Page 50 of Unfulfilled Promises
I gave Caldwell a look that silently asked, ‘what the hell?’ The subtle shrug was telling of his confusion as we returned to the group.
The madman stood with most of the group in front of him. Since it was his fucking story a few years ago that shone the spotlight on Portstill and all the bullshit our lives revolved around, we let Devlin lead to a degree. He stood in front of the group as we returned from our side conversations.
“The Death Hounds have secured John’s body, and there are two men waiting just in case Giovanni arrives before we corner him. Wren is staying with Hailey and Jacob until we get this settled, and Elise, Amaya, and the kids are being moved to Elise’s dad’s house, so they’re secured.” He closed his eyesbriefly before reopening them, showing the insanity that lurks inside him. “We’ll find Dick Pickens and Giovanni Marcora, and I swear, I will torture them until they give up every last piece of information. Then, I’m going to enjoy killing them slowly. If anyone has a problem with that, too fucking bad.”
I looked down at Regan and quietly asked, “Are you up for this?”
She looked up at me, the crazy look in her green eyes a little disturbing, and I knew she was going to be okay eventually. She lived through some pretty fucked-up things, and for years, felt like she was the gatekeeper of everything. She was probably nothing more than someone to keep Sergey from getting bored, but he kept his word and kept her safe. Apparently, it was after his death that her true hell started, and for all we knew, her torture and assault for almost a year could’ve been predicated on a lie.
What if most of what Sergey said was a lie but there were some truths mixed into the crazy asshole’s plan? What if the accounts he told her about were accurate and this Giovanni fucker was right? And who were the financial backers calling in the debt?
Whoever they were, they weren’t getting a fucking dime, but if they wanted to pull it from Dick and Giovanni’s ass, I would be happy to help.
Chapter 24
Regan
Doc changed my bandage and reminded me to keep the wound covered so it would heal. Then, after hugging Wren and promising to see her soon, I watched her walk away with Jacob and Hailey. Stella stood beside me with Hawk behind us as Devlin, Lucian, James, Rhys, Seth, Booker, and Caldwell spoke with Gunner and Skid.
“Is this ever going to end?” I asked.
Stella chimed in, offering reassurance. “I used to believe the Syndicate and my father were too powerful to bring down, but we’re so close to the end that I now believe it’s almost over.”
“She’s right,” Hawk added. “When I was working for them, they were all-powerful, but now, they hide in the shadows, kidnap innocent people, and have resorted to borrowing money to remain relevant.”
“I’m . . . I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner. Maybe I could’ve prevented all this,” I reasoned and felt a hand on my shoulder.
Stella was offering reassurance. “There was no way you could’ve known any of this would happen. He played all of us, but now, you have the power to close the lid on Sergey once and for all.”
Trying to smile, I still felt guilt from years of keeping secrets, and I believed she realized that because the next thing I knew, Stella had me pulled into a hug as she whispered, “You have to find forgiveness for yourself, Regan. You survived and you’vebeen so hard on yourself. Find a way to lighten your heart and give yourself grace.”
“I’ll try,” I returned, and she patted me on the back. Stepping away, I asked, “Will you promise to take care of Wren? She’s innocent in all this, and I don’t want her to worry.”
Hawk stepped up. “She’s under the protection of the Death Hounds, and if anyone tries to get to her, they’ll have a war on their hands they can’t possibly win. I swear to you, Regan, Wren is safe.”
I felt my nose tingle, indicating tears were coming, so I sniffled as I replied, “Thank you . . . for everything.”
“That’s what family is for,” Stella replied. “I’m here if you need anything. I just can’t be a part of that side of things again. Not with Matthew and Anna asleep in our cabin.”
I understood her need for peace and tranquility since her entire life had been filled with chaos and pain. If she could achieve it, I hoped I could as well. I watched Hawk wrap his arm over her shoulder as she rested her head against him. He was so protective of her, like all the brothers and members of the whole family were.
I looked across at Seth, and he somehow knew because he turned to glance at me. His smile was calming, and as I walked over to him, I decided right then and there that Sergey didn’t deserve to have any more control over my life.
I’d kept his secrets, not out of loyalty but out of shame, and now that they were all on the table, I had nothing to hide from anymore. And I planned on starting my new life today. When I got to the group getting ready to leave for Atlanta, I pressed beside Seth and took his hand into mine. He looked down and winked with a smile before returning to the conversation.
The look of apprehension was clear on the face of every man there. In the past, women in this family had to save themselves, like I did earlier tonight. Having one walk into battle with themseemed abnormal, but I meant what I’d said—I would find Giovanni and Ricardo, with or without them. I still didn’t know what secrets I’d kept were real or not, but hearing Wren say Giovanni wanted account information from me reassured me that the numbers I wrote in that little black book were real.
Trying to remember any part of the number sequence, I realized I was drawing a blank. Parts of number chains were there, but sections were missing.Fuck!I’d repeated those numbers in my head every day when I was with Kelly, but after I was rescued, I broke the habit, refusing to dwell or cling on to old habits. Now, when I needed to remember, I couldn’t seem to pull it together.
I felt a squeeze on my hand and looked to see Seth giving me a concerned look. ‘Are you okay?’ he mouthed, and I shrugged, being honest for the first time in years. Exhaling, I looked out at the men around me and simply said, “We need to move before Giovanni comes back this way and we miss him. Or before he gets wind of John and runs.”
“You heard the lady,” Devlin replied. “Load up.”
There were two SUVs from Devlin’s fleet parked near the closed gate of the compound. Seth and I, along with James, Rhys, and Booker, got into one, while everyone else piled into the other. Booker, who was behind the row Seth and I were sitting in, tapped me on the back. I turned and saw he was offering me something.
“You need to eat to regain your strength, since you insist on joining this merry band of maniacs.”
I took what he offered, a peanut butter protein bar, and then a bottle of water appeared over my shoulder. I took it before responding, “Thank you.”
