33. Silas
33
SILAS
Hours later, we were finally back home, and Mila seemed to have settled down. She was asleep, though I doubt her night would be restful.
Killian was with her now, and Maverick was… well, I didn’t know what Maverick was up to.
I volunteered to be the one to take care of her mom.
My fist clenched at the thought of that woman and all the horrible things she yelled at Mila as we left. I shouldn’t have taken Mila with us. That was my mistake.
One I wasn’t going to make again.
The plan was to ship her out of the country.
At least, that was Mila’s plan.
That wasn’t my plan.
I once told her I would never lie to her again, but I was about to break that promise. Because when I come back in a few hours, I will lie straight through my teeth and tell Mila I did as she asked and shipped her mother away.
The drive back to the factory was quick and silent.
We owned all the surrounding properties and had men stationed throughout whenever we needed the building, like today when we captured a handful of Sebastian’s men. And what would you know, the road captain happened to be a part of that.
We were keeping the men here for a few more nights before interrogating them, mostly to get them tired enough, hungry enough, desperate enough that they would tell us whatever we needed to know.
I had a feeling it might not be much. If Mila’s mom was telling the truth, then Sebastian wasn’t taking any chances with his safety. He knew he couldn’t take us on, not with the measly number he had on his side, so now, we were stuck playing the fucking game of cat and mouse with the bastard.
Once I arrived at the building, I looked at my surroundings to make sure there wasn’t anyone here who wasn’t supposed to be here before heading inside.
Mila’s mom was still tied to the chair. Her eyes were closed, but I knew she wasn’t asleep.
I closed the door behind me, the metal screeching before shutting, and stayed where I was, watching her.
Did she really not feel love for the daughter who was half her?
I didn’t fucking get it.
And I supposed, it wasn’t really for me to get. Or care about.
As if sensing me there, she asked, “Are you here to let me go?”
I nodded. “I’ll make sure you’re finally free.”
She opened her eyes then, and though I already knew what they looked like—the carbon copy of Mila’s eyes—I was still taken aback by it.
She smiled at me. “A little piece of advice, kid?”
I didn’t answer her.
She laughed. “Let Mila go. That girl is cursed. Everyone around her always gets bad luck.”
“Is that so?” I asked, pushing away from the door and walking over to her.
She nodded, smiling widely. “Oh yeah. Bad shit always happens with her around. That’s why I left.”
I stopped when I was no more than a foot away from her. “Is that why you left? Not because you’re irresponsible and a bad mother?”
Her eyes flashed with anger before she controlled them, contorting her expression back to normal. “I’m just trying to help.”
“It’s not needed. But how about I give you some advice?”
She laughed. “You got advice for me? I would love to hear it.”
I smiled and bent down until our faces were mere inches away from each other. I looked directly into her eyes. Mila’s eyes. I held my gaze steady as I pulled the knife I had tucked into the waistband of my jeans.
I plunged the knife into her chest, right where her heart lay.
Her eyes widened, her mouth gaping open, but no words came out. Wetness gushed, her blood staining my hand. I twisted the knife in a little deeper. She jumped slightly, but I knew she didn’t have long. Just any minute now.
She was still conscious.
“Don’t fuck with the woman I love,” I said softly. “The end results are all the same. It’s too bad you won’t live long enough to take my advice.”
She gasped for breath.
I stayed where I was, not moving away until her eyes finally glazed over, and she took her very last breath.
It was done.
Mila’s mother had died by my hands. I tried to see if I felt even an ounce of regret.
I got nothing.
And I knew, given the chance, I would kill her again, and again, and again.
I would kill her a million times over to ensure Mila’s safety and happiness.
And it was as simple as that.
It was early morning when I finally got back home.
It took some time to ensure the body was properly disposed of, and I had stayed at the factory a little longer than necessary, trying to get my feelings under control before I had to see her again.
When I walked inside the house, Mila was sitting at the kitchen table, Maverick and Killian on either side of her. Maverick was trying to feed her a piece of bacon while Killian did something on his phone, though he had one hand on her stomach, protecting our child.
I stayed by the threshold of the kitchen, not really saying anything, just enjoying the sight. I couldn’t even remember the last time my brothers and I actually sat down together at home and had breakfast. Perhaps when I was little and Maverick was trying to create some normalcy for me.
And now, Mila was bringing us together so effortlessly.
Maverick looked up at me first. I doubt he didn’t know the moment I came home. He looked at me questioningly. I didn’t tell Maverick or Killian about my plan, not wanting to force them to lie to Mila as well.
This one secret was my own to keep.
I shook my head when he tilted his to the side as if wanting to ask me.
I stepped further into the room, and Mila finally noticed me then. She looked nervous. “How did it go?” she asked.
“To be expected.”
“Is she…?”
I waited for her to finish her question. Would I lie to her if she outright asked me? Thankfully, I didn’t have to find out. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Thank you for doing this for me.”
She got up from the table and walked over to me, wrapping her arms around my middle and burying her face in my chest. I tightened my hold on her, taking in a deep inhale of the scent of her shampoo, taking comfort in that.
“You never have to thank me for protecting you, sweetheart,” I said gruffly.
Never that. She never had to thank me. I would do anything and everything to ensure she was safe, even at the expense of my soul.
I looked over at my brothers. They were silent as they watched me, and it didn’t take them long to figure it out, or at least suspect what I had done.
They probably would have done the same thing.
And they wouldn’t be asking me about it.
I looked away from them and focused my attention back on our girl. She pulled away from me and grabbed my hand, leading me back to the table.
Killian got up and made me a plate. I didn’t know where Rachel went. She was usually here at this time, but she was obviously here earlier, considering none of my brothers cooked, and I had never really seen Mila express any interest in cooking.
“Thanks,” I said to Killian when he placed the plate down in front of me.
Mila waited until we were all settled in before she spoke. “She’s right, you know.”
“Who is right?” Killian asked.
“My mom. Sebastian will never give me up. Not when there’s a chance my inheritance could be his.”
I looked at my brothers.
“Before you turn me down,” Mila continued. “I just wanted to say I don’t care about the inheritance. And I know you guys don’t care that I have it. Even without Sebastian here, I’d still want to marry you. All of you. So what’s wrong with doing it now, before my twenty-fifth birthday? I just don’t want to have it hanging over my head anymore.”
“It sounds like you put a lot of thought into this,” Maverick said, grabbing her hand.
“I have,” she said. “And you know it makes sense.”
Maverick nodded, looking around at Killian and me. I knew my brother well. I knew where he was going with this. I grinned, leaning back against my chair.
“But you’re not proposing to us,” Maverick said.
Mila frowned. “It’s not like I wanted to be the one to propose,” she grumbled, sounding put off by it.
“We are Catholic,” I mentioned.
Her frown pulled in deeper. “Okay. What does that have to do with anything?”
I let out a small chuckle. She still wasn’t getting it.
Maverick stood and helped her up. She looked around at us. I knew she was beginning to understand.
Killian and I got up as well, standing on either side of Maverick. As one, we each got down on one knee. Her eyes widened, and she backed up half a step before thinking better of it.
“Marry us,” Maverick said. Mila gasped.
“Did you really think you could ever escape us?” Killian asked. “Marriage means nothing compared to how we feel about you. People get divorced all the time—not that you will be able to do it. For other people, marriage isn’t permanent. But what we feel for you? That is. And you won’t ever escape us.”
She shook her head and said, “I wouldn’t want to.”
“Good,” I chimed in. “It will make your life a hell of a lot easier.”
She let out a chuckle.
“So what do you say, little monster? Will you do us the honor of marrying us?”
She nodded. “Yes. Yes!”
She ran toward us, hugging Maverick first before moving to Killian and then me, tears streaming down her face. We surrounded her, like how it would always be.
Us protecting her, and her in the center of our universe.
It was a little past midnight when Killian walked in with Robert, Rachel’s son, who worked as our advisor for the syndicate.
The man also served as our estate’s lawyer, taking in accounts of all our assets.
His lips were set in a thin line. He obviously didn’t like what we were doing, but there was no changing our minds.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Robert. Nice to see you again. Would you like a drink?” Maverick asked, ever the diplomat.
The man sat down with a sigh. “Scotch would be great.”
Maverick nodded and got up to pour the man a generous amount. My phone beeped, announcing our next visitor.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, walking out of the office. Fuck, but I just wanted to get this done and over with and get back to Mila.
I went to the front door, opening it to see Gregory Perez standing there.
“Come on in,” I said, widening the door for him to enter. He looked around, ever the cautious man. But he was also pushing my patience.
“If we wanted you dead, you would have been dead before you’d ever got the chance to step foot into this house,” I said.
He nodded and stepped inside. I led him to the office.
He looked at my brothers, then at Robert.
“So you’re serious about this?” Gregory asked.
“Yes,” Maverick answered. “Why don’t you take a seat, and we can go over the details? I’ll pour you a drink.”
Gregory sat down next to Robert. “This is… surprising.”
“Oh yeah,” I said, sitting in the recliner facing them. “We are always full of surprises.”
Gregory looked at me, holding my eyes for about five seconds before looking away. “I have the original documents signed by Gunnar Rhinelander that states Ms. Hayes is set to receive his fortune on her twenty-fifth birthday. But if she signs a marriage certificate before that, the fortune will automatically be bestowed on her husband.”
It came as a surprise that Gregory was the mysterious lawyer Gunnar had hired to represent him and Mila. He kept his identity hidden, but the clues had been there all along. It helped that Maverick always does extensive background checks on all of our associates, and there was something about Gregory’s that threw Maverick off.
It wasn’t until Gregory saved Mila from being taken by Sebastian at the club’s opening that Maverick finally guessed it.
He took in the three of us as if he wasn’t sure who was going to marry Mila. I wasn’t about to help him out. I was enjoying this too much.
Maverick shot me a look. “Me. She’ll be married to me.”
Gregory nodded.
Robert spoke up then. “We have been looking for the owner of Stocken Isle. And now that you’re set to take it, why are you…?”
He shook his head as if unable to put it into words.
“We would still be in control of it.”
“Until the baby turns twenty-five?” Robert asked.
Maverick shrugged. “Yes.”
“I still think this is a mistake,” Robert muttered. I shared a look with Killian. His face reflected my own thoughts. The fucker was lucky he had been working with us for a long time, and he was actually one of the few men we trusted. It helped that he was Rachel’s son. But being Rachel’s son didn’t allow him a free pass to everything.
“It doesn’t matter what you think,” I said. “What matters is that you do as we ask.”
The man looked at me with his mouth gaping open. I raised one eyebrow, daring him to say anything that might test my patience. I might have better control over my patience than Killian, but I wasn’t like Maverick. It wouldn’t take much to push me over the edge.
“Shall we get started?” Maverick asked, diverting the attention back to him.
“I still think you shouldn’t do this.”
“It has been noted,” Killian said, the usual scowl on his face.
Robert blanched and nodded, looking away from us and pulling out the legal documents we had him set up.
It took a few hours to work out all the details, but by the end, I’d say we all left feeling satisfied with ourselves.