Page 95 of Darkness Falls

“You may remember she struggled with infertility, so she saw me as a blessing in disguise. She was always kind and tried to protect me, but my father had no problem being cruel because I was never his to begin with.” I take another moment before getting to the real point here. “I am still your legacy, the first-born child of one of the founding families of Rogue. However, the only part of Rogue that still exists is on this farm right now.”

“What does that mean, Callie?” Mary questions.

“As you all know, I had to come back to the compound to be put on trial for my father’s murder. I did kill him,” I lie because they don’t need to know Sebastian was the one to actually carry out the task. “Before I came back, I found a secret cabin my father used to house blackmail. He had folders compiled for every single one of your husbands, along with a long list of non-members. When I came to trial, I presented this evidence to the men of Rogue, and chaos ensued. I—I blew up the compound. They’re all dead.”

There are a few gasps from within the crowd and a lot of voices muttering amongst one another as the women process the news of all the men from Rogue being dead. Well, all the men except Damien, who is very much alive in the trunk ofthe car in the driveway. I give them the time they need to talk amongst themselves and stand there quietly, waiting for what’s to come next.

A council member’s wife, Adrianne, steps up next to me and extends her arm, shushing the crowd. Her husband was a guard-elected member of the council, and she doesn’t seem hurt by the news of his death at all. That leads me to believe she lived a similar life to the one my mother and I lived.

“We will be civilized about this and move forward with the information that’s been presented to us. Our husbands are dead. Rogue is no more. I don’t know about all of you, but I suffered at the hands of my husband for years. I’m not upset he’s dead.”

“I’m with you,” one woman speaks out.

“Me too,” another says.

“I’m glad my husband’s dead,” a third chimes in.

Hope begins to resonate in my chest. This may all be okay after all. I glance around with trepidation.

“We will put it to a vote then,” Adrianne suggests, and I find myself confused. This is all going much better than I thought it would.

“All those in favor of requiring some type of punishment for Callie’s involvement in Rogue’s men dying, please raise your hands.”

I glance around, and to my surprise, I don’t see any hands raised.

“All those in favor of moving forward with what has been presented to us without implicating Callie in the process, please raise your hands,” Adrianne says, and nearly every hand in the crowd raises.

They don’t say anything, but they don’t have to. I know without a doubt in my heart that most of these women have experienced some kind of struggle, and my heart breaks for them. It’s sickening that things within Rogue went on for as long as they did. I’m proud of myself for being the one to bring them down for good.

“Majority has decided. Callie will not be punished for her actions,” Adrianne says before stepping backward and letting me have the sole attention of the crowd again.

A woman up front raises her hand, and I nod my head at her. “What will we do now? Many of us depended on the incomes of our spouses to survive. We were, umm, not allowed to work. Who will lead us?”

“I’m going to be honest. I didn’t expect you to all be this understanding. I have no desire to lead you, and I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but I’ve never wanted that sort of life for myself.”

I look over at Avery, and then my eyes trail to the car with my men impatiently waiting inside for me, and my heart swells. They are my future, and as much as I would love to be the one these people turn to, it can’t be me.

“If you’re willing to stay on the farm for the next few days to allow me time to go back to Braxton Falls, I will talk with my mother about coming back to Tennessee and putting togethera game plan for all of you. I believe that my mother would be the perfect person to lean on during this transition. She has been there for all of you at some point in your lives, and I know for a fact that her heart holds nothing but genuine kindness. She doesn’t have a vicious bone in her body despite everything she’s been through. I don’t know all the details now, but we can absolutely have more information ready to give you in a few days.”

“If you all want to stay, I would love the company,” Mary says, taking the next question right from my lips. “It’s always so quiet on the farm, and I’m sure the children would love to play with the animals.”

Adrianne steps forward again and looks out to the crowd. “Who all is in favor of staying on the farm until Natasha returns with additional options for us? Please raise your hands.”

Every single person raises their hands, and it almost brings tears to my eyes. These women are so fucking strong. It's honestly the most admirable thing I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life.

“It’s settled then. I will bring my mother back in a few days with the intention of figuring out how all of you choose to move forward. There will be a few options, so I think you should take the time to consider what you want out of life. Money will not be a factor. My father had a large chunk stashed away in secret accounts that we have access to. We have enough money to ensure each family has what they need, should that be what they choose.”

“We will take your words into consideration,” Adrianne says.

“Thank you all for being so understanding. I really wish I could stay and socialize a bit, but I need to get back to Braxton Falls. There’s one more thing I need to take care of.” I glance over at Avery to see her bite her bottom lip. We need to make sure this Reese person is okay.

“We will be here when you come back.” Adrianne smiles and nods, and when I look out to the crowd, none of them seem upset, only relieved and apprehensive about their futures.

Tears well up in my eyes as I lean in to hug Adrianne, Mary, and the others on the stage before I make my way through the crowd, hugging others and saying my goodbyes. Avery stays by my side, looking more proud than I’ve ever seen her before. When we slip into the back seat of the car, I feel the most profound sense of accomplishment.

“Let’s go,” I tell my men while leaning my head on Avery’s shoulder.

Chapter 45

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