Page 21 of Reed

As I slowly blink, the dark house fades, and in its place, Reed’s bright dining room comes back into focus. All the men are staring at me with different levels of anger on their faces. Reed looks like he is ready to commit murder right now. His face reminds me of the look on Demon’s that night. I reach out and lay my hand over his. Reed flips it over and laces his fingers with mine, squeezing hard, but I don’t mind.

“Is he still alive?” Leon asks tensely.

“Yes. I didn’t take Demon up on his offer to kill Dennis. I was able to hide my pregnancy for a while. I was always big, so therefore Dennis never noticed. He just said I was getting fatter. When he would come to my room, he would demand me to get on my knees and start to rape me from behind. Demon finally got everything I needed, and I got on a bus eight months pregnant. I had a whole new identity. Demon promised me that I would be able to live my life without having to worry about a social security number not being real,” I say, wiping the tears that have fallen away.

“Fuck whoever this guy is, we need him. If he is able to pull that off—” Gabe says, shaking his head.

We all fell into silence, processing what I said. Reed never calms down. Anger rolls off of him in waves, but he never lets goof my hand. “So are we thinking the Jeep was Dennis or the Ricci family?” Nick asks.

My eyes snap to Leon’s when Nick says the name of the family that killed mine. “It can’t be the Ricci family. They don’t know I’m alive, right?” I ask, frantically. It can’t be them.

Leon doesn’t look at me. Instead, he picks at his fingers. “Actually, they might be behind it. There is something I have kept hidden from you,” he says.

My heart starts to race so fast that my chest aches. Using my other hand, I rub my chest, hoping it helps. I can’t go up against a fucking mafia family. They make Dennis look like a fucking barn cat. “What?” I whisper, my voice breaking at the end of that short word.

“I think it’s best you just show her,” Reed finally speaks up for the first time. Leon nods, pushes his chair back, and leaves the room. Reed turns my head toward him. “Ali, I promise we will find out who is behind this and take care of it. Then I’m going to track down that piece of shit and kill him slowly,” he says.

“Reed.”

He leans forward to where our noses are almost touching. “No, Ali. He deserves to die, and he will. I don’t take kindly to people touching things that are mine. You might not have been mine back then but you sure as shit are mine now. But more than that, he touched you without your permission. He hurt you in a way that no one should be hurt, and for that, he dies.”

A throat clears behind us, pulling my attention from Reed. Leon is standing in the doorway with someone else. Someone who shouldn’t be here. Someone who can’t be here. I don’t understand how I’m seeing this. A small scream falls from my mouth, and tears stream down my face.

The world grows dark as my brother—my older brother who died when he was twelve— opens his mouth and says, “Hi Sarah.”

“Come on, Little One. Open your eyes.” Reed’s voice cuts through the darkness. Hands are gently cupping my face, pushing my hair away. I blink slowly, and Reed’s handsome face comes into view. “There you are. Do you think you can stand up?” He asks.

“Yeah,” I say weakly. Reed helps me sit up and then stand up. He stays in front of me, blocking my view. “Reed, I think I’m going crazy. I saw Caleb. But he died. I held him in my arms and watched him take his last breath. I cried and shook his lifeless body. The police had to pull me off him because I didn’t want to let him go.” I start sobbing and throw my arms around Reed’s neck.

“I know, Little One. I know,” he says, burying his face in my hair. “You aren’t going crazy.”

I pull away and run around him. Caleb has moved more into the room, and I launch myself through the space, and he catches me. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. It was the only way to keep you safe.” His voice, which was once high, is now deep, but it still has the same effect. It calms me instantly.

“How?” I cry into his chest. I always thought he would be tall, and I was right.

“Let’s sit down, and I will tell you,” Leon says. Caleb doesn’t let me go. His arm is around my shoulder, and I’m tucked into his side. I take my seat next to Reed, and Caleb sits next to me. Reed reaches over and takes my hand once again.

I look toward Leon and nod for him to tell me how the hell my brother is alive. “You’re right, Kate. Caleb did die that night in your arms. He was shot in the stomach before he fell. However,they were able to get him back on the way to the hospital. He underwent surgery and was in the ICU for weeks. When we knew he would make it, we did the same thing we did for you. We placed weighted bags in an empty coffin and buried him. Since it was a closed-casket funeral, it was easy. However, unlike you, Caleb was raised by an older FBI agent.

“Since you weren’t talking, Caleb was our best chance at finding out which members of the Ricci family were there that night. So Mitch, the FBI agent who stayed with Caleb in the hospital, decided he would raise him. We changed his name, just like you, and created his new identity. He goes by Max now. Three years ago, Max started trying to infiltrate the Ricci family. He was successful and has been a trusted member for the last year,” Leon finishes. By the time he’s done, my mind is racing, and my blood feels like ice. My brother is a member of the Mafia family that killed our parents and tried to kill him.

“Why would you risk that?” I ask, looking toward Caleb, refusing to see him as Max.

“Because not only did they kill Mom and Dad, but they took you away from me. After hearing what you went through, I’m more determined to take them out. Sarah, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to save you from that fucking monster,” Caleb says, wiping tears away from his eyes. I’ve never seen him tear up, not even when he fell off his bike as a kid and broke his arm.

“But you could die,” I say, not bothering to hide my fear or tears.

“I don’t fucking care. What’s done is done. I have the information we need to take them down, and it’s happening as soon as we figure out who is stalking you because it’s not them. They truly believe we are dead.” Caleb looks at Leon when he says this.

“How have they not figured out who you are?” I ask, worried about his true identity being figured out.

“Because I’m careful. The original Don of the Ricci family passed away two years after they killed our family. His son, who took over, never knew anything about our family. Most of the members don’t either. There is only one person left, and I haven’t seen him. The original killers are no longer alive, but the family needs to pay for their sins,” Caleb’s voice is cold as ice.

I want to ask what he means about the original killers, but I won’t. “So we focus all our attention on Dennis?” I ask.

“Yes,” Reed says, bringing my hand up to kiss it. “And this is where we say goodbye to you,” he says, looking at Leon.

“Max, I will be in touch soon. Kate,” Leon’s face falls when he looks at me, “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I wish you had come to me, but I understand why you didn’t. If you or the boys need anything, I’m one call away.” Finally, he looks at Reed. “Make that fucker pay.” With that, he turns and leaves us alone.

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