3
One Week Ago
Sage
Ilurk in the hall, listening to everyone in Church. If I angle my head just right I can see my parents and Marx.
“OK, as you are all aware Petrov was put down by Dima, so that is one less problem to worry about. All the little girls are safe and sound, as they should be.” Marx’s voice booms and the room goes wild with everyone clapping and stomping their boots.
My hands shake a little at the memory of having to call on my training to help Aunt Vi and Joe patch up the brothers who had been hurt in the shoot out at Switch’s family ranch.
Some like Tank and Dex were lucky, just a graze or a bullet to the arm.
But for my brother and Chef, things were a little more serious.
Clenching my fists I stare at them. I’ve always been told that I had musician’s fingers, long, graceful.
Instead they helped save lives. Well, one life in particular.
Chef. My heart still races as I think about him on the table writhing in pain.
My gut twisted at the thought of losing him, a man that didn't even want me. I bite back my growl, instead allowing my concentration to drift back to Church. One day they’ll believe I’m old enough to sit in, but today is not that day.
I’m not sure when that day will be. I’m only six months younger than Niko, and while they let him prospect, they wrap me in cotton wool like I’ll break at any moment.
“On to other business, I finally managed to get a picture of Richard McDonald, Matthew Thompson’s business partner.
Up until now the only information we knew was about Thompson.
It seems he’s the face of the company, McDonald is the background man.
And here. He. Is,” Chewy mumbles before tapping something with a flourish and a picture comes up on the screen behind her.
I angle my head a little more, trying to get a better look.
“That motherfucker,” My mom spits out and I freeze in place.
There, on the screen clear as if he was standing in front of me, is Nathaniel Mercy. The man that I’m meant to marry. Well, up until my mother decided to kill everyone at the Keep. Or maybe not, seeing his pasty, thin face is right there.
“Ah, what's going on?” Chewy asks, looking around the room.
“That’s not Richard McDonald. Or it may be, I don’t know,” Lovely stammers.
“Buttercup?” Marx asks, his hand instinctively reaching for Lovely’s. It’s such a gentle touch from such a rough man.
“That man, we know him,” Lovely finally manages to get out.
“Richard McDonald?” Rider asks, confused.
“No. We know him as Nathaniel Mercy. He was in training to be Royal Landry’s right hand man.” Mom grits out, that vein in her forehead looking dangerously bulge-y. “And he’s also Sage’s sealed union.”
Bile rises in my throat as I try to swallow down the gross feelings.
The feelings that used to overwhelm me as a child when Mom would train me and Niko to be aware of our surroundings.
Taking a deep breath I try to focus on the voices in the next room, but it’s all a blur. Well, at least until Mom speaks again.
“Luckily for you, you don’t need to worry about this one,” she says, grinning at Rider.
“Oh, why’s that?” He asks innocently enough. I know exactly what she’s going to say.
“Because I’m going to kill him myself.” She beams wide at him and I take a small step back.
All my life my mom has been my protector. The protector of us all, really. Me, Niko. Cove. Elio. Lovely and Loyal. Of all the people she helped escape Eden’s Keep. Shuffling sounds out behind me but I stay perfectly still, not wanting to give anything away just yet.
“You’re not meant to be eavesdropping.”
“Neither are you, Stinky.” My lips twitch, knowing I’ve caught him out.
“I have to, to keep everyone safe.”
I let out a long sigh, knowing what I have to do. “And so do I.”
Elio looks up at me, and he knows what I’m going to do. He always knows what my next move is going to be. “I will miss you.”
“I will miss you too, Stinky. I love you, you know that right?”
He nods once then leans his skinny body against mine. “Chef will help you.”
My throat burns at the mention of his name, but it’s not Chef’s help I need. I need my uncles. I need The Keep. This shit started at the Keep and I’m going to end it there.