Page 10 of Dark Bastard

It was only after he’d spoken the words Sam realized he’d locked gazes with Ellie again.

“Sam. If you’re both in immediate danger, it will take too long for me to send a car. If your position is exact, there are three cars outside your door. One of them should be easy to break in to. Take it and make your way to me. I’ll take care of getting rid of it, and you’ll have a secure location for you and your friend until we can find a better solution.”

Sam didn’t relish imposing on his brother, but if their father was indeed brewing evil again, he’d need all the help he could possibly get, especially if one of his snakes told him about Ellie.

“We’re on our way.”

Ellie was immediately by his side. “Where are we going?”

“To a place safe enough so we can talk. And to get you warm. But first, I need to steal a car. Care to join me?”

Chapter Six

Ellie wonderedhow time could move so fast, and events happen so suddenly. Nothing really surprised her apart from one thing: she’d never felt so alive.

True, her heart was still heavy, but it beat a bit faster.

Inside their getaway car, Sam told her they were taking refuge at his brother’s home.

Home was an interesting word for where she was. After Sam had found a car for them, although a more accurate description would be he’d stolen one, they’d sped toward Bridgeport. After several detours between the old industrial buildings, the car entered a small alley before pulling into an underground parking lot. Every indication showed an innocuous construction, but once they reached the top floor, they stepped into another world.

Ellie wasn’t that much of a fool not to notice the high-tech security on the door and the cameras in every corner until they reached the entrance.

The man who welcomed them at the door was so stunningly similar to Sam and yet so different, it messed with her mind. Dark and charismatic, with the same fascinating silvery eyes, he exuded power and intelligence.

With great civility and an adorable British accent, Lazarus King ushered her in, leading her to the beautiful open-space kitchen beside a vast living room where a fire was blazing in the hearth. Warmth quickly returned, seeping down to the bone, while Sam remained close. Maybe he was the reason she’d remained so calm in this unusual storm.

Unhurried, Lazarus served them coffee and food, letting them settle in. All three of them sat around the kitchen island, Sam remaining close. The silence wasn’t heavy, but comforting, as if in this kitchen, nothing bad could ever happen. Even if it was tempting to let heaviness and comfort take over, she needed answers. “Now that we’re safe, you promised to explain.”

Lazarus leaned forward. “I have to admit, I’m impatient too. You see, my dear Ellie, you may not know anything about our family, but Sam here is the most mysterious of all my brothers, with his own way of acting in the world. He appeared out of nowhere and I feared he’d vanish the same way.”

Sam grumbled, swirling the coffee in his mug without looking up. “You’re not helping my case, brother.”

“The only way you will, brother, is telling us what happened. Or at least, start from the moment someone tried to kill you. If you’re right, we need to take even more precautions against our dear father.”

At the second mention of their father, Ellie couldn’t remain silent anymore. “What has your father got to do with this? Maybe you should start there, as it seems to have led us all here.”

Sam’s large shoulders seemed to sag, while Lazarus remained silent, clearly waiting for his brother to start talking, which he reluctantly did. “Nothing good could ever come from the most depraved and dangerous man on this earth. Including his sons.”

With a sigh, Lazarus pushed his mug closer. “I better give our guest the politically correct version. If you want to expand on it, that’ll be up to you. The person we’re referring to, and the man who probably ordered the attack, is Jamieson Finch.”

Having been disconnected from the real world for so long, Ellie tried to place the name, but nothing came to mind. “I don’t watch the news. Am I supposed to know him?”

Sam answered this time, his deep voice laced with so much hate, it sent shivers down her spine. “He is the vilest monster who ever walked this earth, the devil incarnate.”

Lazarus exhaled loudly, shaking his head. “He was a feared politician and a successful businessman. Rich, influential, cruel, and fearless. The more enemies he had, the more he laughed. Even when governments started stirring at his actions, he didn’t blink. For Finch, women were, and are, disposable. His children, his sons, were at best ignored, at worst, were toyed with and tortured for his amusement.”

One thing Ellie had honed from her career as a 911 operator was to discern a truth from a lie, and she had no doubt Lazarus was telling her the truth, further confirmed by the waves of hate coming from Sam sitting silently beside her.

“How many children does this Finch have?”

Lazarus rolled his shoulder. “There are six of us. All boys. I did extensive research, and I could only find the six of us. If he has other children, they didn’t remain on our dear father’s radar. Somehow, for six very different reasons, Finch kept an eye on us, most probably thinking we’d become assets in his plans down the track. You know me and Sam, there’s also Aleksei, Archer, Kai, and Liam.”

“And where are they?”

Sam shrugged as he exchanged a quick glance with his brother. “Safe, with their families. That’s one of the reasons I brought you to Lazarus. Maybe we can send you somewhere safe, until things cool down at least.”

Ellie wasn’t certain she liked someone making decisions for her. “I agreed to trust you for now and to come here, but the jury is still out on what I’ll do next.”

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