Page 88 of Black Heart

“I think that it would be for the best if we started from the beginning,” Liam said in a hard tone that let them know the time for questions was over. Knowing that they didn’t have much of a choice and needing time to figure out a way to sneak Marty out of the house, Tristan nodded.

“As I’m sure ye’ve figured out, we’re all brothers,” Liam began and Tristan didn’t need any clarification to know that Liam included him, but he added it anyway. “All of us are yer brothers, Tadgh.”

“We were all born in Ireland a long time ago,” Liam continued only to be interrupted by Marty.

“How long is a long time ago?” she asked, shifting until she was snuggled up tightly against his side. She sounded calm, but the slight trembling of her voice gave her away. She was terrified and it killed him that there was absolutely nothing that he could do about it.

“We’re not entirely sure of the date,” Shayne admitted with a shrug.

“For several generations, our family managed to rule our own lands and live in relative peace without drawing the attention of our king,” Liam began as Tristan noted that all the men but one either looked down at his feet or looked away as though the action would save them from this conversation. Shayne kept his gaze locked on Tristan, looking terrified and resigned to the fate that awaited Tristan as the story continued.

“Our Da died shortly before ye were born, Tadgh, leaving it up to us to protect ye and Ma and do whatever it took to keep our lands. Things were different back then and it wasn’t unheard of for a lad to take over the job of a man.”

“By the time Da died, most of us had already been doing a man’s work and using a sword to protect our land, but we were still just lads. That attracted a lot of unwanted attention by men that would do anything to have what we had. Without that land, we would have had no way to provide for ye and for Ma, so we did what we had to do to keep it.”

Shayne smoothly cut in, taking over. “When we weren’t taking turns patrolling our land or working, we were training. Sometimes, we’d get lucky and we could barter with a trained soldier needing to cross our lands or needing a meal in exchange for more training.”

“But that wasn’t enough,” Declean explained, taking over. “We needed to keep our people loyal and that was difficult to do with only a handful of lads left to protect them, so we each took a turn selling our oaths to whichever king was willing to pay and train us to be mercenaries.”

“Three of us at a time would leave and go train while the rest would protect the land, our people, and ye and Ma. When we were done, we’d share what we learned and switch places,” Finn said, taking over and sounding as though he were reciting a well-rehearsed part in a play. “By the time that ye were becoming a man, our reputation alone protected our lands.”

“No one dared to cross us or try and take what was ours,” Connall bit out before Liam once again took over.

“We used our skills and coins to expand our lands and make sure that our people never went a day without food. We were well respected and feared throughout the lands. As long as we minded our own business, we were left alone by our king.”

Liam looked directly at him, a sad smile curving his lips slightly as he said, “But that all changed when he learned about ye, lad.”

“What did Tristan have to do with it?” Marty asked softly as he struggled to wrap his mind around what they were telling them.

“The king wanted a killing machine, someone that he could trust to put his duties and oath above all else,” Liam explained as he looked at Shayne.

“And that wasn’t us, lad,” Shayne said, his voice thick with regret. “We couldn’t be bought. Our loyalty belonged to our family and no amount of coin or promises of more land would change that and he knew it.”

“Ye were the youngest of eight men who were looking to start families of their own soon. No matter what we said or promised, Ma was afraid that ye were going to be left without any land of yer own, and back then, Tadgh, that could have easily been a death sentence,” Finn explained before Liam once again took over telling the story that was supposed to somehow explain this crazy mess.

“Ye were about eight years old when Ma went behind our backs and gave ye to the king in exchange for his protection. He made promises that ye would be well-settled when it was time for ye to start yer own family.”

“Wait a second,” Marty said, interrupting them before they could go any further, “I thought you said that he was a man by the time that you were done training.”

“Back then, he was, lass,” Declean said with a shrug. “He worked as a man and trained like a man and to us, that made him a man.”

Before Marty could ask any more questions, Liam continued. “Ma loved ye, lad, and she did what she thought was best,” he explained as though Tristan really gave a damn.

“By the time that we found out what she did, it was too late. Ye belonged to the king until yer service to him was completed.”

“How long was that?” Tristan found himself asking, having absolutely no delusions about what kind of life that would have been for a child.

“Ye were promised until ye were twenty-five,” Liam said harshly, looking pissed. “The bastard took advantage and convinced Ma to give ye what could have easily been a life sentence in his army.”

“Were you able to get him out?” Marty asked as she shifted into a more comfortable position against him, causing his injured shoulder to brush up against the couch and forcing him to ignore the black dots that danced along his vision.

“Getting him out wasn’t a choice, lass,” Shayne said softly as he gestured for Liam to continue.

“Stealing from our king would have meant that we forfeited not only our lives, but that of our mother’s and of his. We had no choice but to allow it. But we did find a way to protect him.”

“How?” Marty demanded, not sounding pleased by this story. There was no doubt in his mind that she was imagining the innocent child in her womb being forced into a fucked-up situation like that and hating every second of it. Not that she would ever have to worry about someone harming their child because he would kill anyone that even thought about trying.

“Shayne gave his oath to the king in exchange for the right to protect Tadgh during training and battle,” Liam said, gesturing to Shayne.

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