Page 94 of Darkness Falls

“Fine,” he reluctantly grits with a nod.

I look over to Barrett next, and he nods. Then, I look to Ky, who leans in to press a kiss on my cheek and wishes me luck.

“Avery, if you’re up to it, I’d like you to come with me. These people are technically your legacy, as much as they are mine.”

“I never thought about it like that.” She tilts her head in consideration before nodding.

“Just stay by my side and follow my lead, please. They’re going to wonder who you are because we aren’t supposed to letoutsiders have knowledge of us. I know that you have a blood link, but they don’t.” I grab her hand reassuringly and, with that, push open the door of the car.

The two of us walk to the center of Mary’s porch while whispers all around us wonder if our presence here is a good or bad thing. I look around and notice there are several other groups of people spread out on the grounds of the farm as well as inside, and I decide it’s best to call a meeting so I only have to talk about it once.

“If we could get all the adults into one space so we can have a discussion, that would be ideal. I have a lot to say, and I want to make sure everyone hears it directly from me.”

Mary steps to the front of the group in front of me to speak. “What’s going on, Callie? Why is there smoke near the compound, and where are the men? You were supposed to be on trial.”

“I will touch on all of that, I promise. I just need everyone here first.”

She eyes me warily before finally speaking. “We will put the children inside, and the adults can talk out here to ensure they are all safe.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Mary, thank you.”

It takes them a few minutes to round up their children and get them settled inside with popcorn and a movie. My heart breaks a little over some of the things these kids had to go through just by being born into Rogue.

My hope is that most of them are still too young to remember the bad things. Some of the older ones might remember more, but luckily, there aren’t a lot of children within Rogue in general. The lack of children was a more recent problem the society was facing. Maybe it was the universe's way of not letting the cruelty of these men spread to another generation.

Everyone finally settles outside. Avery, Mary, myself, and the wives of the council members stand on the porch while the rest of the women gather in the grass in front of us. My anxiety kicks in, and panic threatens to overtake me. How am I expected to tell them that their husbands are all dead because of me? How are they going to react? Will they be happy? Will they want me to die? Why the fuck did I think this was a good idea?

Avery grabs my hand reassuringly and looks over. She knows I suffer from panic attacks, and with the way my heart is beating in my chest right now, it’s a wonder I haven’t let it fully take over. I close my eyes and dig my nails into the palm of my other hand, grounding myself as I take a few deep breaths.

When I open my eyes again, everyone is staring at me. They’re waiting for me to begin what I’m sure will be one of the most important conversations these women have ever had. Today, we won’t have any men making decisions for us.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you. I understand this is not customary, so I’ll get right to the point. Rogue as you knew it is no more. There are some serious things to discuss, and my only request is that you hear me out entirely before asking questions.”

I glance around at the group of women to see them eye one another before they start nodding in my direction. My eyes land on the women on the porch, and they also look cautiously, but every single one of them shows me nothing but grace as they let me proceed.

“You all know me as Callie Ashford, the daughter of Gabriel and Natasha Ashford. Unfortunately, it’s more complicated than that. This woman next to me is my full-blooded sister Avery.”

I pause for a moment to let the first truth sink in fully. They mutter things under their breath, but nobody interrupts me.

“Avery was born and raised by two very well-known members of Rouge, Elizabeth and Martin Stone. Gabriel stole me from them as a baby and burned their house down. He believed they were dead, just like all of you, and they believed I died in the fire. They took on fake names to conceal their identity and moved on to build a successful life outside of Rogue. My beautiful sister is proof of that. There is so much more to tell you, but I’m going to give you a moment to ask whatever questions you may have so far.”

I glance out to the crowd, and a woman with short brown hair raises her hand before asking, “Where are the Stones now? If what you’re saying is true, then why are they not here with you?”

“My parents were killed by Damien just a few days ago,” Avery says with a heavy heart.

“When and how did you find out about this?” another woman asks.

“My mother, Natasha, told me about the Stones being my biological parents when the two of us ran from the compound the day after I was forced to marry Damien. I will explain that in more detail as well.”

“Callie, it may be beneficial for you to tell us the rest of the facts before we continue with our questions. There may be more questions that come from the ones we ask if we don’t know everything first,” Mary suggests, and I smile at her.

“My father was cruel. The man that he portrayed himself to be to society was not the same man my mother and I faced at home. He would beat us, torture us, and ridicule everything we did.” I lift my shirt to show the fresh burn scar on my stomach as proof. “Just before I turned eighteen, I ran from Rogue because I was being forced to marry Damien. I thought I was free of him, but he tracked me down and dragged me back here. He needed me married to Damien so he could secure his legacy again.”

I look over at Avery, and she nods, urging me to continue.

“My father threatened the people I love, and I had to marry Damien to protect them. My mother did everything she could, but her hands were tied. As you all know, being a woman in Rogue doesn’t grant you very many opinions. After the wedding, my mother and I ran with the assistance of people I love and trust more than anything. She told me the truth about everything. Gabriel burned down the Stone’s home and stole their baby to raise as his own. My mother was given a choice.Raise me or watch me die. Obviously, Gabriel knew what he was doing because nobody in their right mind would choose anything other than raising the baby.”

I take a breath before continuing, remembering the way my mother told this part of her story, and I feel terrible for giving her a hard time about it.

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