Page 45 of Unfulfilled Promises
“Now that I have your promise, I need to tell you something about Wren. Then, I’ll tell you everything you ever wanted to know.” Wren looked concerned and hunkered closer to Regan as my sweet girl revealed, “Her name is Wren,” she paused and looked directly at Stella and then Lucian before adding, “Volkovs.”
The audible gasp in the room made Wren tremble as Regan added, “She was taken from her dorm room, and she had nothing to do with any of this.”
“Why . . . why does my name matter?” Wren asked through fear and insecurity.
Lucian leaned forward, and it took a second for him to school his expression as he asked, “Who’s your mother and father?”
“My . . . my mom was Belinda Miller. She passed away when I was sixteen. I never met my father, but Mom said he was a bad man and the only good thing he ever gave her was me. But his name was Adrik.”
Her green eyes filled with tears, and I noticed Stella crying as she looked like she’d seen a ghost. Looking at Wren, you could see similarities to Hailey, Stella’s daughter and, apparently, Wren’s half-sister.
Regan looked at James and Rhys as she asked, “Do you understand now?”
They silently nodded as I tried to fit this piece of information into the puzzle. I couldn’t see where it fit, or even what the picture was, but something told me that before the sun rose, we were going to know everything we’d ever wanted to about the Syndicate and possibly how to destroy them.
“Can someone explain what my absent father has to do with any of this?” Wren cried, and Regan gingerly shifted to the side so she could comfort her.
“I know this is a lot to understand, and tonight has been fucking horrible, but there are some things about your father that your mother may not have known. Or she may have and kept you away from him to protect you.”
“I don’t understand. My father died when I was little, and my mother never really spoke about him. Why did I get kidnapped? Why am I here?”
“May I?” Stella asked, and Wren popped her head up, looking through tears at the stranger asking to explain her life to her.
Regan nodded, and Stella moved to sit on the other side of Wren, taking the girl’s hand into hers. “My name is Stella, and that man right there with the patch that says ‘Hawk’ is my husband. The two scary-looking guys right there are my big brothers, Lucian and Devlin. Between you and me, I think they’re a little soft, but don’t tell anyone I said so.” Wren smiled,so Stella kept speaking. “Without going into so much detail that you get confused, I’m going to condense the information. Is that okay?” The girl nodded and wiped under her eyes.
“A long time ago, before you were born, there were a bunch of crime families who wanted to control everything. They did a lot of bad things, hurt a lot of people, and in the aftermath, a lot of people had to pick up the pieces of their lives. My brothers and I were children of one of the founding families and we spent years fighting a losing battle against their evil. My daughter, Hailey, was the result of one of the battles I had to fight, and when I discovered her father was going to use her as a pawn for his own power, I killed him.”
Wren’s eyes grew wide and she looked at Regan, who nodded at her before Stella continued. “The reason I’m telling you this is because when those families started losing their grip on power, they tried to tap into their children. Claimed or unclaimed, they took those children and used them in the worst ways. Regan believes, and I do as well, that you are one of the unclaimed children from one of the families. The Volkovs are no more, but you, Wren, are the daughter of Adrik Volkov and my daughter’s sister.”
“I . . . I have a s-s-sister?” she asked through tears, and Stella nodded at her.
Wren leaned against Stella and cried on her shoulder as Regan reached over and rubbed her hand. After a minute, Wren lifted her head and asked, “Is that why they took us? Is Regan an unclaimed child from one of the families too?”
Regan lowered her gaze and turned to sit straight as she mumbled something under her breath. Stella turned to her, leaned over, and whispered something. Regan nodded before lifting her eyes to the group and saying, “I’m the reason all of this is happening. Every bit of pain and loss is my fault.”
Chapter 22
Regan
Just saying it was my fault lifted the boulder on my shoulders and lessened the pain in my stomach. But it would never be gone. Nothing would absolve me of my sins, but if I could help stop this once and for all, then it was time for me to spill the secrets. And not just the ones you’d think.
“It’s my fault, Regan. There’s no way you could’ve known this was going to happen, and you saved Wren,” Seth said to me, but I shook my head as I turned to look at him.
He was handsome, and someone I would have liked to have gotten to know better. He was a good and honorable man, and so much better than someone like me deserved. It’s a good thing we never got past the first date, or seeing the betrayal in his eyes when I started filling in the details would’ve probably killed me on its own. Inhaling deeply, I mentally dragged the box I lived in during my capacity out from the recesses of my mind and prepared to harden myself.
“Can you promise that you’ll make sure Wren is protected and never has to deal with this Syndicate’s bullshit ever again?” He silently nodded, and I gave a quick nod in return before turning to the group.
Devlin, Lucian, Rhys, and James were sitting on the couch across from me, crowded against each other so they would be close. Looking at the number of people here, waiting for me to explain, was a bit overwhelming. I made eye contact with Sadie, and she watched me for a moment before speaking.
“If I’m not mistaken, this isn’t club business anymore.” I shook my head, so she asked, “Would you like some privacy?”
Gunner stared at me, and I responded, “Thank you, and I promise, we’ll be out of your hair soon.”
He gave me a worried look but stood from his chair to approach me. Kneeling in front of me, he whispered, “You always have a place here. No matter what you think is your fault, we’ve all made mistakes, and you are family. Family doesn’t give up.”
He cut his eyes to my family, shocked and eagerly awaiting me to explain my sudden chattiness. I gave a one shoulder shrug, and Gunner nodded before standing and announcing to the room, “Death Hounds, this isn’t our business unless Regan requests it to be. So, I want four guards outside each door, and if she signals, remove everyone but her and Wren, no questions asked. And remember your loyalties to the patch on your back. Everyone else, move out.”
I felt a lump in my throat as Gunner patted the top of my head before walking up to Sadie and following the rest of the leather-bound badasses out the door. I knew not all the brothers and old ladies would leave, but if they were affected by what I had to say, they needed to be here.
