16. Blakely
“Knock knock.”I look up from my Kindle and see Bailey leaning against the door frame of my bedroom, carrying something in her hand. “How are you doing?”
“Is that a—” I start before she cuts me off.
“Aye, it’s an iced chai latte with two extra pumps of cinnamon syrup with oat milk and vanilla foam.” I can’t help but smile so wide that my cheeks ache. I stretch out my arm, trying to grab the cup like a bairn. “You’re incorrigible. And what about ‘hey sis, just wanted to let you know how much I love you and ask how you’re doing.’” My sides ache from laughing so hard.
“Hey Bai. How are you? I love you so much. You’re my favourite sister.” I grin at her.
“Haha. Very funny. I’m your only sister,” she replies deadpan.
“And I’m good. The pain is almost gone.” She raises an eyebrow, silently indicating that she doesn’t believe me.
“And what if we cut the bullshit?” She carefully places her special doc bag on the chair and pulls out a pair of surgical gloves. “I’m gonna check quickly to see how the healing is going.” As she removes the bandage, her face remains expressionless, making it difficult to read her emotions.
“How is it? Do we need to amputate it?” I say with a playful tone.
“Did you eat a clown today?” She can’t help but smile at my humour. “Everything looks good. It’s healing well. I think you should be able to move by yourself in a few days or so.” She carefully removes her gloves, the sterile scent of antiseptic lingering in the air after changing my bandage, and speaks. “I assume Aidan is taking good care of you and regulating your movements?”
“If by taking care of me, you mean being a pain in my arse, then aye, he is.” Adjusting my position, I wince at the pain shooting through my body.
“Tss tss. The guy is making you food, helping you shower, and helping you get around. I don’t see it as being a pain in the arse. It’s actually kind of cute,” she says, sitting on the chair next to the bed.
“Since when is being a controlling arsehole cute?” I ask, annoyance creeping into my voice. Aye, he’s helped me, but he is overbearing, and it’s driving me crazy.
Aidan and I still haven’t talked about what happened in Linlithgow, and I know it’s just a matter of time now. From what Caleb told me, he has already informed him of most of it. But I know Aidan, he’ll want to hear it from my mouth.
“Blake?”
“Hm hm,” I reply, my mind bracing for the question she is about to ask.
“Caleb told me.” Caleb, huh. Interesting. I’d have thought that Scott would be the one telling her, not Caleb Preston. Surprising.
“And what did he tell you?” I can feel the moisture of sweat trickling down my back, and it is not due to the pain I am experiencing. With June just around the corner, I can already sense the warmth of the summer season approaching. With an intense gaze, her identical eyes bore into mine.
“He mentioned that you have been collaborating with him for a few years. The job mainly consists of searching for evidence rather than spending time in the field.” As I wait for her to continue, I pick up the glass of water that Aidan left on my bedside table and take a sip. “He also told me about The Twelve and what he did in the past.”
“Which is?” Before saying too much, I prefer to collect all the information she has. The Prestons’ business is not mine to share.
Feeling a mix of emotions, she takes a deep breath to centre herself. “Drugs, weaponry, money laundering. Murder.” I nod my head in understanding, recognising that it must have been difficult for her to process all of that information. If Caleb and Aidan are involved, she knows our brother is as well.
“And how do you feel about that?”
“I… I was shocked to learn that. I might have thrown one or two things at his face in a fit of anger.” A soft chuckle escapes my lips. People think that I’m the feisty one, but it has always been her. “He attempted to clarify that he has been making efforts to improve his father’s business for several years and that they are not responsible for most of the things anymore.” With a quick motion, she takes my glass of water from me and drinks it all in one swig.
“And murder? How do you feel about the fact that they have killed people and continue to do so?”
“I don’t know. I’m saving lives, Blake. That’s my job. Good or bad people, the end is still the same. Saving them requires me to set aside my personal feelings. I took an oath. Their reasons might seem valid, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s an act of murder,” she states.
I nod because there is nothing more I can say. She is right. It took me months to come to terms with the idea that I’m in love with a murderer. Was in love. Am in love? Damn it. I don’t even know what I feel for him anymore. Everything is so confusing. Throughout this entire week, he has shown nothing but kindness and sweetness, taking care of me in the most thoughtful ways. I had my old Aidan back. It’s only made it more confusing.
Despite the thought lingering in my mind, I push it aside and hear myself saying, “I get it. I really do. It took me a long time to accept the truth.”
“How? How did you accept it? I understand that you’re defending criminals, but the circumstances are entirely different here.” This wasn’t the right time for me to have this discussion. To be honest, I was hoping to avoid this discussion altogether, but she needs to understand.
“After my second year in Paris, I was attacked. I was already training with Tim, but I wasn’t as strong and as skilled as I am now.” Her eyes widen, and she quickly covers her mouth with her hand.
“Were you…?” She tries to speak, but her voice catches in her throat, revealing her inner turmoil.
Shaking my head and taking her hand in mine, I answer, “No. I wasn’t raped, but they tried to. They beat me until I was left feeling helpless and defeated. Tim had insisted I carry a knife with me at all times, and when they attacked, I retrieved it and defended myself. I stabbed one of them, and he collapsed right in front of me. Tim found me just in time and stopped the other guys. I was in a terrible condition, with ripped clothing and blood pouring from my wounds. From that day on, he never left my side.” Her face is wet with tears that slowly fall down her cheeks. “I’m okay,” I say as I press her hand in a comforting gesture. I continue to confess, “That was the first time I took someone’s life.”
Although I didn’t plan it, it still happened. I never look back with any sense of regret. At that moment, I knew it was either him or me, and I decided to fight for my life.
My peripheral vision catches sight of Aidan with a plate of food, who seems to be ready to join us in the room. Forming a tight fist, his free hand shows the tension in his body.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.He heard everything. He wasn’t supposed to.
I made Tim swear to keep this secret between us. I didn’t see any point in telling my brother or Aidan since I was okay. Aye, I was aware that he was working for him and was sent to keep an eye on me. I wouldn’t be good at my job if I didn’t recognise someone stalking me for weeks. Especially when Caleb sent the very same guy a few weeks later to train me. I waited a few more weeks before having that discussion with Tim, and he never denied it.
As I wait for Aidan to speak, he carelessly drops the plate onto the bedside table and abruptly exits the room without saying a word. Shit. I know he’s going to demand answers from Tim, and that’s not going to be pretty. It’s not his fault. I asked him to keep it to himself. His anger is directed at the wrong person. I should be the one receiving his wrath. Especially when Tim is still recovering from his gunshot wound.
Bailey follows my line of sight, and I can hear her muttering curses under her breath.
“Do you think he heard everything?” Frowning, she raises an eyebrow in question.
Nodding, I answer. “I could tell by the intense glare he gave me that he definitely did. Given his character, he is likely on his way to kill Tim. You need to stop him.” My eyes are full of hope.
“I… I can’t. He won’t listen to me.”
“Very well. Then help me up. I’m going.” Her expression shifts to confusion, as if she’s trying to make sense of what I just said.
“Absolutely not. You’re not moving from your bed!” Bailey exclaims.
My annoyance is palpable as she sends me back the same piercing glare.
“Bai. Tim has been shot. I will not stay here,” I pinch my nose, “not when I already know Aidan called Scott and is on his way to his da’s mansion.” Her sigh is one of resignation, and I realise that I’ve finally convinced her.
“Fine. But you better stay out of it if they’re fighting.”
“Promise. And don’t think for a second that I won’t ask why Caleb Preston told you all of that. Since when are you two talking? And since when has he been sharing his secrets with you?” A flush of pink spreads across her cheeks, showing her embarrassment.
“Spill it,” I say as she helps me get up from my bed. I’m dressed in my comfortable leggings and a T-shirt, and all that’s left is to slip on my trainers with some assistance.
“I don’t know what you want me to say. I stormed into his office, my worry turning into panic as I raised my voice. After that, he spilled it without me having to say anything else. I’m not sleeping with him if it’s what you’re asking. I’m already seeing someone else, and Caleb is way too old for me.” Standing up, she helps me walk towards her car.
“Maybe. But he is hot.” Her eyes grow wider in disbelief at my words, as if I’ve lost my mind, “Don’t look at me like that. I might have fallen for his son, but I’m not blind. I know how to recognise when a man is attractive, and Caleb Preston, with his silver hair, is smoking hot.”
Her face is already red, but she flushes a bit more as the conversation goes on. Glancing at her with a smile that conveys my understanding, I take a moment to observe her.
“What?” she asks, starting her car.
“Nothing. Just interesting.”
“Just put your seatbelt on.” As we hit the road and start to drive, I let out a laugh that echoes throughout the car.
The voices inside the mansion grow louder and more animated with each step we take. Despite my efforts to quicken my pace, the searing pain feels like a fireball shooting through my body. The drive left me feeling even more drained, which did nothing to help my case. I’m not saying that my sister is a bad driver, but we came close to crashing the car when she swerved to avoid a hedgehog that was in the middle of the road. I almost lost my life because of a freaking hedgehog. Okay, I might be overreacting, but the bushes were just a few inches away from us.
The volume of the voices increases as we get closer to Tim’s bedroom, but Fusco abruptly stops us.
“Lassies. What can I do for you?” Every time I see this guy, a shiver runs down my spine, and I sense that Bailey feels the same way.
“Matteo,” I acknowledge. “I’m just here to stop the war before it starts.” His eyes bore into mine with an unwavering intensity.
“Shouldn’t you be resting instead of tempering them?” he asks.
“I probably should. Now, if you would excuse us.” Gesturing towards the noises, I dismiss him with a wave of my hand. Bailey is glued to my side, uncomfortable in a house full of hitmen. Understandable.
“Do you think they hit him?” she whispers.
“They better not have.” Reaching the bedroom door, I open it without knocking.
In a perfectly choreographed moment, the three of them glance at me and speak in unison, their voices echoing together.
“What are you doing here?” Scott asks with worry in his eyes.
“You should leave,” begs Tim.
“Why aren’t you in bed?” Aidan asks, his voice dripping with fury.
Anger is palpable in the room, emanating from each of them. My breath is ragged and uneven, as if I have been running for miles without stopping as I try to hide my pain. Giving them any more ammunition would only make things worse.
“You,” I say, pointing an accusing finger towards Aidan. “What do you think you’re doing? He is in recovery, for god’s sake.”
“How did you know where to find me?” Aidan asks, raising his eyebrows. “And sit down, goddamnit.” As he pulls the comfy chair out for me, I sit, grateful for it.
“I know you arsehole. Couldn’t you just stay and have a normal conversation like an adult?”
“He knew,” he says with a pointing finger at Tim. “And he said nothing. He was working for me, and he said nothing. He was supposed to keep you safe. And he said nothing. What did you expect me to do? He knew that the outcome would have been worse if he had told me when it happened.”
Bailey gasps at his words. “You had her followed?” I stop her with a hand gesture.
“You stalked me indirectly for years. You sent your guys to do the job for you.” Surprise washes over his face, his features momentarily frozen in disbelief. “What? You look surprised. I noticed it. I’m not blind. You cheated on me. You had no right to keep tabs on me. If Tim didn’t say anything, it’s because I asked him not to.” I’m out of breath by the end of my tirade.
“You knew he sent people to watch over you, and you said nothing?” asks Scott, in shock.
“What did you expect? You work with him, and he is your best friend. Did you think I would come crying to you? Tim and I had an understanding.”
Aidan is partially in shock by what I’m saying. Too fucking bad for you, buddy.
“So you’re telling me that all this time, you knew, and you said nothing? You knew I sent my guys to protect you, which they failed at miserably and kept your mouth closed?”
“One, I know how to defend myself. I don’t need a babysitter and —”
“YOU ALMOST GOT RAPED. You were hurt, and I wasn’t made aware of it.” He is completely losing his shit.
“Almost is the key word here. And I don’t have to report to you. It happened. Now move on. Tim saved me more than once. He did the job you asked him to.” I’m fuming. He has no right to demand these kinds of things. Not now. Not ever.
“More than once?” Now, it’s Scott’s turn to speak. Damn me and my big mouth. I’ll never hear the end of this. “You need to tell her, man. You need to tell her now before things get worse.” He is almost begging Aidan.
“Tell me what?” What else are they hiding?
“Not now,” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Once we get home.”
“Oh no, you’re going to spill it and now.” I can see Tim shifting uncomfortably and Bailey looking at us with big eyes.
“Tink.”
“Don’t ‘Tink’ me. Fucking tell me,” I demand.
“Now, what’s with all the shouting?” Caleb says, entering the room.
“Perfect, now everyone is here. Aidan was just about to tell us something.” He looks at me with pleading eyes, but I don’t buy it.
“Maybe we should—” starts Caleb.
“Nope. Nobody is moving from this room until I know what’s going on.” I take in a deep breath as the pain rushes through me. I guess leaving my bed so soon wasn’t a great idea. Bailey notices my discomfort, and the sound of a glass clinking against the side table fills the room as she pours me some water.
“I…” starts Aidan.
“You what?” I press him. I’ve reached my limit for patience tonight.
“I didn’t cheat on you,” he blurs out. I must have misheard him. That couldn’t be right.
“You didn’t what?” The world around me seems to be spinning.
“I didn’t cheat on you. It was all an act.”
“So you’re telling me you didn’t cheat on me when I clearly saw you with a woman between your legs?” I fail to see how he thinks that isn’t cheating.
“Aye. That is what I’m saying. I didn’t cheat on you. I needed to get you as far away from me as possible. And it was the only way. You wouldn”t have believed me if I had told you I wasn’t in love with you anymore. I needed you to leave.” My head spins faster, and I can feel my tears threatening to spill from behind my closed eyelids.
The details of that day are as fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday. I went to his place looking for him and found him in his room with some bimbo kneeling in front of him, his slacks opened. It doesn’t make any sense.
“You what? I saw you. Why?” I can taste the saltiness of my tears as I struggle to keep them from flowing down my face. The pain in my chest is unbearable - it feels as though the same man has ripped my heart out twice.
“It was my idea,” Scott says, shifting uncomfortably.
“And my order.” I turn my head to look at Caleb.
“So you were all in on this? Why?” My heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest, and my palms are drenched with sweat. I can’t believe they were all in on this.
Caleb sighs deeply, his shoulders slumping with exhaustion. “Because he joined The Twelve after what happened to Aisla. People wanted us dead, and they wouldn’t have hesitated to do to you what they did to her. We received threats naming you because of your relationship with Aidan. I wasn’t joking when I said you were family, Blakely. We had to protect you from this.”
“And what did they do to her?” I know partially what happened. I know her boyfriend tried to sell her, but that’s it. They’ve kept the details locked away, and my grief was so overwhelming that I never tried to look deeper into it. But I need to hear it from their mouths. I’ve been waiting eight years for them to tell me the truth.
Aidan lets out a deep sigh, and I can see the rise and fall of his Adam’s apple. “Her boyfriend tried to sell her. He was in debt due to his drug addiction and saw trafficking her as a way to make some quick money. She was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted. She killed herself. She shot herself up with Fentanyl and overdosed on purpose,” he finishes with pain in his eyes.
Sadness is written all over Caleb’s face when he speaks, “We learned later on that her boyfriend, Fergus, was the son of Apollo - one of The Twelve. That’s how he learned that Aisla was related to me. We never connected the two of them, and why would we? We had no reason to look deeper into his life. My father and grandfather trafficked women in addition to dealing drugs, and Apollo was a fervent servitor of my father”s doing. He saw my power ascension as threatening his business.” He takes a deep breath and continues. “Fergus and Aisla meeting was maybe a coincidence, but her death was directed towards us. I killed them both, Apollo and my father, the day we learned the truth.” Bailey flinches at the mention of Caleb committing murder. I grab her hands, hoping to give her some comfort. “The Twelve Olympians are not all good, Blakely. You were their next target,” he finishes.
Aidan’s looking at me, pleading for me to understand him. “That’s why I decided to leave the military and join The Twelve. The elders” generation is not all good. Some want to continue with the shady businesses, but the new generation is trying to move away from the flesh trade, drugs, and weaponry. I wanted to ensure the other victims had a chance to survive since Aisla was never given that. I was angry. I was in pain. I became a monster. Where my purpose before was to do good, now I’m just destruction.” I can almost feel the pain in his voice as he speaks, each word dripping with sorrow.
“The Spectre,” I whisper.
I feel a lump in my throat that makes it difficult to swallow. I didn’t know half of it. The ache in my heart for what Aisla went through makes my tears more visible. Bailey’s face is streaked with tears as she clings to me, her breathing ragged. She didn’t know what happened. The bond between the three of us was unbreakable. It was as difficult for her as it was for me.
“How do you know that’s what they call me?”
I ignore his question and swivel my body to face Scott. “And you knew. It was your idea to make me believe he cheated?” He nods. He fucking nods. My brother. My own brother.
Each inhale is like trying to suck air through a straw, and my throat is raw. Bailey draws nearer to me, providing a sense of comfort while Tim’s hand presses firmly against mine. I pivot to look at him.
“Did you know?” My cheeks are glistening with the tears that won’t stop flowing.
“I knew. I was there when we found Aisla, and I was there when he had to make the hardest decision in his life. ”
Boring my eyes into Aidan, I ask, “Why?”
“I never touched that girl, and she never touched me. I needed you safe. Don’t think for a minute I wasn’t dying inside. But keeping you alive and safe was more important to me. If I had to do it again, I would, a thousand times over, because I’d rather live in a world where you’re not mine than in a world where you don’t exist.” His fingers wrap around my chin, holding it softly yet firmly. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for the pain I caused you, but I need you alive. I’ve been miserable without you, but I knew it was what needed to be done.” My throat is constricted, and no sound can escape my lips. I cannot breathe. I need air. I need to get out of there. Without any words, Bailey helps me to get on my feet.
“Blake, don’t leave,” Scott pleads. I shake my head.
“I can’t. I can’t right now. You watched me suffer for years. You watched me cry. You watched me fall apart, unable to eat or drink anything, and you were partly at fault. I lost both of them that day, and still, you hid things from me.” With a simple gesture, I lift my hand to bring him to a stop. “I heard you. I heard you all. But I need time. That’s the least you can do.” Just as I’m about to reach the door, Aidan’s voice interrupts me.
“Don’t leave. Please, don’t leave.”
I know he’s not talking about this moment.
“I won’t leave. Because we need to talk, but for now, I need time. I’ll be at Bailey’s, but I’ll come back tonight.”
I cry. A lot. I’m trying to understand what happened. Each year that has passed rushes over me, and I cannot stop the flood of tears that emanates from me. Bailey had to change my bandage once we came back because, apparently, I cried so much that my wound bled through my T-shirt.
I’m sitting on the sofa with a warm blanket that Emilie deposited on top of me and a cuppa. Despite my reluctance to drink anything, they both insisted that I have some tea. The warmth of it has a surprising effect on me, as it not only soothes me but also brings some much-needed warmth to my body.
“Do you want to talk about it, babes?” Em asks, sitting next to me.
“I… No”
“I know you don’t want to hear what I have to say, but I knew he was hiding something. While I didn’t expect it to be that, I knew he loved you too much to cheat on you like that,” says Bai. She’s struggling to process everything she’s learned about Aisla, but she’s handling it much better than I expected.
“Why didn’t he say anything? Why didn’t he tell me about the danger? I would have understood,” I say, sniffing.
“Are you sure about that? If my memory serves me correctly, you were completely infatuated with him and acted like a completely different person back then. You would have never understood and never left him alone to deal with this. You’d have looked for a way to stay.” Even though I see her point, it still hurts like a bitch.
“Oh, hun. Stop crying. That makes my little heart hurt for you,” says Em. “At least now you know.”
Looking at her confused, my tissue in my hand, I ask, “Know what?”
“That you’re still in love with this Adonis.”
“I’m not —”
“Stop denying it. You’d be doing yourself a favour. I’m not saying you have to forgive him right this second. But at least now you know. And you can still enjoy the mind-blowing sex.” She smirks.
She is right. I’m not a whiny bitch. You got this. Cry tonight, and everything will be fine tomorrow.
We’ve been binge-watching Harry Potter for the last few hours, and they haven’t left my side. Despite the tightness in my stomach, the aroma of popcorn and chocolate wafts through the air, tantalising my senses. I can’t help but yawn, feeling the exhaustion of the day weighing heavily on me. Before I know it, my eyes droop heavily and I start feeling drowsy.
I wake up feeling disoriented with the sensation of a warm body against mine and muffled noises in the background. As I attempt to move, my muscles scream in protest.
“Shh baby, you’re fine. I’m bringing you back home,” Aidan’s soft voice speaks.
“What time is it?” I ask, feeling groggy.
“Half past two in the morning.” I can feel his muscles tense as he walks towards what I’m assuming is the front door.
“I swear to god, if you hurt her again, I’ll have your balls on a platter. And Bailey knows how to make a murder look like an accident, so you better think twice next time you mess up.” Em directs her words at Aidan.
“I won’t. She belongs to me, and I won’t make the same mistakes twice. You have my word on that.”
I catch a whiff of his cologne, a blend of woodsy notes and a refreshing hint of mint. God, I missed this smell.
“Why are you here?” My eyes feel heavy, and I struggle to keep them open as fatigue washes over me.
“I told you. I’m bringing you back home. I gave you tonight to hate me. Now, I’m taking you back where you belong. To our house. I’ll give you the night to hate me a bit more, and we will talk tomorrow. But starting tomorrow, you’ll be sleeping in my bed, right beside me. And you can hate me as much as you want as long as your body is pressed against mine when you fall asleep.”
I’m too weak to give him a snarky answer as I fall back into the abyss once he puts me into his car.