I opened up the box from her parents the day she showed up at the cabin. Inside was a map showing the location of Rogue and a whole stack of photos of Avery and her parents. She cried for a few hours after looking at them, thankful her parents thought to set some aside like this. There were also baby pictures of me.

There were hospital photos of the Stones holding me as a newborn, smiling down upon me. A picture of me in the nursery they had in their now burned-down home and many others.

Along with the photos, the box contained a sealed package. When we opened it, we found my birth certificate and anothernote addressed to Avery. I guess my birth name was Alexandra. It feels weird to think about the possibility of being called anything other than Callie.

Avery took the note to read in her own time. She wasn't in the right space to open it in front of me, and I don't blame her. I’m not sure if she’s read it or not, but whatever it says is for her and her alone.

It's been one year since we blew Rogue to bits, and I thought it was the perfect time for us to have a housewarming party. My mother and Avery are here, of course, as well as Reese and some of the women my mother knew from Rogue. After we set up The Maxton Foundation, a few of them asked if they could be part of it as well. They’ve formed a nice little support group, and seeing my mom smiling with friends is the best feeling.

I want to announce another special surprise today. My men don't know it yet, but I decided to have my last name changed. You can't legally marry three men, so I took an alternate route. I am now Callie Monroe.

My mom and Avery walk into the kitchen laughing and bring me back to the moment. They grab some of the food I placed on the counter and take it outside. We have tables set up, and the festivities are about to begin.

I sprinkle some paprika over the deviled eggs and glance down at the tray, satisfied that I was able to make a whole meal without Seb's help. He normally finds a way to insert himself into the kitchen because he knows cooking is not my forte. I don’tcomplain because it’s the perfect way to spend time with each other.

I grab the tray of eggs and walk outside to meet everyone, smiling at the sight before me. A party is a simple thing I think a lot of people take for granted. We had parties at Rogue, but they were always controlled by the men. They only gave us the illusion of having any kind of control, but everyone here looks so happy.

Reese and Avery are sitting next to my mom, and it looks like Reese is deep into one of her stories. My men are all seated at a table not far from me, so I walk over to them, determined to share the news. When I get close, Kyler pulls me onto his lap by my waist and holds me there while they continue their conversation. He's always trying to get his hands on me in one way or another.

I clear my throat to get everyone's attention, and all eyes land on me as they take their seats at their tables and grow quiet. The new house has a giant backyard, so it has plenty of room for all of our guests. Ky lets go of me, and I stand up to address the room.

"Thank you all for coming to celebrate with us. It's been one year since our lives changed abruptly, and over the past year, I've seen so many of you grow in the most incredible ways. It's been such a huge blessing to be here with you all and see the work The Maxton Foundation has been able to accomplish in such a short time. Aside from the initial bunch of women from Rogue, we have been able to help 62 others in just one year. We have also made plansto potentially expand our reach to other locations across the country.”

I look over at my mom to see her smiling and holding her hands under her chin. This is a huge accomplishment for her, and I’m so proud of the way she has been running things. She has done an amazing job building a place where people feel safe enough to confide in.

I wave a hand at our house. “We were lucky to find the land to build our home so close to the cabin. I do want to take a moment to give a special thank you to the three men who came into my life and changed everything. You three are everything a girl could ever ask for, and I love you all so much. As you know, I was never supposed to have the Ashford name, and the Michaels name was forced on me."

I look over at my mother again, not trying to hurt her feelings. She beams at me with approval, nodding slightly to encourage me to continue. I talked with her before the party to make sure she would be okay with me making the announcement this way, and she was beyond excited.

"I would like to officially announce that as of yesterday, my legal name is now Callie Monroe."

Gasps spread through the crowd before everyone begins clapping and cheering. I look down at each of my men, and they stare back at me in shock. Kyler stands up next to me before grabbing my cheeks and planting a kiss on my lips. When he pulls back, I'm spun around into Barrett's arms, and his mouth also lands on mine.

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