38. Cassian
38
Cassian
M om refused to let go of my hand. I sat next to her in the back seat of the car, with Thea to my left as the driver crawled through the London traffic. It wasn’t until the hospital was 30 minutes behind us that she finally spoke.
“I need to go back to Blackwood.”
That was a terrible idea. Dad would likely be there. Kyril’s gaze caught mine in the rearview mirror. He quietly shook his head, telling me that he, too, thought it was a shit idea to poke the bear.
“Dad will be home. It’s too dangerous.”
Dad was like a cornered animal right now. The Prime Minister had sacked him pending the police investigation, and since the news broke about his involvement in the shady goings on at the Highgate Clinic, other people had come forward accusing him of various crimes.
I confess I may have had something to do with that, thanks to all the illegal shit Milo had uncovered. I just hoped my mother didn’t get caught in the fallout. It seemed unlikely given her precarious mental health, but who knew what my father would do with his back to the wall?
It was possible he’d claim I was involved in his activities, but I’d cross that bridge when I came to it. For now, my only concern was getting my mother to a safe location. Preferably overseas.
“Cassian, please. There are things I need from the house.”
“What things? We can buy anything you want once we get to the hotel.”
“Photographs. Your grandmother’s jewelry, and a few other personal things I hid from him.”
“I’ll go tomorrow and fetch them for you.”
“No!” She dug her nails into my hand and turned to face me. “This can’t wait! He destroyed everything else. I refuse to let him destroy these last few mementos I have.”
For the first time in years, Mom’s eyes were clear, her grip on me firm. She wasn’t willing to budge on this; I could tell. The vibrant woman I remembered from my early childhood had returned. At least for now.
“Mom, it’s not safe!” Her life was more important than a few photos and family heirlooms. She knew what Dad was like. How dangerous he was.
“Do as she asks.” Thea’s soft voice cut through the tension between us. “Don’t you think it’s about time you let your mom make her own decisions?”
Dammit, she was right. Dad had controlled her for years, and now I was trying to do the same.
I gritted my teeth as I instructed the driver to take us to Blackwood Manor. If this all went to shit, I only had myself to blame.
The press had vanished from the gates at the entrance to our estate, which was odd. I’d fully expected to run the gauntlet of news crews and rabid reporters eager for another scoop. Even the guardhouse was empty.
The house looked deserted. Abandoned and unloved. There were no cars outside and very few lights on. Had Dad flown the country already?
“I need you to stay in the car with Kyril,” I told Thea. “We won’t be long.”
She looked at me with savage disdain. “Nope, not happening.”
Kyril snorted from the front seat.
My eyes closed. I could feel a headache brewing. We should have been back at the hotel by now, not risking my father’s wrath by coming back here.
“Thea, my father could be here. He might react badly. You’re safer in the car.”
She rolled her eyes and smirked, pulling a small handgun from her purse.
“Trust me. I’m in no danger.”
Mom tensed beside me, her eyes wide. She’d probably thought Thea was some sweet society girl.
“I have a knife in my jacket, too. It’s always better to be prepared, don’t you think?” Kyril jumped out of the car and opened Thea’s door.
“Come, my vicious little viper.”
“I’m not vicious,” she pouted, tucking the gun into her waistband and tossing the purse on the backseat. The driver continued staring ahead stoically. I was paying him an obscene amount of money, so it was in his best interests not to comment on anything he saw or heard.
I helped Mom out of the car. She was still a little shaky on her feet after all the meds she’d been force-fed since staying in the clinic. As we walked up to the front door, I kept my hand on her waist to steady her. To my surprise, the door swung open.
Inside, it was obvious the servants had been gone for a few days. The house was old, difficult to heat, and without fires burning in the main rooms and the heating on 24/7, damp.
Blackwood Manor had been my home as long as I could remember, but it had never felt like much of a home. Mom was never present, and Dad treated me like an asset, not a son. In truth, I hated the place. The only time I’d enjoyed living here was when we had parties. Because the house was so large and rambling, it was easy to lose my parents and have fun with my friends.
“It doesn’t look like Dad’s here, so go fetch what you need, Mom.” I turned to Kyril. “Can you go with her? I want to check Dad’s office.” He nodded and gently took Mom’s arm, helping her up the stairs.
“You’re a good boy,” I heard her tell him, which made me smile.
“Pfft. He’s not a good boy,” Thea muttered.
“No, he’s not. Which reminds me, I still need to spank you for abandoning us to go to Scotland on a suicide mission.”
“Spank me?” She scoffed derisively before jogging after me as I strode down a corridor and up a flight of stairs toward my father’s office. “That’s ridiculous!”
Dad hadn’t bothered locking his office door, and when I entered, I realized why. Someone had trashed the room. Possibly the police while searching for evidence, although I doubted they found much. Dad wasn’t an idiot. He would not have left incriminating documents lying around.
“Yes, Thea. You deserve to be spanked for putting yourself in danger by not asking for help.”
A photograph of my mom with me as a child sat on Dad’s desk, untouched. I picked it up as Thea cussed up a storm about overbearing men and their bullshit. Yeah, she was definitely getting spanked as soon as I had a moment.
I removed the photograph and slid it into my jacket pocket. Dad’s desk drawers were empty, his files and computers missing. There was nothing here.
“Come on, let’s go find Mom.”
Just as I turned around, the study door swung open, and a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.
“Hello, Son.”