Page 8 of Broken Promises
I nodded as I continued in generalities, “Her grandfather was the head of a family, and he’d traded her to the Lenkovs for more territory. Lucian protected Rylee, and the first chance he had, he helped her escape. I helped her start a new life, and for the last fifteen years, I’ve watched out for her. Along with a handful of other women who needed a new start after . . .”
I let the words die on my lips as I watched her wipe an errant tear from her cheek. “And Lucian? Did he accomplish his mission?”
“Sergey got caught in a trap, and to save his own ass, he agreed to testify against the rest of the families. With that deal, all Lucian’s work was for nothing, so he found his way out of the Syndicate and began other things.”
“And it’s the same Lucian who saved us that night?” she inquired, and I silently nodded as she let the information sink in. “You said I had brothers and a sister, so what about them?”
Clearing my throat, I sat forward as I glanced to the side. We were within sight of two different cameras, and I had to wonder if they were being monitored, knowing I was going to be telling Hannah everything. Looking back at her, I debated on which sibling to discuss next and decided Stella was the safer bet. Devlin was a madman, and once she heard his name, I was afraid she’d kick me out on my ass.
“The youngest is Stella . . . well, beside you. She lives in Portstill, Tennessee, with her old man, Hawk.”
“Hawk? What kind of name is Hawk?”
“His name is Hawkins, but his club name is Hawk. He rides with an MC called the Death Hounds and he’s a good guy. She was lost to the family for several years, but I’ll let her tell her story, if she wants to. What I can tell you is she had misconceptions about her brothers, and it took time for them to repair their relationship.”
“Misconceptions?” Hannah asked as she finished her cup of coffee.
“Do you have any alcohol in the house?” I asked, and she nodded before standing.
I stood and followed her into the kitchen as she reached into the freezer and pulled out a frosty bottle. Handing it to me, I cringed when I saw what it was, but at that stage, I needed something to get through the last sibling. Devlin was problematic on a good day, and telling her about him was going to be difficult.
“Well, I guess cinnamon whiskey will have to do,” I remarked, and she chuckled before reaching back into the freezer and pulling another bottle out. Looking at it, I remarked, “That’s more my speed.”
We swapped bottles, and she reached into the cabinet and grabbed two small, plastic cups before returning to the dining room table. She placed my cup in front of me and retook her seat before she poured two fingers of the cinnamon whiskey. I poured three fingers of the ice-cold vodka. I wasn’t a fan of flavored alcohol, but shooting the caramel vodka back, I was surprised by how good it was.
The cold burn tracked down my throat and I felt it hit my stomach as I blew out a breath. She tossed her head back as she swallowed her whiskey and waited for my next move. I poured another shot, and she did the same before I recapped the bottle.
“You have another brother, but before I tell you about him, I need your promise on something. I need for you to hear me out before you pass judgement, because as much as he chaps my ass sometimes, he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met.” I paused then asked, “Can you do that?”
“As long as you’re honest with me, I can do that.”
“Devlin is . . . was the middle child, but he got a rough deal where Sergey was concerned.” She seemed confused, and I took a sip of my vodka before continuing. “When he was twelve, and Sergey felt he wasn’t of any use to him, he sold him to a weirdo who basically kept Devlin as a slave until he turned eighteen.”
Hannah gasped and covered her open mouth as I continued. “When he was old enough for his ‘debt’ to be paid,” I said, using air quotes to stress the absurdity of selling your son for a debt, “the man who had him was threatening someone Devlin cared very much for, and he . . . handled the man and took over his territory. And before you think he’s anything like Sergey, let me say this clearly. Devlin has never done anything to anyone without a justified reason, and never to gain power.”
“So, Sergey really was a monster?” she asked, and I didn’t respond, but I was sure my face said everything.
Hannah lifted her glass and swallowed the entire shot she’d poured before she looked back at me, waiting for the next bit of information. “Through the years, Devlin took his money and power and built an amazing business that is revolutionary in its industry. Over the years, he’s used his business to help countless people, and when someone is in trouble, Devlin is the person you want helping.”
“What’s the business?”
“Can I come back to that?” She nodded, so I kept going. “For years, the mistrust Sergey fostered between your siblings reigned supreme, until about a year and a half ago. Stella, who had been keeping her head down, reappeared in hopes ofreconnecting with her daughter, who was living with a member of the Death Hounds. Stella was misinformed about not only the kind of person Devlin was, but also who the Death Hounds were, and when she came back to the family, Lucian soon followed. The ins and outs of it all will take a long time to explain, but last year, Lucian decided to find Rylee and make amends. It was that connection, and the apparent reappearance of the Syndicate, that brings us to here.”
“So, it was this group of criminals who took me, Rylee, and Claire to . . . what? Restart their crime group?”
“That’s what we believe to be the truth, but from everything we’ve been looking into, there shouldn’t have been any members left to restart anything. For the last six months, Lucian, Devlin, and I have been looking into every aspect of the Syndicate, trying to find what we’ve missed.”
“And why did you decide today was the day I needed to know about this?”
“Do you remember when I asked to come back to Devlin’s business?” She nodded, so I explained. “Devlin and his partner, James, legally changed their names when they turned eighteen. They own Callahan Cyber Security, and we’ve been monitoring you to make sure you aren’t in any danger.”
Hannah lifted her eyes to the camera pointing directly at the dining room table before leveling her icy gaze back to mine. “So, you’ve been spying on me, is that what you’re saying?”
“Not spying, Hannah. Monitoring, and it’s only been to protect you,” I tried to reason.
She shook her head and scoffed as she spoke. “If you wanted to protect me, you wouldn’t be spying on me. And I’m assuming you’ve been monitoring my internet activity also.” It was my turn to nod, and my admission made her shake her head. “If I hadn’t been reading about Sergey, would you have ever told me?Would my family have even let me know about them if I hadn’t been told already?”
“Of course, they would have,” I replied, not knowing if that was the full truth or not. “They wanted to protect you from the family name and any potential problems Sergey could’ve caused from the grave, but they didn’t want to disrupt your life.”
