Page 126 of The Daredevil

It’s not what it seems.

Those were the words I’d told Michelle when she thought I had cheated on her. Sometimes the truth was skewed either by circumstance or timing.

Love is the only thing that matters. Aunt Klara, my mom, had told me that all my life. She kept repeating the words even when she knew I didn’t believe in love. It must’ve tortured her to know she was the reason for my belief.

I should have been the one comforting them.

Viktor met my eyes and gestured to the sunroom. Understanding him, I got up and joined him. We both stood staring at the backyard, where some tulips and daffodils had come up.

I was taller than him by a couple of inches.

“Thank you for coming back,” Viktor said, his hands tucked into his pants. “It means a lot to your mom and me.”

“I know.”

“I wanted to speak with you alone regarding what I saw and heard while I was undercover. Your mom and Michelle don’t need to know these details.”

Nodding, I looked at Viktor, and the blurry image of him when I was young cleared to this respectable man before me. He was no longer a memory, but a real person.

“I heard you that day after Edward Bryson was killed at the church. I came back for my cell phone.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “That was you? I thought I saw a kid run off. On that day, I was on the phone with your mom. I knew you and your friends hung around that area, but I didn’t know about the murder until the day after.” He held up a finger as if remembering something important. “Dominic tried to have someone kill your friend’s uncle in jail, but failed. Derek still had money and paid people outside the organization for protection, which explains why he’s not dead yet.”

“Thanks. I’m not sure if Grayson cares whether his uncle lives or dies, but I’ll let him know.”

Derek had killed Grayson’s father and kidnapped Audri last year. That betrayal changed my friend.

“The crime organization calls themselves The Trogyn. It’s not something spoken out loud. I only overheard someone reference it. You can use this information to do what you need to do. I know you and your friends have an interest in this organization. Just be very careful. I’ll give you all the information about them, their safe houses, and so on.”

These people killed my sister. I had to know who they were. It was a starting point for my friends and me to investigate later.

“How did you live like that?” I asked.

He shrugged. “One day at a time. Some days were tough. When you immerse yourself in the dark world, the ugly aspects of it get into your mind. You need to clear it out every night before bed to remember why you were there in the first place.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “My family gave me the strength to continue. I had a purpose, and I knew my presence could benefit someone someday. There are other children out there somewhere waiting to be helped.”

“Thank you, Dad.” Warmth burst in my chest as I patted his hand.

He pressed his lips into a tight line as tears sparkled in his eyes.

My dad had stayed in the organization after he found Emma because he wanted to expose them. The longer he stayed, the more he discovered how interconnected this dark web of crimes was, and just how far it spread. He met none of the “superiors” in the organization. He knew some were kings, princes, presidents, and wealthy people who didn’t flinch at hurting women and children. Sex trafficking wasn’t their sole business. It expanded to drugs, money laundering, and other corruption I didn’t even know existed.

An hour later, we returned to the kitchen and enjoyed a lovely dinner. After dinner, we sat around the dining table, chatting.

“You’re not safe from the organization,” I said. “You killed one of their respected members, and if they dug deeper, they’d know you destroyed that house which held the children and that you’re not dead. You need to go into hiding.”

Though the media reported my dad as one of the dead bodies caused by the explosion at the warehouse, if the organization investigated, they’d know that wasn’t true. Dominic made it seem like he hadn’t shared his suspicion that Dad had a familial connection to me. Another good reason Dominic wasn’t alive to carry out his intention to ruin my dad.

“We’ve already discussed this. We’re moving out of the country. Not sure where yet.”

“Let me take care of that.” I took out two folders and slid them across the dining table. “Mom and Dad, these are my gifts to you.”

Joy rushed through my body as I addressed them the way they deserved. Mom and Michelle teared up. Dad smiled because he’d already experienced the power of my words earlier.

Mom opened the envelope, staring at her passport under a new name. She whipped a glance at my dad. “Check yours.”

I’d bought a house for them in Costa Rica, near an excursion site I owned. “You’re now Oliva Davis, married to Michael Davis, retiring to a warmer climate after working as librarians in the Northeast.”

The library had been where Mom and Dad secretly met to talk while he was still in the organization. No wonder she never wanted to retire.

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