Chapter 72
Chapter Seventy-Two
Killain
Isee red as I tackle Viktor out of the way, hands around his throat. I squeeze as tightly as I can. Viktor’s face is starting to turn blue. The room barely has anyone alive.
“Enough!” a female voice shouts.
I look up to find a woman holding a gun to my head. But that isn’t what catches me off guard. “Jenni??”
“Get off him!” she shouts, her voice echoing with a desperate urgency that cuts through the chaos of the moment.
I’m momentarily distracted by her fierce command, and Viktor seizes the opportunity to wrestle himself free from my grip. A jarring laugh erupts from him, a sound that crawls under my skin.
“Farrah, how do you know Killian here?” he questions, his tone dripping with mock admiration, clearly impressed that she just saved his life.
“He’s the father of my child,” she replies coldly, her words precisely aimed to pierce through the tension. This sends Viktor into a fit of laughter so intense that he doubles over, clutching his stomach as if he’s just heard the world’s greatest joke.
“What are you talking about?” I demand, anger boiling over as confusion clouds my mind.
“Almost six years ago. England,” she states, her tone flat and matter-of-fact, as if recounting a mundane errand.
I curse under my breath, the bitter taste of regret swirling in my gut. All these years, I thought Jenni abandoned me, while she was trapped and being trafficked. And to know that my child is out there, that has never met me, is gut-wrenching.
“I’m a father?” I ask incredulously, the weight of the revelation crashing down on me like a tidal wave.
“You are. And if you kill him, then she dies. He’s the only one who knows where she is,” she explains, her eyes darting between Viktor and me, desperation tinged with hope.
I turn my gaze to Viktor, who wears a smirk that ignites a fire of fury within me.
“Jenni. I’m a Boswell,” I reply with a steely edge. “You know I can guarantee that I will find her.”
“I would love to see you try,” Viktor taunts, the smirk on his face only deepening. “Too bad you’re going to die.”
Jenni, or Farrah as Viktor knows her, trembles with the gun still in her hand, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on her.
“One call.” I urge her to listen. I pull out my phone and quickly dial my brother.
Viktor lunges to grab the gun from her, but she’s quicker, pivoting to point it directly at him, her eyes hardening.
“That’s a very stupid move,” he growls, his voice low and threatening.
My brother, Mickey, has been tracking Vidalia’s ring in the UK. My brothers have been relentless, closing down operations since I left Ireland. The twins have pinpointed anyone connected to Vidalia and Viktor, gathering intelligence like hawks ready to swoop in.
“Killian,” Mickey’s gravelly voice answers, laced with surprise and relief. “Lucky bastard, you’re still alive.”
The phone is on speaker, and I glance at Jenni, who is holding her breath, anticipating what comes next.
“Well, that depends on how this call goes,” I reply, my eyes darting between Viktor’s smug expression and Jenni’s anxious demeanor. “There’s a little girl we need to locate.” I nod at Jenni. “What’s her name? Give him some details.”
Clearing her throat, Jenni takes a moment to compose herself. “She’s five, with red hair as bright as fire and crystal blue eyes that sparkle like the ocean. The cutest freckles dust her cheeks. She loves to sing,” she chokes out, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“Ah, little girl by the name of Evie?” Mickey replies, a hint of warmth in his voice. “We found a place where a few children were locked in a basement. She’s been here learning how to make jam. She’s pretty good at it.”
I couldn’t be more grateful for allowing random children to hide out at my place back in Ireland.
“I can’t trust a man’s word. I want proof,” Jenni insists, her voice trembling, uncertainty creeping in.
There’s a pause, a loaded silence, and then the sound of the sweetest voice breaks through the air, pure and innocent.
“Hello?”
“Evie?” Jenni’s eyes widen, sparkling with a mixture of hope and disbelief.
“Mum?”
“Are you safe?” she asks urgently, the love in her voice palpable.
“Yeah. Me and the rest of the kids are here at this castle! I can eat as much jam here as I want!”
Jenni lets out a soft, relieved laugh, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. “Good. Listen now, I want you to be a good girl. I love you so much.”
“Okay, Mum. Do I have to go back to the mean lady?” she asks innocently, her voice quivering just slightly.
“No,” Jenni reassures her firmly. “You’re in good hands now. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Okay,” Evie replies. “Love you! Bye!”
Viktor sneers, his malice palpable. “It’s just a matter of time before my people get their hands on her,” he taunts, a wicked glint in his eye.
Jenni begins to shake, her fear radiating off her. In that moment, Viktor’s anger becomes my advantage. With precision, I launch myself at him, my fist connecting with his jaw.
I slam his head into the ground repeatedly, the sickening crunch of bone echoing in the confined space. Blood sprays everywhere.
I don’t stop.
I can’t stop.
It’s as if a primal instinct has taken over.
“Killian, you need to go before more of them come!” Jenni cries, pulling me off him with surprising strength.
Regaining my footing, I wipe the sweat from my brow, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. “What the fuck Jenni!?” My breathing is heavy. “You disappeared on me twice! And now I’m finding out I have a child?!”
She nods, her gaze steady yet pained. “I’m sorry, Killian.” She begins to choke up. “I was kidnapped on my way to meet you at the dock. I’ve been under Vidalia’s control since then.”
I take a good look at the woman that I once loved with all my heart. She’s worn down. The light in her eyes is gone, and now her face is etched with years of exhaustion and a hard life.
Jenni goes on. “I had managed to escape. Being on my own for the first time in over half my life, the only thing I knew was to use my body, and I was desperate for work. I had heard your name being said around England, and I made sure to get in front of you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me then what happened?” I demand, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
“I was ashamed!” she shouts. “This wasn’t the life I wanted, but when I found you, I knew it would all be over.”
“Then you left again,” I point out.
She shakes her head. “It didn’t take long for Vidalia to find me.”
“How do you know she’s mine?” I probe, trying to connect the dots.
“You were the first and last man I slept with before I was caught again. She’s yours without a doubt.”
The memory of that night is a blur, hazy and foggy. “They didn’t let you abort her?” I ask, grappling with the implications.
“Because Vidalia knew she is a Boswell,” she responds, her voice barely above a whisper, the gravity of her words heavy in the air. “He’s a man who loves leverage, and I knew my baby would survive for the sake of being that leverage.” Her voice trembles slightly, revealing the depth of her fear.
I sit there, my mind racing as I struggle to process the enormity of her revelation.
“Let’s get out of here,” I urge, my heart pounding in my chest. “We’ll figure something out. You and Evie will be taken care of.”
“No,” she replies, her voice heavy with resignation. “I’m damaged. I can’t be the mother I want to be to her. She’s better off without me.”
“She needs a mother,” I insist.
“I hear Lily really wants to be a mom,” she says, her gaze unfocused as if she were staring into a future she fears. She takes a deep breath, her shoulders slumping under the weight of her thoughts. “If you think Lily’s nightmares are bad, you’ll be traumatized by mine.”
“We can get you help,” I assure her, my voice steady. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
“Tell Evie I love her and treat her well,” Jenni says, her voice now barely above a whisper.
“You will tell her yourself,” I insist, turning toward the door with determination. “I’m taking you to her.”
But just as I reach for the knob, a deafening gunshot rings out, shattering the tension in the room. Startled, I spin around to see Jenni collapsing onto the floor, her body crumpling like a rag doll.