Chapter 26
NOVA
Afew days after Teddy, Silas, and I solidify our polyamorous relationship, the tension in the meeting trailer crackles with anticipation. We're all crammed around the fold-out table—all seven brothers, plus Teddy, Jules, and me.
“So,” Silas says, sprawled in his chair with that controlled grace he shares with Elias, “what's our next move with daddy dearest?”
Elias leans back, his pale gray eyes calculating. “We've been busy the past few days while you three were... bonding.” His smirk makes heat crawl up my neck. “The spray paint was just the opening salvo.”
“What else have you done?” Teddy asks, his federal agent instincts still sharp despite everything that's happened between us.
Cole grins, spinning his knife between his fingers. “Let's just say Malachi's been having a very bad week.”
“We've been systematic,” Elias explains.
“Anonymous tips to the IRS about financial irregularities in his foundation. Leaked documentation of missing children from his programs to investigative journalists.” He kisses the side of Jules's head.
“Social media campaigns questioning his charitable work.”
Logan's scarred hands flex on the table. “Also may have caused some... technical difficulties with his security system. Few small fires in his neighborhood. Nothing traceable, of course.”
“The man's paranoid as fuck now,” Jonah rumbles with satisfaction. “Hired private security, installed new cameras, barely leaves his house.”
“Good,” Rowe says quietly. “Let him feel what it's like to be prey.”
I watch their faces as they describe their psychological campaign, noting the cold satisfaction in their eyes. These men have turned revenge into an art form, and I find myself oddly proud to be part of their family.
“But there's a problem,” Marek says from the shadows. “Malachi's foundation. The Bellmour Youth Initiative.”
“What about it?” I ask.
Elias's expression hardens. “It's still operating. Still bringing in at-risk children. Even if we eliminate Malachi, the infrastructure remains. The other board members, the staff, the network he's built… it'll continue without him.”
“So we burn it all down,” Logan suggests with typical fire-eater logic.
“And the children currently in the system?” Teddy interjects. “The kids who are actually getting legitimate help?”
The question hangs heavy in the air. These men have spent their lives hunting monsters, but they're not monsters themselves. The thought of innocent children suffering because of their actions clearly troubles them.
“That's the dilemma,” Elias says grimly. “How do we destroy Malachi's operation without harming the children it's supposedly helping?”
I study their faces, seeing the frustration written there. They've planned every detail of Malachi's psychological destruction, but this ethical quandary has them stumped.
Then I blink, a light going off in my head.
“What if we find another Sanctum survivor to take over?” I say, the words tumbling out as an idea crystallizes in my mind. “Someone with the credentials, the background, the legitimacy to clean house from the inside?”
The room goes silent, all eyes turning to me. I can practically see the gears turning in their heads as they process what I'm suggesting.
“That's...” Elias leans forward, his pale gray eyes sharpening with interest. “That's actually brilliant.”
“Think about it,” I continue, gaining confidence as the plan takes shape. “The foundation needs leadership that can't be questioned. Someone with the right education, the right connections, the right motivation to root out the corruption while protecting the legitimate programs.”
Silas catches on immediately, his eyes lighting up. “A survivor with clean credentials who knows exactly what to look for. Someone the board would trust, the community would accept.”
“But where would we find someone like that?” Rowe asks quietly.
Marek shuffles his cards, his eyes distant. “The scattered children. The ones who went into NGOs, military service, legitimate careers. Some of them must have built respectable lives.”
“Ethan Kane already did some of that research,” Teddy adds, and I can almost see his federal agent brain kicking in. “When he was tracking survivors for the stalker case I was on as a Secret Service agent. He found dozens of them scattered across different professions.”
Jules sits up straighter. “Social workers, child psychologists, nonprofit directors. People who turned their trauma into purpose.”
“Exactly,” I say, excitement building. “Find someone who's already working in child welfare, someone with the credentials to take over a foundation like Malachi's. Someone who would jump at the chance to protect kids from the kind of monsters who hurt them.”
Logan grins. “Let the survivor dismantle the network from the inside while we handle the Prophet directly.”
Elias stands, starting to pace around the small space. It's become familiar in the two weeks I've been at Seven Sins. “We'd need someone with advanced degrees, preferably in social work or child psychology. Someone with a track record in legitimate organizations. And most importantly...”
“Someone who survived what we survived,” Jonah finishes, understanding immediately.
“The question is how we approach them,” Silas says, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You can't exactly walk up to a successful professional and say 'Hey, remember that cult we escaped from? Want to help us destroy our father?'“
“Actually,” Teddy says slowly, “we might be able to. If they're already working in child protection, they understand the stakes. They know what happens when systems fail kids.”
Marek speaks from the shadows. “The cards have been showing me reunion. Scattered family coming together for a greater purpose. I thought it was about Agent Coleman joining us, but perhaps...”
“Perhaps it's about bringing more survivors into the fold,” I finish. I can't believe I'm taking fortune cards at face value, but the shoe fits.
“We'd have to be careful,” Elias warns. “Not everyone who survived the Sanctum would be willing to risk their rebuilt lives for revenge.”
“This isn't just revenge,” I point out. “It's prevention. It's making sure Malachi can never hurt another child, while ensuring his legitimate programs continue helping kids who need them.”
The room falls quiet as everyone processes the implications. It's a complex plan, requiring delicate maneuvering and absolute trust in a stranger. But it's also elegant in its justice—using Malachi's own system against him, placing it in the hands of someone who truly understands what's at stake.
“I like it,” Jules says finally. “It's got layers. Psychological warfare on Malachi, protection for innocent kids, and justice all wrapped up in one package.”
“The question is whether we can find the right person,” Rowe says. “Someone with the right background who'd be willing to take on this kind of responsibility.”
“Leave that to me,” Teddy says, surprising us all. “I have access to databases, background checks, personnel files. If all else fails, I'll hit up Ethan. If there's a Sanctum survivor working in child welfare with the credentials to run a foundation like Malachi's, I can find them.”
“And if they refuse?” Logan asks.
I think about the way trauma shapes people, the way survivors either crumble or become fierce protectors. “They won't refuse. Not if they understand what's really at stake. Not if they know children are still being hurt.”
Silas reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You're absolutely right. A true survivor wouldn't be able to walk away from the chance to protect other kids.”
“So we have a new plan,” Elias says, his voice carrying that command authority that makes everyone listen.
“Teddy finds us our insider. We continue psychological pressure on Malachi until he's completely isolated and vulnerable. And when the time comes, we take him down while our survivor takes over his empire.”
“Leaving the legitimate programs intact and protected,” I add.
“While ensuring Malachi pays for every child he ever hurt,” Silas finishes with dark satisfaction.
The energy in the room shifts from frustrated planning to focused determination. Now we have a path forward that doesn't require sacrificing innocent children for revenge.
“There's something beautiful about this,” Marek observes, still shuffling cards. “The children he tried to break growing up to dismantle everything he built. The scattered family reuniting to protect the next generation.”
“Justice served by the people who understand it best,” Jonah agrees, his eyes holding that quiet satisfaction that makes him so dangerous despite his gentle nature.
I lean back in my chair, feeling proud to be part of this twisted family, proud to contribute meaningfully to their mission. These men have spent years hunting monsters, and now I've helped them find a way to do it without creating new victims in the process.
As the meeting breaks up and we begin executing the next phase, I catch Silas watching me with pride.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” he says, but his smile is soft. “Just thinking about how lucky we are to have found you.”
“I'm the lucky one,” I reply, meaning every word. “I finally found a family that understands what justice really means.”