Page 48 of Unfulfilled Promises
Was he correct? Were they all correct? I knew Sergey was a master at playing mind games, but was I just another pawn in his sadistic game of cat and mouse? Was the information I’d kept secret through every rape, beating, and degrading moment not worth the blood and pain I endured to protect it?
One thing was for sure—what I had believed wasn’t necessarily the truth, and that made me question everything.
Chapter 23
Seth
Icould see the hatred she had for herself playing across her face as she continued, and finally, I had to speak up. She was blaming herself for things she wasn’t in control of, and seeing more of her experience through her eyes, the asshole playing against her need for love and affection seemed like the logical explanation.
When she realized there were women who’d been hurt and she was in no way connected, that was when she began to give herself grace. She lifted her eyes to Devlin as she said, “I’m . . . I’m sorry for saying those ugly things to you earlier.”
“I don’t remember you saying anything ugly to me,” he responded and offered her a grin.
She looked around, seeming off-kilter and unsure of what came next. Finally, she asked, “Did you find Ricardo?”
“Before I ask how you know that asshole, I need you to tell me something very important,” Lucian said, and she nodded. “Who did you kill and where are they now? I need to make sure nothing blows back on you, and the faster we can take care of it, the better.”
She fidgeted with her hands as she explained. “It was . . . John, the man who works for Devlin and James.” Both men snapped their heads up as she continued. “He told me that he got inside your organization over five years ago so he could monitor how close you were getting to them.” She looked at Stella and said, “He told me he was the one who sent the email about where to find Sergey. I guess they got tired of him testifying. Then hesaid . . . he said instead of you kidnapping me during our date, he decided to take me for himself.”
“And where is he now?” I asked, barely controlling my anger.
The look on Devlin’s and James’s faces spoke volumes. James leaned over and whispered something to Skid, who nodded before standing and jogging out the back door of the clubhouse.
Regan watched with a confused look. “He’s in a house in the Flats. I can show you which one.”
Skid returned with Gunner, and Devlin stood and stepped to the side as they spoke quietly. Gunner turned his attention to Devlin and whispered something back before clapping Devlin on the back and walking out. Devlin returned to us as Regan simply stared.
Finally, he said, “If that fuck infiltrated my company, then there isn’t anyone on my staff I can trust until everyone is questioned. Our families were being guarded by those men, so Gunner is taking over until we get home.”
Regan, looking worried, said, “If someone can take me to the house, I’ll show you where he is while you go protect Elise, Amaya, and the kids.”
Skid interjected, “The Death Hounds will take care of them until this is settled. This is family, so we’ve got it covered.”
She didn’t seem sure but gave a nod anyway. Looking over at James, she inquired, “Why don’t you seemed as shocked as I was expecting?”
James placed his pen into the book on his lap and closed it, resting his hands on the cover. He had a strange smile on his face as he looked at Regan. “I was wondering how long you were going to keep this inside before you finally exploded and spilled the beans.”
“You . . . you knew? This whole time, you knew?” Regan asked incredulously, shocked and confused.
“When Devlin and I found you, you were in pretty bad shape, and I refused to leave your side until I knew you were going to be okay. While they cleaned up the mess, I sat vigil over you and I learned something about you.” She furled her brow, so he explained, “You talk in your sleep.”
That she did. The one time she fell asleep in front of me, she had a clear, one-sided conversation with someone, giving me the information I needed to start putting the puzzle together.
“Why didn’t you ever say anything before now?” she asked, and I could see frustration on Devlin and Rhys’s faces.
“I wasn’t sure what you were saying was correct at first. I heard you say his name, but I knew he had distorted your perception and there was no talking about it. Then, you declined to speak for a year, and I believed you were living in a place of pain and refused to make it worse.”
“You could’ve said something to me, asshole,” Devlin remarked as Rhys scoffed.
“She’s my sister, dick,” Rhys groused, and for the first time since we laid eyes on Regan, she cracked a smile.
“What did I say?” she asked, and he stood and held the book out for her.
Reaching up, she took it from James and opened the book. Running her finger down the pages, she skimmed a few before handing it back to him. He returned to his seat as Hailey and Wren came back into the room. Wren looked a little more relaxed as she took a seat next to Hailey at a table off to the side.
“We need to get back on track, if that’s okay,” Lucian stated, and everyone focused on him. “Who was the man with the tattoo on his wrist? The one who was in the back of the car with you?”
“Giovanni,” Regan remarked, and I watched her pull in on herself.
