Page 96 of The Devil's Wrath

I stared at my brother, shocked by this revelation. In all the years since their deaths, he had never mentioned this. I had always assumed their last interaction had been a loving one.

“What did you fight about?” I asked gently, almost afraid to hear the answer.

He shook his head, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “It was stupid, really. I was angry about something trivial, and I lashed out. I told them I wished I had different parents. Ones that didn’t constantly hover over me.” His voice cracked, and he swallowed hard. “I told them they were shit parents for being a part of an organization that uses women and murders people. Dad was the goddamn top dog of The Brotherhood, for fuck’s sake.”

He snapped his mouth shut and looked at me with panic and regret. It took a moment for my mind to catch up to what he hadsaid, but when it did, I felt like the oxygen had been pulled from my lungs.

“Wh-what do you mean Dad was the top dog of The Brotherhood? He was an investment banker, Gage, and Mom was an interior designer.”

Gage sat in the chair beside me, his shoulders slumped and his head hung low. He took a deep breath before speaking again. “That’s what they told us so that, one day, we could choose for ourselves whether we wanted to be part of the family business or forge our own paths.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Dad was the leader? So that night at the masquerade, were they all there? The Brotherhood?”

“Yes. That’s the night I found out. Dad had slipped away to converse with one of his men, and I walked in on it. He was talking about moving guns and a threat they’d had from a rival gang. I heard everything, so I questioned him.” He looked up at me, and I could see his guilt. “I was so angry, Wren. I felt betrayed and lied to. Our whole lives, they had kept this secret from us. Our lives had been built on the blood of others. I couldn’t understand why they would choose that life, why they would put us in danger like that.”

Our parents, the people we’d loved and admired, had been living double lives. Before Theo, I would have been disgusted by this information. I would have been disappointed that our parents had chosen to be a part of some weird patriarchy that killed people and used women, even hunting them to satisfy some sick, twisted fantasy of control and power. But after Theo, my view on life in general had changed. He’d shown me what it was like to love the darkness inside him, and now I craved it. He’d never forced his life or his demons on me. I’d chosen them willingly. Our parents had loved Gage and me enough to let us choose our own paths. They’d never forced us to do anything we hadn’t wanted to do. Theo and the others had never had that chance. Their fathers had chosen for them.

“Theo told me there was no choice. That his and all the others’ futures were predetermined for them before they were born.”

“After our parents died, Theo’s, Kai’s, and Archer’s fathers took over as the leaders of The Brotherhood. They had only respect andlove for our parents, and they thought they were honoring them by creating an untouchable organization. They thought that if they had a power player at every level of government—police, lawyers, you name it—then they would be unbreakable. And so far, they’ve been right.”

Pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.

“You never told me,” I said in an almost accusing way.

“I wanted to protect you from them. I saw how they went through women. I didn’t want what happened to Mom and Dad to happen to you too. I stayed close so I could hear if the people who murdered our parents decided to finish the job by coming after you. But they never have.”

“Who murdered them?”

“We aren’t sure. It could have been The Collectors or the Russians they keep company with. So, naturally, after the assassination, The Brotherhood divided and conquered, hoping to find out who the killers were.”

My heart started to pound, and my mouth dried up. Theo’s scars. His past demons he talked about. Igor at the bar. “Theo was at the masquerade?”

“He was the first to sign up.”

“That’s the night Igor tortured him.”

Gage’s jaw clenched. “After he pulled us from the wreckage, he jumped at the opportunity to take vengeance. Except nothing went as planned. He was half dead when they brought him to me. He had lost so much blood.” He paused and looked away in shame. “And you know the rest.”

That night’s memories flashed through my head, and I sawhim.

Theo.

His beautiful green eyes looked down at me as he pulled me from the car. The deep, soothing tone of his voice as he tried to calm me, whispering words of compassion as I watched them pull my parent’s bodies out of the car. As my world crumbled, he held me to himself until I passed out and woke up in the ambulance. Hearing that he and the others had embarked on a revenge mission to punish the Russians or The Collectors for what they’d done made my heart break.

I reached out and grasped Gage’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Iunderstand why you kept this from me,” I said softly. “Why you all kept this from me . . . But you don’t have to protect me anymore.”

He looked at me, his eyes searching mine. “I can see that. Theo . . . he’s changed you, hasn’t he?”

I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips despite the heaviness of the conversation. “He has. In ways I never could have imagined. Now, learning the truth about our parents, about The Brotherhood, it’s opened my eyes to a whole new world.”

He sighed, running his free hand over his face. “I never wanted this life for you, Jellybean. I wanted you to have a chance at something normal . . . something safe.”

“I know. But maybe normal and safe aren’t what I’m meant for. Maybe this, all of this, is my path to follow.” I paused, gathering my thoughts.

He was silent, studying me. Then he nodded slowly. “You’ve grown up, Wren. More than I realized.” He squeezed my hand. “If this is truly what you want, if Theo and this life are your choice, then I’ll support you. I may not always agree with it, but I’ll be here for you, no matter what.”

Tears pricked my eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered. “That means everything to me.”

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